John Bowlby: Secure Attachment Theory

From the beginning, the infant is strongly dependent on the caregiver and the environment. When children are able to build healthy bonds with caregivers and their environment they can easily transition and adapt. John Bowlby, who is best known as the father of attachment, was a psychoanalyst (like Freud) and believed that mental health and behavioral problems could be attributed to early childhood. (Hernandez, 2017). Attachment refers to a deep, enduring emotional bond or psychological connection to another person, primarily a caregiver. The quality of attachment is seen as critical to psychological well-being. (Hernandez, 2017).
Kirst-Ashman & Zastrow (2013), defined attachment theory as “an important interaction between parent (or caregiver) and child that results in emotional bonding” (p. 136). According to Bowlby, children who form an attachment to an adult, are most likely to survive. (Kirst-Ashman & Zastrow as cited in Bowlby, 1969). There is a need for emotional closeness for a developing child as triggers and stressors emerge. They seek safety and also
Secure attachment means that child is able to be uncomfortable, express it and have their needs met hence, establishing a relationship as an early form of regulation. (Barthel, 2009). As mentioned before, FASD causes cognitive damage therefore, the capacity for attachment has been delayed. A child with FASD may have sensory processing challenges, to which can make it difficult and confusing to attune. Attunement refers to the mother’s ability, often intuitive, to regulate or adjust the infant’s environment as needed. Chris White (2014) stated, “infants are likely to be one that expects that their needs will be known and met, that they will be attuned to and emotionally regulated, and that they can freely explore their environment in