If poor attachment is suspected in children aged 5 and under, the family should be signposted to the Health Visiting Service for further support / advice.
Often characterised by persistent abnormalities in the child’s pattern of social relationships, which are associated with emotional disturbance and reactive to changes in environmental circumstances. Fearfulness and hyper-vigilance that do not respond to comforting are characteristic, poor social interaction with peers is typical. Aggression towards to self and others is very frequent, misery is usual.
The disorder occurs as a direct result of severe parental neglect, abuse, or serious mishandling. These children show strong contradictory or ambivalent social responses that may be most evident at times of partings and reunions. In disinhibited attachment disorder children show an unusual spread of selective attachments during the first five years and this is associated with generally clinging behaviour in infancy and/or indiscriminately friendly, attention seeking behaviour in early or middle childhood.
First line support from Health Visitor, School Nurse, Action for Children, Children’s Centre,
Thrive approaches through school setting, pastoral support team, Family Support Worker etc.
The Virtual School have provided a training programme to staff from all schools on how to implement strategies within the classroom which will benefit children with unstable attachments.
- Torbay CAMHS website Professionals area
- Link to Torbay CAMHS website resources area (click Resources or Apps tab)
- Young Minds attachment information
Useful books:
- Attachment in the Classroom- Heather Geddes
- Inside I’m Hurting- Louise Bomber
- What About Me?: Inclusive Strategies to Support Pupils with Attachment Difficulties Make it Through the School Day- Louise Bomber
- Why Love Matters- Sue Gerhardt
- What Every Parent Needs To Know: Love, nurture and play with your child- Margot Sutherland