Early Childhood Attachment Disorders
Understand early childhood attachment disorders, learn supportive strategies to promote emotional security and healthy bonds.
Attachment forms the foundation of a child’s emotional security, relationships, and ability to trust others. This course explores early childhood attachment disorders, helping learners understand how disruptions in early caregiving relationships can affect a child’s emotional, social, and behavioral development. Designed for parents, educators, caregivers, and professionals, the course provides a compassionate and developmentally informed perspective on attachment challenges.
You will begin by learning the basics of attachment theory and how secure attachment typically develops in early childhood. The course then explains how factors such as trauma, neglect, inconsistent caregiving, institutional care, or repeated separations can interfere with this process. Learners will gain insight into attachment-related conditions such as Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) and Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder (DSED), along with their common signs and behaviors.
The course emphasizes understanding behavior as communication. You will explore how attachment difficulties may appear as withdrawal, excessive independence, aggression, difficulty trusting adults, or inappropriate social behaviors. Rather than focusing on labels, the course encourages a trauma-informed approach that prioritizes safety, connection, and emotional regulation.
Practical strategies are shared to help caregivers and educators support children with attachment challenges. These include building predictable routines, using consistent and nurturing responses, strengthening emotional communication, and creating safe relational environments. The course also highlights the importance of collaboration between families, teachers, and mental health professionals.
By the end of this course, learners will have a clear understanding of early childhood attachment disorders and the tools to respond with empathy, patience, and structure. The course empowers adults to support healing relationships and promote secure attachment, helping children develop trust, resilience, and emotional well-being.