A Child's Journey Through Placement

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: A must read in the field, a really excellent book. A must read for parents who want to help children build healthy attachments, really helped with my situation.

Rating:
Summary: Reviews of this 1992 Benjamin Franklin Award winner include.
Review: Adopted Child (July, 1992)..."describes ways to mitigate the harmful effects of multiple moves on children in the foster care system, but really has much broader applications... Fahlberg, a pediatrician and former medical director at a residential treatment center, begins by describing the bonding and attachment process at length. She then gives a thorough description of the developmental tasks of childhood and how those tasks can be disrupted by separation and loss.... Professionasl who work with children inf oster care will find in this heft bolume the kind of clear, well organized, thorough approach to information that characterizes Fahlberg's workshops. oreover, this book, like her previous one (Residential Treatment: A Tapestry of Many Therapies), contains such valuable information about the needs of children that it owuld prove beneficial to anyone--parent or professional--working with children, regardless of whether the children are at risk for psychological problems or not." From Ours (now Adoptive Families magazine) (March/April 1992)...Dr. Fahlberg's insightful, empathic, respectful, and nurturant stance toward the children, and toward the addults who are their guides on their journeys enhance the value of her practical and action-oriented suggestions for minimizing the trauma and dealing with the effects. ...ACJTP is a rich compilation of knowledge and techniques for understanding, working with, and planning for children in placement. It's successful in meeeting its goals of leading readers toward informed decisions and providing a reliable reference to which readers can return when faced with questions or problems... Parents who want to help children build healthy attachments and self-esteem to minimize the risks associated with complex placement experiences will find this an important addition to their resources."

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Although this book is recommended by many as a standard work in the field, I personally found it unreliable and uneven.

Fahlberg focuses on attachment to the exclusion of all other special needs and developmental tasks, and recommends techniques (such as "holding therapy") which many experts on attachment have criticized as harmful and even abusive. I found her account of separation issues to be much less sensitive and thoughtful than that of Claudia Jewett ("Helping Children Cope with Separation and Loss"), for example.

There is almost no reference to organic mental or physical disabilities, except for outdated references to "schizophrenic children" dating from the 1960s.

There is useful advice in it, but it doesn't extend far beyond common sense and is undermined by inaccuracies and omissions.

Rating:
Summary: Arm Yourself With Knowledge!
Review: This book is a must have for foster parents, adoptive parents, & professionals. Yes, some of it gets very tedious & dry, & the editing is horrendous; but...there is a lot of value here. Not only does the author give explanations, activities, & study based back-up, but she also walks you through her chapters with several case studies. This helps the reader to better apply the knowledge they are absorbing.

One reviewer mentioned their disgust for the author's mention of holding therapy. I have to agree with that reviewer, but keep in mind that this book was written in 1996...BEFORE holding therapy had gotten much attention & caused a public outcry.

This book is both interesting & informative, & I highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in special needs children..

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: This book MUST be required reading for ALL adoptive families for insuring they have true insight on parenting their child responsivly. Being a mother desperately looking for the "why" my adopted child behaves as he does and "why" four years of traditional treatment hasn't mattered, I now have these answers and far greater insight as to what to do next. Dr. Fahlberg has provided the comprehensive guide for all who care about advocating children with all kinds of behavior and disorder issues. Dr. Fahlberg's "A Child's Journey Through Placement" is the Dr. Spock book for all adoptive parenting - outstanding material, information and very well written.

Rating:
Summary: The BEST for ANY family having a child w/ attachment issues.
Review: This book MUST be required reading for ALL adoptive families for insuring they have true insight on parenting their child responsivly. Being a mother desperately looking for the "why" my adopted child behaves as he does and "why" four years of traditional treatment hasn't mattered, I now have these answers and far greater insight as to what to do next. Dr. Fahlberg has provided the comprehensive guide for all who care about advocating children with all kinds of behavior and disorder issues. Dr. Fahlberg's "A Child's Journey Through Placement" is the Dr. Spock book for all adoptive parenting - outstanding material, information and very well written.

Rating:
Summary: The BEST for ANY family having a child w/ attachment issues.
Review: This book MUST be required reading for ALL adoptive families for insuring they have true insight on parenting their child responsivly. Being a mother desperately looking for the "why" my adopted child behaves as he does and "why" four years of traditional treatment hasn't mattered, I now have these answers and far greater insight as to what to do next. Dr. Fahlberg has provided the comprehensive guide for all who care about advocating children with all kinds of behavior and disorder issues. Dr. Fahlberg's "A Child's Journey Through Placement" is the Dr. Spock book for all adoptive parenting - outstanding material, information and very well written.