An attachment disorder is a condition in which individuals
have difficulty forming loving, lasting, intimate relationships. As normal
attachment develops, behaviors including crying, smiling, clinging, rooting, and
vocalization are the infant's way of making contact. When the caregiver
responds, meeting the baby's needs the baby begins to develop trust.
The development of healthy attachments can be disrupted by abuse, neglect,
abandonment, multiple changes in caregivers, or the caregiver's physical or
emotional unavailability. Without attachment, infants can become insecure, lose
interest in the world, or even die. Attachment is not an "all or nothing"
proposition, but runs along a continuum between secure and unattached. Many
children in foster care have attachment problems, but only a small number are
truly unattached.
Common behaviors in children without healthy attachments include
• distancing of adults, lack of eye contact
• inappropriate clinginess or independence
• delayed conscience development
• indiscriminate affection with strangers
• superficial charm
• infantile fear and rage
• poor response to traditional parenting, discipline or therapy
Therapy and parenting using the elements of basic attachment have been found to
be the most helpful. These elements include nurturing touch, eye contact, and
physical and emotional closeness. With treatment, children are able to work
through early trauma, grief and loss, and learn to accept loving, nurturing care
from parents.
See also: Reactive Attachment Disorder