ATTACHMENT DISORDER

Children need to develop trusting relationships with the important figures in their lives in order to develop cognitively and emotionally. Attachment Disorders develop when children have problems forming these bonds. This may happen for a variety of reasons including trauma in the family due to death or illness, the birth of a sibling, divorce, or adoption.

The Harris School (THS) aids children with Attachment Disorders in a number of ways. The low teacher/student ratio allows the students to form meaningful relationships with their teachers, helping them to feel secure as their attachment to the teachers grows. Additionally, the Family Consultants, licensed mental health professionals who consult with the parents on a weekly basis, work with the parents and teachers to respond to the needs of the students in ways that will help to strengthen the attachments between children and their parents. Through positive, non-punitive interactions with teachers, and in the weekly group therapy for the older children, our students are helped to reflect on what has hampered their efforts in previous schools, and are given the confidence to overcome those issues and feelings. Parents may also meet together weekly in an optional parent support group, where they can share their successes and failures in a safe, understanding context.