Supporting Students with BESD and Attachment

IssuesMarch 2013

Number of students on role diagnosed with Attachment Disorder?

Zero.

Number of students previously on role with a diagnosis of Attachment Disorder?

One.

In Ashlawn

Don’t focus on the diagnosis or ‘label’ Look instead at the behaviours your are

presented with and consider whether any of these strategies would be suitable.

Many of the strategies suggested will be successful with a range of BESD students.

So why learn about it?

Background to ‘attachment’

How did you learn how to behave?

Think for a moment…

Neglect Abuse Separation from/Changes of the primary caregiver Frequent moves and/or placements Traumatic experiences Maternal issues – depression, drugs, alcohol Undiagnosed painful illnesses – colic, ear infections Lack of connection between mother and child Young or inexperienced mother with poor parenting

skills

Potential causes ofAttachment Issues

Attachment Cycles – the basics

Attachment Cycles – the basics

Attachment Cycles – the basics

The chemical connections in the brain are forged in early years (0-6 months, then up to 2 years)

If a child does not receive these secure attachments in their early years, then they will not have learned the ability to feel empathy, compassion, trust and love.

It is not ‘hard-wired’ like ASD, but the wires are incredibly tangled!

What is ‘attachment disorder’

Two critical models of development

Developmental stage Examples of key tasksBeing (0-6 months) • Call for care

• Learn to trust caring adults

Doing (6-18 months) • Use all senses to explore• Get help in times of distress

Thinking (18mths – 3yrs) • Push against boundaries• Express anger and feelings

Identity and Power (3-6 yrs)

• Acquire info about the world, self, body and gender role

• Learn extent of personal power

Skills and Structure (6-12 yrs)

• Practice thinking and doing• Develop the capacity to cooperate

Integration (adolescence)

• Emerge as a separate independent person with own identity and values

• Be competent and responsible for own needs, feelings and behaviours

Cycles of development

Hierarchy of Needs

(1990s 8-stage model based on Maslow)

… students with attachment issues didn’t get (and aren’t getting?) that first bit!

But…

It would be unrealistic to focus solely on basic needs and early developmental stages, although it is important to pay particular attention to these in order that you can access some of the higher stages

What are Attachment Issues?

We all have them to a certain extent

They can range from anxiety and specific situation security to extensive social and behavioural difficulties

Many BESD children have attachment disorders to some extent

What are Attachment Issues?

Four main types of attachment

Reactive Attachment Disorders

(Sub-types to insecure attachments)

Why so ‘explosive’?

‘Breaking Point’

‘Balanced’ person

With Attachment issues

Characteristics – what we see

There is crossover with other Special Educational Needs

ASD…?

There is crossover with other Special Educational Needs

ADHD…?

There is crossover with other Special Educational Needs

The primitive brain needs structure and certainty

The emotional brain needs sensory stimulation, rewards and familiarity

The higher cortex is then available for choices and reflection

The whole brain

Routines No empty threats

This is a HUGE step!

Strategies for supporting students with BESD and

Attachment Issues

StructureClear ground rules and consequencesChallenge/RewardDown timeRegular review

RoutineFamiliar languageBe consistent with warnings

Effective strategies

TimeOne step at a timeOne instruction at a timeClear time frame – there must be an end in sightTake up timeWarning time

ModellingDo what you want them to

Effective strategies

Developmental stage Examples of key tasksBeing (0-6 months) • Call for care

• Learn to trust caring adults

Doing (6-18 months) • Use all senses to explore• Get help in times of distress

Creating opportunities for ‘being’

Special jobs and tasks Check in times Opportunities to share interests with an

adult Create ways to encourage a secure

attachment

Opportunities should be unconditional and not earned or used as a sanction

Creating opportunities to gain positive experience of success

Contrive opportunities that allow for success, including artistic, musical or physical expression

Reward effort with down-time Reward good behaviour with responsibility

Opportunities should be rule bound, time structured and earned by responsible behaviour.

We can support, we cannot cure Full attendance = 17% of a student’s time each

week Therefore, a lunch-time group is 1.56% of their

week Attention seeking Attention needing Familiar responses create routine

‘This always happens this way in this room’ Traditional ‘talk’ or ‘play’ therapies do not work with

these children, as this relies on the ability to develop a trusting relationship

Natural consequences, not lectures, work best. Their mind-set will be ‘you cannot hurt me any more than I already am’.

Lightbulb moments!

What aspect of your own behaviour do you need to change?

Take something away from this…