Blog

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

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

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…

My husband and I jumped in heart first when we adopted out of foster care. Devon was three with big

When Gina Heumann and her husband Aaron picked up their beautifulbaby boy from his Guatemalan foster mom, the warning signs

As school winds down, many families look forward to beach vacations, summer camps and lazy days. They break out the

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…

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…

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

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.

This HBO documentary explores the struggle of three moms who are trying to find mental health services for their aggressive

Adoption finalization is a reason to celebrate. Parents have filled out mountains of paperwork, waited months or years and shed

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

 Only a few days ago, I had the opportunity to plant a gun in a school. The doors were unlocked.

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 a-z Of Therapeutic Parenting has real strategies and solutions for kids with developmental trauma. Enough said. Seriously, for most adoptive parents I could end…

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

February 10, 20197:58 AM ETHeard on  All Things Considered Many, though not all, of the perpetrators have experienced childhood traumas such

This story was produced by Side Effects Public Media, a news collaborative covering public health. Negative childhood experiences can set our brains

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

These popular novels are twisty, psychological thrillers with surprise endings. They each feature a child with developmental trauma and/or RAD.

By Christine Herman When Matthew Timion needed to get his son treatment for mental illness, he did not anticipate it

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

Caleb, 11, was thin with blond hair, glasses, and a big smile where crooked teeth jockeyed for space. He and

In case you missed it…these are my top 10 posts for 2018: How to discipline a child with RAD What

Our Failed Solutions for Seriously Ill Foster Youths (published by The Chronicle of Social Change) Justin Taylor Bean, removed from

Today my son’s therapist apologized to me. (Go ahead, take a moment to pick yourself up off the floor, then

Recently, I had the privilege of attending the ATTACh 2018 conference. I learned from keynote speakers including leading researcher and

Tweets. Facebook messages. Verbal knockouts. One too many times, I’ve been told reactive attachment disorder (RAD)—the result of a child’s

An interview with Diane L. Redleaf, a family defense pioneer Nationally-known leaders have called Diane L. Redleaf the “conscience of

Two-year-old Kayla was shy with dimples that winked when she laughed. Her brother, three-year-old Devon, had curly brown hair, freckles

If you are a classroom teacher you almost certainly have students who have experienced childhood trauma. A recent national survey

Unless you’ve lived through a child’s relentless screaming, violent outbursts, physical aggression, and extreme manipulation – hour-after-hour, day-after-day – it

I opened the closet door to find my son Devon squatting in the shadowy darkness with a belt looped loosely

By Lynn K. Sollitto, brave mom, author and RAD advocacy hero I instantly fell in love with my biological son

Illinois Newsroom–Jul 31, 2018 When Toni and Jim Hoy adopted their son Daniel as a toddler, they did not plan

By brave adoptive parent and advocate Pernell Meier Social workers have been an ever-present part of my family. Over the course

Do you ever roll out of bed already over it? At your limit before the day starts? Knowing you can’t

Adults who grew up in so-called “typical” families—the families we pay no or little attention to because it looks “normal”,

Devon was a boy who cried wolf. On several occasions, he claimed workers had purposely hurt him. When he mumbled about

“It’s like living in a prison. We can’t go anywhere. All doors are locked. Alarms everywhere. We can’t have friends

If you’re raising a child with RAD you almost certainly need a safety plan. Our children’s dangerous behaviors can include

Guest post by Terrie, RAD mom Today I remember all the dads – adoptive, foster, step and birth – for

Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD): The Essential Guide for Parents has the resources, advice, and information I wish I’d had when my

What’s your success been with Residential Treatment Facilities (RTF)? My son, Devon, has been in 2 group homes and 5

Dear Friend, I’ve told you before how I’m struggling with my child’s behavior but I’m not sure you understand how

When Annika and Zeb adopt Carl, an 11-year-old boy from the foster care system, they’re confident he’ll heal and thrive

Published by Adoptive Families May 2018 Issue Jennifer laughed a little too loudly, running her fingers through her long, fluorescent

“It’s unreasonable to force a parent to bond with a child whose behaviors have led to his or her PTSD,”

Effectively parenting children with a history of trauma requires a paradigm shift. This short video by psychologist Jacob Ham is

Here’s a story from Sandi: At age 10, my son was diagnosed with RAD (Reactive Attachment Disorder). He is 17 now, and he

via Blog – Institute For Attachment and Child Development A self-care list for the exhausted, frazzled, frustrated parents without a

My Op-ed published by The Charlotte Observer My biracial son Amias and his white cousin Jacob – middle school honors

Dear Therapist, I am desperate for your help. I apologize ahead of time if I seem angry and defensive. I’m just

Originally published by the Institute for Child Development. Carol was bitter and angry—on edge. Shortly after we met through a

An adopted child’s time in an orphanage deprived him of his vital need for love, touch, and nurture, which serve

Here are the stories of one dozen children with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) and how their families found the answers

Published by Institute for Attachment & Child Development A sweet little kindergartener, with a Blues Clues backpack and big brown

For years I pulled out my hair not understanding why my parenting strategy was working with my birth and other

Great thought from adoptee advocate Anne Heffron. @anneheffron

After my son was placed in a psychiatric residential treatment facility (PRTF) I went to therapy. Something was wrong with

It’s the million-dollar question. How do we manage the behavior of children with RAD? Therapeutic approaches can seem scarily permissive.

Amazing study that shows kids who live on the same block–grow up in the same social class and schools–do not

How did resilience become a standard? How did we come to view children almost as nuisances who just need minimal

The media is calling the Parkland massacre “preventable” and pointing to missed warning signs. But, I’ve heeded the warning signs. All these mental health services,…

Mental health “workers” are chronically overworked, underpaid, and not appreciated. “Workers,” given a variety of job titles, are the day-to-day

Sadly, only 3% of foster care alumni will earn a bachelor’s degree compared to 60% of the general population. Many

What kind of parent calls the police when her kid has a tantrum? Or, even worse, tries to check him

By elementary school, Zoe seemed either sad or moody most of the time and had few friends. While Zoe had

An inspiring story of a family who used Disney animated movies to communicate with their non-verbal autistic son, Owen. Ultimately

Here in Charlotte, NC we’ve recently had a lot of news about Strategic Behavioral Center, a Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility

If you adopted your child out of foster care and your child is special needs you should qualify for: Medicaid

Most often the services described below are bundled under an agency who is considered your child’s clinical home. (This may

Navigating the mental health system on behalf of our children, especially those with extreme behaviors, is like traversing hostile territory.

My youngest sister gave birth to a baby boy in 2008. She has had a substance abuse problem and has

Read my original Op-ed on the Sun Sentinel website here. When my son, Devon, was nine he pushed his four-year-old brother

Parenting, for me, is complicated by two races, two cultures, one step kid, two adopted foster kids, two birth kids…and

As Anastasia grew older, her behaviors had Allan and his wife worrying all the more. They began to get calls

Since I was about 16, I have wanted to adopt children. Not babies, children. I really felt God had called