Attachment for Teachers: An Essential Handbook for Trainees and NQTs

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Hunt, T et al. (2017) Adverse childhood experiences and behavioral problems in middle childhood. Child Abuse & Neglect, 67(1), pp.391-40 ( paywalled) If you or a colleague are a senior professional (e.g. consultant psychologist) and have a talent for communication and teaching, then you are welcome to apply to become an APT-accredited tutor. You could then tutor the course - or your chosen modules from it - in your own organisation, under license. Some circumstances can make it more challenging for a child and their caregivers to form a pattern of secure attachment. These may include: As children with attachment issues get older, these behaviour patterns might evolve. As well as being evident during times of stress, some behaviours may start to become obvious at other times. These may include the child: A limitation of the systematic review is that it does not intend to include qualitative research, which means that impact that cannot be recorded using quantitative measures will not be captured. Mendelson, T et al. (2015) Brief report: Moving prevention into schools: the impact of a trauma-informed school-based intervention ( Available with NHS Scotland OpenAthens username)

Iachini, A et al. (2016) Examining adverse childhood experiences among students repeating the ninth grade: Implications for school dropout prevention. Children & Schools, 38(4), pp. 218-226 ( paywalled) Children can form attachments with more than one caregiver, but the bond with the people who have provided close care from early infancy is the most important and enduring (Bowlby, 1997) 2. The next thing that teachers need to recognise, says Steele, is the “typical” attachment of a child.Kahn, P and Vezzuto, L (2015) Understanding and responding to Adverse Childhood Experiences in the school setting. Orange County Department of Education, Center for Healthy Kids & Schools ( pdf)

International review-level evidence suggests that universal social and emotional learning programmes can have positive impacts on wellbeing and educational outcomes. However, findings from studies conducted in the UK and Ireland were mixed. It’s important for anyone who works with children and families to support parents and carers in building positive relationships with their child. Having positive interaction and play with caregivers can help a child’s brain to develop healthily.Teachers are very aware of drop-off in the morning, and separation, when the children are very young,” he says. “But what I would emphasise is that separation responses in the morning are much less meaningful than reunion behaviour at the end of the day. Mendelson, T et al. (2015) Brief report: Moving prevention into schools: The impact of a trauma-informed school-based intervention. Journal of Adolescence, 43(1) pp.142-147 ( paywalled) This is not to say that those who have experienced trauma and may have attachment challenges should just get the same treatment as everyone else. Fonagy says a student who has experienced trauma and has attachment issues is more likely to find forming later attachments more challenging. You cannot parent this child. You are the child’s teacher, not therapist, nor parent. Teachers are left behind each year, [it’s] normal. These children need to learn that lesson.(4) Children who have experienced abuse, neglect and trauma might develop coping strategies that can make it more complicated to recognise attachment issues.

A number of studies reported beneficial effects such as lower anxiety levels and improved concentration which have been linked to positive learning-related behaviours

Background

Attachment behaviours are most clearly seen and understood in infants and young children. As children become older, attachment becomes less about how they behave and more about what they think about themselves These behavioural issues are all examples of problems that can arise from attachment issues – based on the relationship between children and their main caregiver. Adults with attachment issues are at a higher risk of entering into volatile relationships and having poor parenting skills, behavioural difficulties and mental health problems (Howe, 2011) 7. Attachment theory is now one of the world’s most well-researched theories about human development. It was first proposed by the 20th-century British psychiatrist John Bowlby, who considered that children needed to develop a secure attachment with their main caregiver via sufficiently consistent, responsive, sensitive, appropriate and predictable care and support. A significant body of research exists causally connecting adverse childhood experiences to poor educational outcomes. For example, Cook et al (2005) suggest: