1. Attachment behaviour is a self protective strategy designed to elicit protection and comfort from a caretaking figure

2. Cycle of Attachment (Secure)
Trust Security Attachment

3. Cycle of Attachment (Insecure)
Mistrust
Insecure
Unattached

4. Internal working model
The early emotional and social experiences that we have help us to construct an internal working model of relationships that affects the way we relate to the external world.

5. Internal working model
Not all children will carry positive internal models in their minds and consequently may view the world as a hostile and threatening place.

6. Attachment Strategies
Type A Anxious avoidant
Type B Secure
Type C Anxious ambivalent
Type D Disorganised

7. Type A Strategy Distress/crying parental anger or rejection
Infant learns to inhibit distress
This keeps infant safe and parent available
Older children may become compulsively compliant or caretaking.
Children may become self sufficient and avoid emotional closeness

8. Type B Strategy Distress/crying prompt reliable soothing
Infant is able to predict parental availability and sensitivity
Infant becomes secure and trusting - able to explore
Older children are able to express genuine feelings and learn easily
Older children are able to form close relationships, develop empathy and good self esteem

9. Type C Strategy Distress/crying insensitive or unpredictable response
Infant learns to escalate arousal to ensure a response.
Parent remains available but infant’s distress is not soothed
Older child splits affect-alternating positive negative affect to control parent

10. Type D Strategy Distress/crying frightening parental response
The infant experiences unmanageable anxiety and confusion
Infant unable to develop coherent strategy- appears disorganised
Infant’s dilemma: the attachment figure who is needed to protect against danger is the source of the danger
Older children often become “looked after”, may have serious behavioural, emotional and cognitive difficulties

11. What can impede the development of secure attachment?
Illness of child or adult
Disruptions in the relationship
Factors which inhibit adults’ ability to think/feel what child needs
Factors which inhibit adults’ ability to provide what the child needs

12. Positive attachment relationships provide children with a secure base from which to explore their world. Insecurely attached children have to concentrate on safety and survival and are less able to explore freely. This has an impact on children’s ability to learn.

13. Through the attachment relationship children develop a number of emotional and cognitive skills that allow them to function in a group learning environment. Without the regulatory skills that enable children to manage stress, impulse, rage and shame they will struggle in a classroom setting. If they have not begun to develop empathy or do not have the fundamental patterns of cognition such as cause and effect, progression of time and distinguishing fact from fantasy they may find formal learning very hard.

14. The seven steps of infant attachment
Adult /child interactions
Effect on development
Claiming
Attunement
Affective attunement
Impulse regulation
Shame regulation
Rage management
Pre-cognitive patterning
core identity
stress regulation
feelings and empathy
morality
social learning
social acceptability
thinking
From Kate Cairns and Eileen Fursland “Transition and Endings”
BAAF & Akamas 2008

15. Jamie and Morag Discussion
What factors have affected the development of attachments in this child?
How do you think this child has been made to feel about him or herself?
What understanding do you think he or she has about the adults in their lives?
What will he or she need to help them learn at home and at school?