ATTACHMENT DISORDERS: AN INTEGRATIVE MODEL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PATHWAYS
The model of Attachment in Situations of Extreme Deficiency of Care (ASEDC) is a heuristic model that suggests a developmental pathway of the reactive attachment disorder (RAD) and of the disinhibited social engagement disorder (DSED). The ASEDC is rooted in empirical research conducted on RAD and DSED and based on Bowlby’s attachment theory (1969/1982). It includes the normative path and the distinct paths of RAD and DSED, that are presented as disorders stemming from a disrupted attachment system. As an integrative model, it offers a framework from which research questions and avenues for interventions can be derived.