RAD Behaviors in Orphanage?

You're right that autism and RAD can have some similar symptoms. And, another one you should throw into the mix is sensory processing disorder, sometimes called sensory integration disorder. All of them overlap because they all stem from developmental gaps or issues. Also, there's a phrase, but not an official diagnosis, called institutional autism. It's where children who were raised in an institutional setting display autism-like behaviors due to the deprivation in their life. They might have language delays, poor eye contact, or self-stimulating behaviors such as head banging or rocking, or self-soothing behaviors such as rubbing something over and over. It is VERY hard to figure these out when the child is still in the orphanage because in some cases, it's the environment causing the symptoms. I'm someone who believes that all adopted children, whether domestic or international, will have some degree of attachment issues. As you said, if no one is attaching to you or helping you to attach to them, how can that not be an issue.I adopted my daughter from a Russian orphanage at age 6 in 1997. On paper and in video she looked pretty good. I had 4 international adoption doctors review her info and I always recommend that you get more than one opinion. She was smart, coordinated, and physically fairly healthy, according to the experts. What no one could figure out, even though I asked about it, was that she had PTSD and reactive attachment disorder.I lived through several years of hell with her. However, she did heal and is now a delightful young woman in her second year at one of the top universities in the country.Ask lots of questions about his activities and interactions with others. Then get as much written documentation as you can, along with some video footage. Have several people review it. Then say your prayers and jump!Also, a good place to get some info about international adoption is from Dr. Dana Johnson's website at the University of Minnesota. He was also one of the doctors that reviewed my daughter's medical info.Please fire away with any other questions you might have.Susan Ward[url=http://www.OlderChildAdoptionSupport.com]Older Child Adoption Support - Main Page[/url]

Thank you for replying. I do expect some level of attachment issues, and having spoken with an adoptive family who met him while there picking up their child, I do believe it sounds like his behaviors could be related to institutional autism. I have received all of the information his country is willing to share, so no video for us. Like you said though, the information could be evaluated by the experts and things could still be missed (and are likely to be missed, imo). You mentioned that your daughter was smart/appeared healthy in the video and information you received. That is what I was wondering in regards to behavior while in the orphanage--I would think that there would not be severe reactive behaviors in an orphanage if there was no one trying to attach to the child...with the child we're considering, he does have behaviors that look like autism or institutional autism. That is actually what we are hoping for as we're comfortable with that diagnosis.