ANALYSIS OF RAD AND ODD: UNDERLYING RELATIONS AND SEQUELLA
The purpose of this paper is to examine the sequella or after-effects of both Reactive Attachment Disorder(RAD) and Oppositional Defiance Disorder(ODD) in children and look for underlying relationships. In this regard, Butcher, Mineka and Hooley (2003) define RAD as a mental disorder of infancy and or early childhood marked by an inability to form relationships, especially with the caretaker that is usually associated with caretaker separation or neglect. The diagnostic criteria for the disorder are given by the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-IV, 2000) as follows:
1. Inappropriate social relationships for the child's age which started before the age of 5 years and meets either one of the following symptoms:
a) Failure to start or respond to age appropriate social interactions such as avoiding a caregiver, resisting comforting, or staring at the caregiver
b) Child does not discriminate against who they interact with or who they develop an attachment with.
2. The symptoms in one are not accounted for due to a developmental delay disorder and does not meet the criteria for Pervasive Developmental Disorder.
3. Pathogenic care meets one of the following criteria:
a) Frequent disregard to the child's basic emotional need for comfort, stimulation, and affection.
b) Frequent disregard to the child's basic physical needs.
c) Frequent changes in primary caregivers that prevent an attachment from forming.
4. The criteria in 3 are presumed to cause the symptoms mentioned in 1.
The onset of RAD seems to begin before 5 years old. The outcomes depend widely on individuals factors for children or caregivers. Much improvement can be made if a nurturing environment is provided. If no care is given RAD follows a continuous course, and it is this course that is of direct concern in this report.
According t...