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Last year a group of concerned parents approached us with a question. What is Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) and how can we respond biblically to children with attachment issues? These people were a part of a church where many parents had adopted children from foreign countries. Some of the orphanages were places where kids were neglected and abused. The kids were acting out in ways that would be typical of a child with reactive attachment disorder. While we do not want to give great credence to the label, the constellation of symptoms is real. The types of treatment the world prescribes can curb some of the worse behaviors but do nothing to touch the heart of the problem.

Many of the parents with adopted children came to this training just so they would understand they were not crazy but that they could be helpful in shaping the future of their child and that there were biblical answers to help them do more than cope or survive as these children sometimes wreak havoc in their families.

This was not supposed to be an exhaustive seminar or professional presentation. However, as very little is written on RAD from a biblical perspective, it is my hope that these taped sessions might help other parents to develop godly patterns of responding to their adopted child and that the families, communities, and churches with these children would see an opportunity to bring a helping hand, prayer, and counsel into the situation from day one.

One thing is for sure, these kids need loving families. Parents who remain in their naïveté or who are trying to fill a void will be rudely disappointed. Only Christ and his redemptive love can break through to these kids. This redemptive love is what you will see that as the theme of our time together.

Please feel free to provide feedback by e-mailing us at bscinfo@harvestbiblechapel.org.

RAD Lecture - Video 1:

RAD Lecture - Video 2: