Secure parent–child attachment is essential to healthy development and well-being—but for young children with disabilities or developmental delays, forming these foundational early relationships can be challenging. The first attachment-focused resource for EI professionals, this groundbreaking book is your complete guide to the why and how of helping families improve the attachment security of children with disabilities.
Written in an engaging, conversational style and firmly rooted in EI best practice, this accessible resource delivers practical, evidence-informed strategies for enhancing parent–child relationships in the critical early years. Whether you’re an in-service or preservice professional, you’ll use this book’s candid insights and real-world guidance to strengthen your practice and build brighter futures for young children and families.
Read This Book To:
Learn why attachment matters—and how it affects outcomes in childhood and beyond Enhance your understanding of children with disabilities and their challenges in forming secure caregiver–child relationships Develop deeply engaged and respectful partnerships with families to support secure attachment and child development Apply helpful tools and best-practice principles for informal, natural assessment of attachment Implement strategies to support the development of positive parent–child relationships Develop skills in reflective practice and work with diverse families in culturally responsive ways
By:
Stacey Alexander
Imprint: Brookes Publishing Co
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions:
Height: 254mm,
Width: 178mm,
ISBN: 9781681259208
ISBN 10: 1681259206
Pages: 176
Publication Date: 06 March 2026
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
College/higher education
,
Undergraduate
,
Further / Higher Education
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
About the AuthorForeword by Robin McWilliam Acknowledgements Introduction: The Time Machine (Why Attachment Matters in Early Childhood Intervention) Chapter 1: Background and Overview: Why This Book Exists and Why You Should Read It Chapter 2: Disability and Developmental Delay: Challenges to the Development of Secure Attachment Chapter 3: How to Support Secure Attachment in Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) Chapter 4: Key Elements of Family-Professional Relationships That Support Secure Attachment Chapter 5: Assessing Attachment: Best-Practice Principles for Informal, Natural Observations Chapter 6: Cultural Considerations: What to Know When Working with Families to Support Parent-Child Attachment Security Chapter 7: Intervention Practices and Strategies That Support the Development of Secure Attachment Chapter 8: Supporting Those Who Offer Support: Self-Care, Self-Reflection, and Adult Attachment Styles Chapter 9: The Bigger Picture: You, Me, and the System Providing ECI Glossary List of Abbreviations List of Links References
Dr. Stacey Alexander is a psychologist who has had a career-long interest in child behavior, parent-child relationships and professional practice, and how early intervention professionals can improve the attachment security of children living with disability or developmental delay. She presently works as the Senior Manager of Services at a Noah’s Ark Australia that provides early childhood intervention and inclusion support.
