Executive Function Disorder
Hat Tip to Thais Tepper for sending on these links to another often ignored condition that prospective adoptive parents and adoptive parents need to be familiar with-Executive Function Disorder (EFD).
A good start is this overview of what EFD is here.
The following link gives a review of how the definition of RAD has changed over time here.
REFORM Puzzle Piece
I’m a big fan of Thais Tepper…amazing knowledge on the challenges faced by our kids; however, I don’t agree that any of these topics (RAD, Executive Function, FASD, etc.) are being ignored or glossed over by the adoption community. Just the opposite, in fact. I’m out there in the trenches with families every day and these topics are right at the forefront of discussions, education and research.
I find more uninformed conversations about *how* to diagnose conditions and which therapies to use and APs leading other APs to dangerous methodologies and unlicensed therapists as the years pass by.
Examples? Obviously I disagree. 🙂
I meant on blogs and certain private forums that discuss specific therapies/treatments/programs from people that are unlicensed, have no formal training or are religiously based *without* any other kind of training or are geared towards perceived and quickly diagnosed RAD when the condition could be many other things. This tracks with a number of the reasons we are seeing for disruptions.
Using DSM-recognized diagnostic criteria is superior, as this is what the clinicians will ultimately use when diagnosing your child. This “executive function disorder” isn’t currently recognized as a separate and distinct mental health diagnosis, though that appears to be changing in the DSM-V.
http://www.dsm5.org/Proposed%20Revision%20Attachments/APA%20Neurocognitive%20Disorders%20Proposal%20for%20DSM-5.pdf