Family Dynamics
Jody Hansen-Walker, is our Family Specialist. She has been a foster parent for over six years. Jody and her spouse, Kevin, have successfully parented children with Reactive Attachment Disorder, some as young as three years of age. Jody has four adopted children, all of whom came with a variety of special needs and labels such as Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Conduct Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, ADHD, Failure to Thrive, and many others. When asked about this, Jody says, "What I have found is that many of the labels were actually behaviors that were caused by RAD." Effectively treat the attachment disorder and so many of the other issues, or red-herrings, seemed to vanish.
Parenting a child with Reactive Attachment Disorder is very stressful and Jody understands the importance of support for you and your family. Talking with other parents who have attachment disordered children is very helpful. Jody knows how difficult it can be to get family and friends to understand, and sometimes to believe, what your home life is like. Jody understands that rule one of parenting very challenging children, children who need to heal, is to take care of yourself.
You can contact Jody by e-mail at niagaraadoption@yahoo.com.
Family Specialist
Therapeutic parenting is an approach to treating children and training parents of children with severe emotional disorders. The family specialist is a highly skilled and trained individual who works in conjunction with the treatment team to treat the child in the therapeutic milieu of a family. The expertise and involvement of the family specialist and family are the foundation of this unique approach. The therapeutic parent creates a therapeutic environment in which the team treatment plan is implemented on a 24-hour basis.
New parenting techniques that work with children with attachment disorders are taught to the parents in their home. The family specialist spends time in the home teaching the parents new techniques. These parenting techniques teach the child to think through and make appropriate choices, to accept responsibility for their actions, and to develop an "inner voice" (conscience). These techniques allow the parents to be empathic while the child learns from his/her own experiences. As the child learns to trust and love, the child's beliefs that he/she is worthless and the world is hostile change to beliefs that the child is worthwhile and capable, and the world can help him/her to grow.
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5820 Main Street, Suite 406
Williamsville, NY 14221
Office: 716-810-0790
Fax: 716-636-6243
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Last updated on: April 11, 2007
