Search Results for Adoption

Adopting a Child of Trauma: Gaining Perspective on What Your Child's Behavior and Rage Are Telling You

Written By: Aleksandra Corwin, Lizzie Vance | Resource Creation By: Bridget Morton | Design By: Sunny DiMartino, Christy Bui
Adopting a Child of Trauma: Gaining Perspective on What Your Child's Behavior and Rage Are Telling You

As the parent of a child with Reactive Attachment Disorder, Lori Hetzel knows that her daughter's intense emotions are trying to communicate what she is unable to express with words. Nadya's extreme behavior is the only tool she has for expressing her fundamental need for security. Read about Lori's efforts to maintain perspective during crisis, and then consider three perspectives to help you as you approach your own child's extreme behavior.

Advocating for your Adopted Child with Complex Developmental Trauma

Written By: Aleksandra Corwin, Lizzie Vance | Resource Creation By: Bridget Morton, Keli McNeill | Design By: Sunny DiMartino, Nathan Lueth, Christy Bui
Advocating for your Adopted Child with Complex Developmental Trauma

Lori Hetzel is the mother of a child diagnosed with reactive attachment disorder (RAD). She describes the struggles her family encountered obtaining special education and resources for their daughter after they adopted her from Russia at age nine.

Stop, Think, and Don’t React: Encouraging Parents to Be Proactive – Instead of Reactive or Confrontative – During Times of Conflict

Written By: Rebecca Thomas | Resource Creation By Bridget Morton | Design By Sunny DiMartino
 Stop, Think, and Don’t React: Encouraging Parents to Be Proactive – Instead of Reactive or Confrontative – During Times of Conflict

Parents may often find themselves resorting to ultimatums, threats of punishment, removing privileges, or simply throwing up their hands when their child with special needs is having a meltdown and exhibits demanding or irrational behavior. Before exercising rigid authority, which often worsens challenging behavior, parents can instead use personal coping strategies to help themselves stay centered and focused so they remain calm in the face of conflict and, in turn, help their child become more calm as well.

Swing Low, Swing High: Parents Moving into Emotional Scaling for their Daughter

Written By: Nancy Yeang | Resource Creation By: Bridget Morton | Design By: Christy Bui, Sunny DiMartino
Swing Low, Swing High: Parents Moving into Emotional Scaling for their Daughter

Parents of children with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) and other trauma and stressor-related disorders try many techniques to mitigate the problems with emotion regulation and aggressive behavior. Emotional scaling can help children with RAD to better understand their emotional experience in order to regulate their emotions and behavior before experiencing outbursts of agitation and aggression.