What Now? My Child is Struggling at School
by: Craig Peterson Looking back to my elementary school years, I was lucky. Learning came easy. Fast forward 30 years. My children were struggling at school. When a flyer came home about a school workshop, I jumped at the chance to gain additional knowledge. Several weeks later I encountered a roomful of overwhelmed mothers. Within […]
Back to School with Traumatized Students: What Do We Tell New Teachers?
By: Jen Alexander, MA, NCC, RPT It’s back to school time for all of us. It can be overwhelming to think about what to tell this year’s teachers about our children. What’s too much? What’s too little? The answers, of course, are different for everyone, but here are some ideas to think about sharing. Educators […]
Trauma Resiliency Model/Community Resiliency Model (TRM/CRM)®
Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM)® Training is a program designed to teach skills to clinicians working with children and adults with traumatic stress reactions. TRM is a mind-body approach and focuses on the biological basis of trauma and the automatic, defensive ways that the human body responds when faced with perceived threats to self and others, […]
FASD/Pre-natal Substance Exposure
Tips for Adopting or Fostering Children Prenatally Exposed to Alcohol or Other Drugs 1. Work with informed professionals in quality adoption agencies. 2. Explore your feelings about alcohol and drug abuse, particularly among pregnant women. 3. Discuss the child’s background with your social worker so that you have a realistic picture of the birth parents’ […]
Life as a Parent
ATN members, led by Marc Deprey, wrote this open letter (and companion video). This letter is available for any parent of a traumatized child, or child with attachment issues, to download and share. Give this to family, friends, teachers – anyone interested in understanding the challenges you and your child are facing. The letter and […]
Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD)
Currently, Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) is the diagnosis associated with attachment impairment. There is little research available as to the prevalence of this disorder, but there are thousands of children who have been impacted by trauma and exhibit many of the symptoms that are part of the definition below. Some children are diagnosed with PTSD […]
Neurofeedback
More information to come. Meanwhile, check out these links to learn more: EEG Info International Society for Neurofeedback and Research Neurofeedback at the Trauma Center Arleta James Blog on Neurofeedback an article by Sebern Fisher MA , an attachment therapist who successfully uses neurofeedback in her practice. Neurofeedback: A Treatment for Reactive Attachment Disorder
How to Select a Therapist
ATN’s Official Policy on Treatment: ATN encourages all members to seek professional attachment & trauma therapy for their children. Information on this website or support from other ATN members cannot replace trauma-sensitive, attachment-focused therapy. We do not endorse specific therapists or treatment modalities. All parents should thoroughly research their options and ask for references. In […]
What are Attachment Disorders?
Children who have had breaks from their primary caregiver, unmitigated pain, abuse, neglect or in other ways have not had their needs met can often be impaired in their ability to develop healthy emotional attachments. This is currently called by many names, such as insecure attachment. These less-than-healthy ways of attaching are often not diagnosed as […]
What is healthy attachment?
Healthy attachment starts neurochemically in the womb. An expectant mother, happy about her coming child, takes good care of her health and nutrition, isn’t under chronic stress and stays away from harmful toxins (like drugs and alcohol). So the baby’s brain development is optimal. When the child is born, he is immediately given to his […]