The Hope Connection: Today's Takeways--No more RAD and Jenga
Today was Blaise's first day at The Hope Connection Camp hosted by The TCU Institute of Child development and Dr. Karyn Purvis. Today was also a full day of parent training for me. Blaise had a great time--his favorite part was "Crash and Bump" which is a sensory activity. He also self-corrected when commanding me to put on his shoes and said, "Will you please put on my shoes?" When I complimented he said, "I learned that today!" It's great how the same lessons work so nicely when delivered by someone else. I met some great fellow adoptive parents and heard many stories. Today I felt like I learned a great deal but two things stuck with me. First, we talked about how the diagnosis of RAD (Reactive Attachment Disorder) is being eliminated or discouraged by many of the authorities in the field. One big reason is that many RAD "experts" are treating it as a terminal diagnosis. Phrases such as "some children just can't get