Attachment & Trauma 101

Most adoptive parents quickly realize traditional parenting advice doesn’t work. These resources give you the foundational understanding of trauma and attachment—especially how they impact kids adopted from hard places. Before diving into the more complex or specialized resources, it’s important to have a solid foundation. There’s still limited reputable information available about Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) compared to other diagnoses like ADHD — and unfortunately, much of what you’ll find online or in older books is inaccurate. The following trusted resources will help you understand the essentials of trauma and RAD. They’re also ideal to share with family, friends, and professionals who need a clear, accurate introduction.

This website contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases — but I only recommend books and resources I’ve personally used or truly believe will help families.

• Adverse Childhood Experiences
  This is the official Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website which provides information on the lifelong impact of traumatic events, called ACES.
• DSM-5 Criteria for Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD)
  The official diagnostic criteria for RAD as reported from the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare, CEBC.
• TEDTalk: How childhood trauma affects health across a lifetime
  (Pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris)
  TEDTalk on how neglect and abuse effects children’s brain development and the resulting elevated risk of health issues including heart disease and lung cancer.
• Learn
  (RAD Advocates)
  Contains a broad array of reputable educational resources including videos, blog posts, and other printable. This is a go-to website for accurate information.
• RAD, DTD – What’s all the controversy about?
  This blog post explains the controversy around the Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) diagnosis (yes, it’s “real”) and the Developmental Trauma Disorder (DTD) diagnosis set to replace it.
• Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD): The Essential Guide for Parents
  (Keri Williams)
  This book is full of critical information, practical suggestions, and resource recommendations that will provide a way forward for your family.
• RAD: Restore Your Empathy
  (Chel Hamilton)
  A powerful visualization exercise will help you make the paradigm shift necessary to view your child and their behavior through a trauma informed lens.
• What is Reactive Attachment Disorder?
  This is a series of blog posts explaining the diagnosis.
• National Training and Development Curriculum (NTDC)
  FREE training for caregivers to develop a trauma-informed lens and equip them to understand and respond to their youth’s challenging behaviors.
• The Traumatized and At-Risk Youth Toolbox 
  Over 160 attachment-informed interventions for working with kids who have spent time in foster care or who are adopted.
  

Didn’t find what you are looking for? Check out: Making Therapy & Treatment Affordable