Nursery World - Positive Relationships: Ask the expert ... Healing the hurt

The case of a challenging child from a challenging family is explored by Dr Maria Robinson.

In our school, we have an eight-year-old boy who was born in prison to a substance abuse addict and spent the first year of his life with an overbearing grandmother and obnoxious father. I believe he has attachment issues, which run through most of his behaviour - usually a violent reaction to any request. He has reacted badly to the school's Behaviour Support Team, and I seem to be the only one he responds to positively. His parents and grandparent, all of whom I've met, are aggressive and closed. What do I do to help this child?

This is a complex case and I wonder how it is that the child has reached the age of eight without, apparently, any interventions. First, his mother's addiction has given the child a difficult start in life. Unfortunately, the substance involved is not stated, as different drugs produce different effects in the child - or rather, their effects can be ameliorated by consistent, nurturing post-natal care.

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