‘Maltreatment, Trauma-Related Disorders, and Their Interplay with Neurodivergence’ is a session about the trauma and stressor related disorders of childhood, known as Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) and Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder (DSED). These are disorders thought to be ‘caused’ by maltreatment (abuse and neglect). We aim to raise your awareness about RAD & DSED and to enable you with the skills to recognise associated behaviours in children and young people who you work.
Don’t miss the superb session led by Professor Helen Minnis, supported by Dr. Claire Davidson-Jamieson and Kate Moran.
Register for the event & pricing
Sign up at this link or on the Book Now buttons, and complete the form that follows. You’ll then receive an email confirmation and a link to the webinar, plus we’ll send you a calendar reminder nearer the time.
Delegates will have exclusive access to recordings for 90 days after the event, together with slides. Plus you will get a personalised CPD/CME certificate via email.
- ACAMH Members MUST login to book onto the webinar in order to access this webinar and get a CPD/CME certificate.
- Non-members: this is a great time to join ACAMH, take a look at what we have to offer, and make the saving on these sessions.
| Ticket Type | Price |
|---|---|
| ACAMH paying Members (Online, Concession) | EARLY BIRD £109 (until 01/10/26 then £139) (Join now and save) |
| ACAMH Learn Account Holders | EARLY BIRD £139 (until 01/10/26 then £169) |
| Non Members | EARLY BIRD £139 (until 01/10/26 then £169) |
| ACAMH Undergraduate/ Postgraduate Members | £15 |
| LMIC Members | Free |
Who should attend
Mental health clinicians (CBT therapists, Clinical psychologists, Child & Adolescent psychotherapists, CAMHS clinicians, Mental health nurses), Service lead (Clinical lead in CAMHS, team managers, supervisors), Researchers/Academics. This would also be of potential interest to Educational psychologists, school mental health leads, allied health professionals.
About the session
We will start from a grounding in attachment, however, you will also learn the ways in which these childhood disorders are about more than attachment and why a broader range of needs must be considered, particularly in the case of DSED.
We will also consider what it means to be neurodivergent (Autism, ADHD etc) and consider trauma in the context of neurodivergence. Importantly, we will consider the complex overlap between neurodivergence, maltreatment and DSED/RAD. We will think about these in terms of why identification and differentiation is important, we will consider with you the assessment measures for RAD and DSED and assessment methods which can be supportive in differentiating between Neurodivergence and RAD/DSED. We will end with why we need to be holistic in our thinking and our support as co-occurrence of trauma, neurodivergence and/or RAD and DSED is common.
Learning objectives:
- To gain a broader understanding about RAD and DSED, with ability to recognise core behavioural indicators.
- To help you start to think about how, in your practice, you might consider the needs of children who may show behaviours of RAD or DSED.
- To think about the overlaps between neurodivergence and maltreatment, and similarities and differences in behaviours between autism and DSED.
- To encourage holistic thinking, to recognise that often it is often not either or, i.e. trauma or neurodiversity but often both and practical strategies that could support.
FAQs on the topic
1. What are RAD and DSED, and how do they differ?
Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) and Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder (DSED) are two conditions linked to maltreatment or insufficient care in early childhood. A child with RAD often appears emotionally withdrawn, seldom seeking comfort and showing little positive emotion. A child with DSED is strikingly unguarded with unfamiliar adults, lacking the usual wariness of strangers. Both are often under-recognised, in part because they can be confused with other conditions.
2. How are RAD and DSED assessed in children?
Because RAD and DSED are easily confused with each other and with other conditions, careful assessment matters. Recognising the core behaviours is a starting point, but reliable identification usually draws on structured interviews and information about a child’s early history and care. Caregiver reports alone may not capture the full picture, so direct observation of the child is often valuable.
3. How can you tell the difference between autism and an attachment disorder?
Autism and DSED can look superficially similar, since both shape how a child communicates and relates to others — but autism is a form of neurodivergence, not a result of maltreatment. Standardised tools and caregiver reports do not always separate them well. Observing how a child uses language socially during relaxed, unstructured conversation can reveal differences that more formal assessments miss.
4. Why do trauma and neurodivergence often occur together?
Childhood maltreatment raises the risk of a cluster of overlapping difficulties, and neurodivergent children may also be more vulnerable to adverse experiences. As a result, trauma and neurodivergence frequently co-occur rather than being neatly separate. Recognising this matters, because assuming it must be one or the other can lead to missed needs and incomplete support.
5. Why is a holistic approach important when assessing children with possible RAD or DSED?
Because trauma, neurodivergence, and attachment difficulties so often overlap, focusing on a single explanation risks missing part of the picture. A holistic approach considers a child’s full range of needs rather than forcing an either/or answer. This supports more accurate identification and, in turn, more useful and individualised support.
Meet the speakers
Professor Helen Minnis is a leading international expert in the field of adverse childhood experiences, trauma and maltreatment associated problems and has dedicated decades of work to better understanding the two maltreatment associated disorders of childhood – Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) and Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder (DSED). In recent years her interest has expanded to include the interplay between adverse experiences, RAD & DSED and neurodivergence (Autism, ADHD etc) Her current work focuses on evidenced based treatments for maltreatment associated disorders and is currently leading several ‘watch this space’ randomised controlled trials (RCT); two examples are -a RCT regarding DDP and RCT regarding a novel preventative infant-parent support for families on the edge of crisis, which has been co-produced with parents and takes a relational, neurodevelopmental and poverty aware approach.
Dr. Claire Davidson-Jamieson and Helen Minnis have worked closely for many years and Claire is becoming an established leader in the field of RAD & DSED; especially regarding differentiation of maltreatment associated problems and autism, and/ or other neurodivergences. Claire is one of the few Speech and Language Therapists working in research and working in the field of child and adolescent mental health, thus offers a different perspective to the field. Claire’s PhD examined clinical assessment methods for discriminating Autism from DSED and found that playful unstructured conversational/activity based observation may be more useful for holistic understanding in complex cases. She was also the first to examine the language profiles of children with DSED and the key role of pragmatic language (how we use language socially) for differentiating Autism from DSED. Claire also works part time in a Neurodevelopmental Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, helping her to combine ‘real world’ clinical experiences into her research.
Kate Moran is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Galway and a Chartered Clinical Psychologist with many years’ experience working with vulnerable young people across the UK and Ireland. Her research has advanced understanding of Reactive Attachment Disorder and Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder in clinical and youth justice settings, addressing critical evidence gaps and systemic barriers to care. Blending cutting-edge research with real-world clinical insight, Kate delivers compelling, trauma- and attachment-informed perspectives that translate evidence into practical improvements for frontline practice and services.