Blog
Child-on-parent violence is at epidemic levels in some families. However, it’s a taboo topic in our society and there’s little help available for parents or …
Adoptive and foster parents usually reach a crisis point before we get help. No doubt, our children need us to be that calm and steady, …
Understanding the devastating impact of early childhood trauma requires a paradigm shift. It’s invisible to the untrained eye so we tend to minimize its severity, …
It can be challenging to Christmas shop for kids who are living in residential treatment facilities (PRTFs, RTFs, or group homes). There are almost always …
Learn how ambition for adoption and loving a child blinded me to the challenges of loving and raising trauma affected children.
Learn about a Dad’s struggle with awareness and acceptance of a Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) diagnosis and helpful tips to overcome the challenge of accepting …
Joker reflects a reality we are already seeing in our society today. Early childhood trauma is at epidemic levels. Our mental health system is in …
First published by Milk & Hugs, and republished with permission.
The Worry…
Early childhood is a wondrous time of life, for both children and parents. Watching young …
I stand in the bathroom stall of the courthouse, texting a friend. “I can’t do this,” I write and lean my head against the cold …
Schools are beginning to incorporate yoga into their curriculum and disciplinary programs – but does that really work for kids with developmental trauma?
Here’s a round up of links, memes, and articles I posted on social media this past week. Enjoy!
Due to startling research on the impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on children, there is emphasis on “trauma informed care” in many sectors – …
Here’s a round up of links, memes, and articles I posted on social media this past week. Enjoy!
I recently attended Active Survivor Training (also called Active Shooter training) with my children. What we learned was invaluable and, as our personal story shows, …
Are you parenting a child from hard places? First, know you are not alone. There are thousands of us going through the same things. It’s …
Here’s a round up of links, memes, and articles I posted on social media this past week. Enjoy!
Kids with attachment difficulties need opportunities to encourage them to form bonds with their caregivers. Here are 5 creative attachment ideas.
Here’s a round up of links, memes, and articles I posted on social media this past week. Enjoy!
Here’s a list of twenty things adoptive families need from Sherrie Eldridge including Bible verses.
Here’s a round up of links, memes, and articles I posted on social media this past week. Enjoy!
I can’t tell you how many days I’ve navigated through carline with a drink holder full of steaming hot cups of coffee. Every school year …
Learn more
Aging out of RTF and into the real world: A dangerous proposition
Raising a child with Developmental Trauma
Immigration isn’t the only “system” that’s harmful to …
J Michael Straczynski’s (JMS) new memoir, Becoming Superman: My journey from poverty to Hollywood, is compelling, heartbreaking, and inspirational. It provides unique insight for adoptive …
. It’s really important to understand that, for kids with severe trauma, love alone is not enough. For the best prognosis, early intervention is key. …
As a fellow parent of a child with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD), I understand your anger. However, here’s what I’ve learned: While anger is a …
Journey to the Son is an emotionally riveting memoir about a woman’s eight-year battle with the system for the child of her heart, who suffers …
I am so excited to share this exciting new resource with you! The Brain Game is a new psycho-educational, 20-minute video, It’s designed to teach …
Coming out as LGBTQ can be particularly scary for kids who are in foster care or adopted. Here are the resources you need…
By Hannah Meadows
It’s hard to overstate how much I love this book. I had the joy of proofreading it for Cat (the author) in December …
Research shows African-Americans are less likely to access treatment for mental illness.
Though not symptoms of their developmental trauma, some children report hearing voices, seeing “beings,” or seem delusional. Here are the potential causes and what parents …
Looking to start a support group for parents of kids with developmental trauma and/or reactive attachment disorder (RAD)? Here’s some tips to help you get …
Originally published by Scary Mommy as Developmental Trauma Absolutely Destroyed My Family
My husband and I jumped in heart first when we adopted out of foster …
When Gina Heumann and her husband Aaron picked up their beautifulbaby boy from his Guatemalan foster mom, the warning signs were there. Maddox hadn’t been …
As school winds down, many families look forward to beach vacations, summer camps and lazy days. They break out the backyard sprinkler, sunblock and barbecue …
To better serve children with developmental trauma, Kolk has proposed adding a new diagnosis to the DSM called Developmental Trauma Disorder (DTD). The new diagnostic …
Let’s strip away the platitudes and talk about surviving. Here’s my unfiltered, pragmatic RAD-parent-to-RAD-parent advice.
Kids with RAD have an indefatigable need to control the people and situations around them because they only feel safe when they prove to themselves …
Due to trauma during her early development, the lens Kayla viewed the world through was warped. It made even loving caregivers seem unsafe. Situations and …
Raising a child with developmental trauma can be incredibly difficult and isolating. The more you understand your child’s trauma history, and learn about the science …
Gina and her husband adopted Maddox only to discover he suffered developmental trauma and was diagnosed with RAD. Through years of therapy and specialized schools …
Jessie Hogsett was diagnosed with RAD at the age of 12 and grew up acting out of the hurt and trauma of his early childhood. …
If your child has attachment issues, The Boy who Build a Wall Around Himself is the perfect book to cuddle up with. This lovely story by …
The Kids we Lose is a PBS documentary that explores how ineffective discipline techniques in schools feed the school-to-prison pipeline. It does a great job …
For the safety of our kids, who will someday age-out of residential treatment and into the real world – we must find a balance. They’ve …
Regardless of our politics, we can advocate together on behalf of innocent children. Let’s consider that the immigration system isn’t the only “system” that’s harmful …
Parents of kids diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) are all too familiar with the symptoms. Anecdotally we often list food hoarding, violent outbursts, crazy …
My son Devon was 10-years-old when I dropped him off at a residential treatment facility (RTF) for the first time. I knew almost instantly it …
This HBO documentary explores the struggle of three moms who are trying to find mental health services for their aggressive sons.
A Dangerous Son tells …
Adoption finalization is a reason to celebrate. Parents have filled out mountains of paperwork, waited months or years and shed many tears to get to …
Imagine identifying a toxin so potent it could rewire a child’s brain and erode his immune system. A substance that, in high doses, tripled the …
These types of sentiments garner thousands of likes, shares, and re-tweets. But for families like mine, they simply don’t ring true.
Our recent Facebook poll showed up to 95% of adoptive parents are not sufficiently trained on developmental trauma and the related diagnoses including Reactive Attachment …
Only a few days ago, I had the opportunity to plant a gun in a school.
The doors were unlocked. There was no security guard. …
Our recent Facebook poll showed that 67% of children first misdiagnosed with RAD (and other developmental trauma diagnoses) were first diagnosed with ADHD.
One of the challenges of raising a child with developmental trauma disorder is how many professionals do not truly understand the disorder. However, I know …
The a-z Of Therapeutic Parenting has real strategies and solutions for kids with developmental trauma. Enough said. Seriously, for most adoptive parents I could …
This book will provide an interesting and enlightening background on the science of trauma. It’s not a how-to, although Dr. Kolk does offer some insight …
Under my desk is an antique iron. It has been there since the day my mother hid it from my teenage son. That day, attempts …
February 10, 20197:58 AM ETHeard on All Things Considered
Many, though not all, of the perpetrators have experienced childhood traumas such as physical or emotional abuse, and unstable families, …
This story was produced by Side Effects Public Media, a news collaborative covering public health.
Negative childhood experiences can set our brains to constantly feel danger and fear …
My son Devon has a long track-record of making false allegations against staff at treatment facilities where he’s a patient. “I’m afraid Devon might make up a …
These popular novels are twisty, psychological thrillers with surprise endings. They each feature a child with developmental trauma and/or RAD. Some details are true-to-life while …
By Christine Herman
When Matthew Timion needed to get his son treatment for mental illness, he did not anticipate it would be so hard to get …
Don’t miss out! pdf resources shared at the 2019 REFRESH conference! Includes a handout for teachers.
My husband and I adopted Devon out of foster care when he was 3. Devon has complex developmental trauma disorder (DTD, commonly diagnosed as reactive …
Caleb, 11, was thin with blond hair, glasses, and a big smile where crooked teeth jockeyed for space. He and his brother, Elijah, were adopted …
In case you missed it…these are my top 10 posts for 2018:
How to discipline a child with RAD
What to do when CPS comes knocking at …
Our Failed Solutions for Seriously Ill Foster Youths (published by The Chronicle of Social Change)
Justin Taylor Bean, removed from his abusive birth parents as a …
Today my son’s therapist apologized to me. (Go ahead, take a moment to pick yourself up off the floor, then keep reading…) If you’re the parent …
Recently, I had the privilege of attending the ATTACh 2018 conference. I learned from keynote speakers including leading researcher and author of The Body Keeps …
Tweets. Facebook messages. Verbal knockouts. One too many times, I’ve been told reactive attachment disorder (RAD)—the result of a child’s early trauma—isn’t a “real” diagnosis. …
An interview with Diane L. Redleaf, a family defense pioneer
Nationally-known leaders have called Diane L. Redleaf the “conscience of the child welfare system,” the driving …
Two-year-old Kayla was shy with dimples that winked when she laughed. Her brother, three-year-old Devon, had curly brown hair, freckles and a quick smile. We’d …
If you are a classroom teacher you almost certainly have students who have experienced childhood trauma. A recent national survey on children’s health found that …
Unless you’ve lived through a child’s relentless screaming, violent outbursts, physical aggression, and extreme manipulation – hour-after-hour, day-after-day – it may be hard to fathom …
I opened the closet door to find my son Devon squatting in the shadowy darkness with a belt looped loosely around his neck. He was …
By Lynn K. Sollitto, brave mom, author and RAD advocacy hero
I instantly fell in love with my biological son when he was born. It was …
Illinois Newsroom-Jul 31, 2018
When Toni and Jim Hoy adopted their son Daniel as a toddler, they did not plan to give him back to the …
By brave adoptive parent and advocate Pernell Meier
Social workers have been an ever-present part of my family. Over the course of 13 years, we have parented …
Do you ever roll out of bed already over it? At your limit before the day starts? Knowing you can’t take even one more surly …
Adults who grew up in so-called “typical” families—the families we pay no or little attention to because it looks “normal”, okay, or good-enough—can struggle too. …
Devon was a boy who cried wolf. On several occasions, he claimed workers had purposely hurt him. When he mumbled about Mr. Myron beating him up. …
“It’s like living in a prison. We can’t go anywhere. All doors are locked. Alarms everywhere. We can’t have friends over. Stuff goes missing. We’ve …
If you’re raising a child with RAD you almost certainly need a safety plan.
Our children’s dangerous behaviors can include suicidal ideation, self- harming, violent outbursts, …
Guest post by Terrie, RAD mom
Today I remember all the dads – adoptive, foster, step and birth – for whom Father’s Day is literally not …
Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD): The Essential Guide for Parents has the resources, advice, and information I wish I’d had when my son was diagnosed with RAD. During …
What’s your success been with Residential Treatment Facilities (RTF)? My son, Devon, has been in 2 group homes and 5 psychiatric residential facilities (PRTF). They …
Dear Friend,
I’ve told you before how I’m struggling with my child’s behavior but I’m not sure you understand how serious—how desperate—things are.
Here’s the unvarnished truth—my …
When Annika and Zeb adopt Carl, an 11-year-old boy from the foster care system, they’re confident he’ll heal and thrive in their loving home. Carl …
Published by Adoptive Families May 2018 Issue
Jennifer laughed a little too loudly, running her fingers through her long, fluorescent blue and pink hair. The only …
“It’s unreasonable to force a parent to bond with a child whose behaviors have led to his or her PTSD,” said Institute for Attachment and …
Effectively parenting children with a history of trauma requires a paradigm shift. This short video by psychologist Jacob Ham is incredibly effective in helping us …
Here’s a story from Sandi:
At age 10, my son was diagnosed with RAD (Reactive Attachment Disorder). He is 17 now, and he would no longer qualify for this …
via Blog – Institute For Attachment and Child Development
A self-care list for the exhausted, frazzled, frustrated parents without a minute or ounce of energy to …
My Op-ed published by The Charlotte Observer
My biracial son Amias and his white cousin Jacob – middle school honors students – stood a few paces …
Dear Therapist,
I am desperate for your help. I apologize ahead of time if I seem angry and defensive. I’m just burnt out and afraid you won’t …
Originally published by the Institute for Child Development.
Carol was bitter and angry—on edge. Shortly after we met through a mutual friend, she told me about …
An adopted child’s time in an orphanage deprived him of his vital need for love, touch, and nurture, which serve as the blueprint for forging …
Here are the stories of one dozen children with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) and how their families found the answers to stop the fighting and …