As a foster/adoptive mother to four children with RAD and two decades of experience as a pediatric RN with a psychology degree, I can attest to every single word of this book being true and valid.

I received zero education about RAD in my nursing classes nor psychology classes. In child psychology RAD was simply explained as being extremely rare and the abbreviation spelled out. In my foster care classes, a similar introduction was made. If someone zoned out for a minute, they would have missed it. In an effort to make sense of the absurd behaviors that terrorized our family, I learned about it through continuing education, foster care themed books, and foster/adoptive support groups online. It took a dozen or more therapists to even acknowledge RAD was a thing and many more attempts to nail that down as a diagnosis. RAD is rare in the general population (although prison system overloading makes you wonder), but it is not that rare in fostered/adopted children. Foster/adoptive parents in particular deserve thorough and frequent training on this topic.

Families like mine are struggling! We desperately need help! We need professionals to wake up and be willing to keep educating themselves. There is always something new to learn. Do not remain close minded and lazy. Lives depend on you!

Every therapist, doctor, nurse, social worker, foster/adoptive parent, OT, PT, speech therapist, teacher, school counselor, principal, child care worker, children’s ministry worker, police officer, and every friend/family member of a parent of a child with RAD needs to read this book! The author bravely spoke the words echoed by every RAD parent. If you do not understand RAD (which is normal), read this book! If you ever doubted a RAD parent’s seemingly crazy stories, read this book!

Thank you, Keri Williams, for shining a light on RAD.