Attachment is an ongoing interactive process influenced by the responsiveness of the caregiver and the characteristics of the infant or toddler.

Brain Research

• Current technology has provided insight into how the brain functions and the importanceof early quality caregiving.
  
  
• Secure attachment relationships directly affect the way the brain gets "wired," and positive, warminteractions stabilize brain connections.
  
  
• Strong neural pathways support all areas of growth, especially cognitive and social development.
  

Milestones of Attachment

• Behaviors that promote the attachment experience—including crying, eye contact, and grasping—are present in an infant at birth.
  
  
• In the second half of the first year infants usually indicate fear of strangers (8 to 10 months) and separation anxiety (10 to 12 months).
  
  
• Sensitive caregivers can assist toddlers and their parents/families in the process of establishing trust. This supportive care fosters self-reliance and exploration into a larger world.
  

Measuring Attachment

• The research of developmental psychologist Mary Ainsworth stands as a hallmark for the measurement of attachment strength between a parent and an infant or toddler.
  
  
• Secure infants respond with stress to a parent leaving them in a strange setting, but they seek closeness and are comforted when the parent returns. Insecure infants may or may not respond to a parent's exit, and they can respond in avoidant or ambivalent ways when the reunion takes place.
  
  
• Remember that fathers, as well as mothers, who provide sensitive, responsive care to their infants can create the secure base needed for healthy attachment. It is also important to appreciate cultural values and listen carefully before making judgments about attachment and dependency.
  

Attachment Issues and Children with Special Needs

• Sometimes children are born without a strong set of attachment behaviors and caregivers may have to promote secure attachment and trust in especially supportive and persistent ways.
  
  
• If an attachment problem persists, or no attachment seems evident, outside assistance should be sought.
  
  
• Children with special needs who have obstacles to the attachment process are in particular need of knowledgeable, sensitive caregivers to help them form the healthy attachments so vital to their ongoing development.