Children with Serious Emotional Disturbances> Reactive Attachment Disorder

See Also:

Facts for Families: Reactive Attachment Disorder

Reactive Attachment Disorder is a complex psychiatric illness that can affect young children. It is characterized by serious problems in emotional attachments to others and usually presents by age 5. A parent, daycare provider or physician may notice that a child has problems with emotional attachment by their first birthday. Often, a parent brings an infant or very young child to the doctor with one or more of the following concerns:

• Severe colic and/or feeding difficulties

• Failure to gain weight

• Detached and unresponsive behavior

• Difficulty being comforted

• Preoccupied and/or defiant behavior

• Inhibition or hesitancy in social interactions

Some children with Reactive Attachment Disorder may also be overly or inappropriately social or familiar with strangers. The physical, emotional and social problems associated with Reactive Attachment Disorder may persist as the child grows older.