Attachment and Adoption

Todd Nichols

Family Attachment and Counseling Center of Minnesota

Outline

Importance of attachment

Attachment problems

Attachment repair

Enhances Optimal Development

A child is most likely to reach her full potential if she experiences consistent, predictable, enriched, and stimulating interactions in a context of attentive and nurturing relationships.

Bruce Perry, MD, PhDchildtraumaacademy.org/Documents/McCainLecture_2005.pdf

Important Points About Attachment

Consistency and emotional availability from attachment figures are critical

Child develops expectations about the dependability of attachment figures to provide comfort, support and nurture in times of need

Attachment experiences inform child’s developing model of relationships, self, and how the world works

Development of Attachment

Orientation/limited discrimination (0-2 mos) Discrimination/limited preference (2-7 mos) Hierarchy of preferred caregivers (7-12 mos) Secure base (12-20 mos) Goal corrected partnership (20-36 mos)

Charles Zeanah, MDwww.infantinstitute.org

Attachment and Development

Emotional

Cognitive

Social

Neurological

Model and Meaning

Attachment Relationships Meaning

Model and Meaning

Life EventsTrauma

Attachment Relationships

Meaning

Model and Meaning

Development

Life EventsTrauma

Attachment Relationships

Meaning

What Can Contribute to Attachment Problems?

Abuse Neglect Emotionally unavailable caregiving Institutionalization (orphanages) Other

Attachment Classifications Secure attachment

Sensitive care - felt security - confident and connected

Insecure attachment Anxious Resistant

Erratic care - preoccupied, hesitant - anxious, dependent

Anxious Avoidant Unresponsive care - distant, flat - aggressive, lack empathy

Disorganized Threat from caregiver - confused, anxious - dissociation

Martha Farrell Erickson, PhDwww.cmh.umn.edu/docs/EricksonPPWkshp1.pdf

Disorders of Attachment

Secure base distortions Disorders of non attachment Reactive Attachment Disorder

Attachment Repair For a child with attachment damage adoption is a

tremendous intervention, but love is not always enough.

Child bring expectations, fears, behavioral patterns, and coping capacities learned from previous caregiving relationships into new adoptive relationship.

Even safe and sensitive caregiving may generate feelings of anxiety and fear.

Role of Parents

Must be sensitive and therapeutic

Experts in their child

Primary agents of change

Two Important Factors for Attachment Repair

Attunement

Regulation

Attunement

The ability of a parent to accurately read the emotional state and motivations of his or her child and appropriately meet the child's needs.

Regulation

A person's ability to calm-to regulate body, emotions, and states of mind. Parents help children to regulate.

Ways to Help Regulate Consistency

Routines, Rituals, and Daily Care

Discipline Support managing environments outside the home

School

Movement Touch Medication Nutrition

Tools to Attune and Regulate

Learning and utilizing therapeutic tools

Stories: Family Attachment Narrative Therapy

Play: Attachment play & reflective techniques

Sometimes, professional help is needed

Narrative Types

Claiming Developmental Trauma Successful Child

Development

Meanin

g

Attachment

Life Events

DevelopmentSuccessful Child

Claiming

Trauma

Narrative Types Inner Working ModelSpheres

Shifting Model with Narratives

Importance of Play It is the vehicle in which a child communicates his

feelings, thoughts and beliefs

Assists the child in mentalizing (the ability to regulate, think, and envision) which is the primary function in the development of self or personality

Serves the function of regulation and mastery

Additional Resources Publications (available at website)

Parenting with Stories: Creating a foundation of attachment for parenting your child

Connecting with Kids through Stories: Using narratives to facilitate attachment in adopted children

DVD-First Steps for Strengthening Adoptive Families: Tools and techniques for meeting the needs of your adopted child

Speaking and training

Website: www.familyattachment.com