Bright child can't retain letter names?

I thought my daughter would be unable to learn to read because of her FAS and apparent memory problems. Well, as it turns out, it's more a matter of her attachment disorder. She's a lot smarter than she lets on, and wouldn't learn her letters as a means of exerting control and wasting my time. She has memorized the alphabet, and can do pretty well on her weekly spelling list, which is 5 words. She's in the first grade. I recently was surprised by how much she understands phonics. I discovered this after she left me some notes on the stairs one day when she was upset about being put in time out. It was a revelation. So, it could be a learning disability, could be a prenatal exposure issue, or it could possibly be an attachment issue. I don't recall if your daughter has attachment issues, and I recognize not all kids from care do. Just thought I'd mention another possibility. It's sobering to realize my daughter feigns ignorance so that she can control people, but it is encouraging that as she gets treatment for her attachment problems, she will be able to learn with much more facility.