Reactive Attachment Disorder

To diagnose reactive attachment disorder, your child’s healthcare provider will ask you about your child’s medical history and what symptoms they’re experiencing. Your providers might ask the following questions to better understand your child’s symptoms:

• Has your child experienced any abuse or neglect?
• When did you first notice symptoms?
• What did you notice first?
• How do you and your child interact?
• What is your living situation?
• Are there other caregivers your child interacts with?

If your provider suspects RAD, they are likely to recommend you and your child visit a pediatric specialist, psychologist and psychiatrist to help diagnose your child correctly and recommend treatments that can help.

Can reactive attachment disorder be misdiagnosed as autism spectrum disorder?

Before diagnosing a child with reactive attachment disorder, your provider will offer tests to rule out other causes, including autism spectrum disorder. Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental condition that affects a person’s behavior and communication and can, on the surface, have similar symptoms as RAD. For example, abuse or neglect doesn’t cause autism spectrum disorder but could contribute to a RAD diagnosis.