What is RAD, or Reactive Attachment Disorder?
The term “attachment” is used to describe the process that takes place between infants and their care givers during the first two years of life, but it is especially the bond that develops between an infant and his/her caregiver during the first nine to twelve months of life. Mothers and babies engage in a series of interactions in which each is responding to cues from the other. The baby experiences discomfort or a need and protests usually by crying. The mother responds by picking the baby up, making eye contact, talks to and soothes the baby. In response the baby calms and trust develops and begins to interact with the mother and finally rests again before the cycle begins again as the baby experiences discomfort or a need. As this cycle is repeated thousands of times during the first year of a baby’s life, a securely attached relationship develops. When a mother fails to respond, or responds inconsistently, the baby protests even louder. If its needs are not met, eventually the bab
