Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy

Newsletter #19 for Internationally Adopting Parents
June 4, 2006
PAL Center Inc.

In this issue

Adoption training courses are convenient and most affordable way
to quickly access a psychological consultation on the issues you
need to address.
Check out the course library,
use the opportunity to speak to the instructors

Q: Why is it so difficult to diagnose ADHD in post-institutionalized children?

A: International adoptees are more difficult to diagnose because of insufficient knowledge of their pre- and post-natal circumstances and developmental milestones. Behaviors that resemble current criteria for ADHD, can be the result of many other conditions. A competent evaluator should examine such issues as sensory, behavioral, emotional difficulties, learning style, temperament, history of illness and stress, background (birth parent history, orphanage history), developmental history, impressions from multiple environments (home, school, sports, social world, care providers). Also, it is a mistake to think in terms of "what is the singular cause of this behavior" and not "what are the multiple causes."

Dr. Boris Gindis

You receive this newsletter as a former client of the Center for Cognitive-Developmental Assessment & Remediation, or a former student of the Bgcenter Online School, or a user of the International Adoption Articles Directory.

Latest Articles
from the
International Adoption Articles Directory

Gary Direnfeld, MSW, RSW
Sibling Harmony Versus Rivalry
Two siblings, ages three and five are bickering over the toys. The parent admonishes the younger child, “You are almost four, now share.” The older child next hits the younger child and the parent shouts, “Don’t hit… you have to love your little sister/brother.” The stage is set for the parent to develop a rivalry between the children with the toys viewed as a valuable and limited resource. What is sought though, is sibling harmony, not rivalry.

Gary Direnfeld, MSW, RSW
Let Go To Win – Child Custody Disputes
Parents in bitter custody or access disputes should consider that the prize is not necessarily half the time with their kids or even half a say in matters affecting their lives. The true prize is a 100% relationship with one’s children. This is achieved not by fighting tooth and nail for one’s perceived rights, as the right to fight is not necessarily what is right for the child. Rather, parents are advised to concentrate on their relationship with their kids.

From our database:
Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy

There are many misconceptions and fictions about treatments for trauma-attachment disordered children. Is treatment dangerous and deadly? Is it a miracle cure? What, exactly, is attachment therapy? In a series of articles Dr. Arthur Becker-Weidman shares his views on this complex and controversial issue.

How to Select a Therapist to Treat Children with Disorders of Attachment and Trauma
This article briefly outlines critical questions to ask when selecting a therapist to treat an internationally adopted child.

Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy: What it is and What it isn't
This article describes Dr. Arthur Becker-Weidman's approach to treating children with disorders of attachment.

Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy: An Effective Treatment for Children with Trauma-Attachment Disorders
This article summarizes the results of a follow-up study of Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy for treating children with disorders of attachment.