“If we adopt a baby, we can avoid attachment problems.”
“If we adopt an older kid, they come with attachment problems.”

Two statements that I hear quite often.
But, are they true?
I don’t think so.

True attachment disorder occurs in a span from conception to the first few years of life. So, anyone from babies thru adults can have a diagnosis of reactive attachment disorder. It’s the early experiences that the diagnosis is based on and not things that happened in a child’s life after those first few years.

Worrying that a child may have a diagnosis of reactive attachment disorder (RAD) should not be about the age that a child is at his adoption. It’s much more about the age of the child when his main attachment disrupted. If a child is older when main attachments disrupt, even in some cases where the attachments were unhealthy or even abusive, then there is a chance that the child will not have reactive attachment disorder. Sure, they will have trust issues! But, full blown reactive attachment disorder may have escaped them.

Older children who spent a good deal of time in their birth families may have developed some level of attachment there. If they have, then there is a chance for the child to late attach to another person. They know HOW to attach. Certainly, they will have other problems. But, if a family is able to help the child work through those problems, the child can clear away the trust issues that might allow the child to form a new attachment. The family may be rewarded with a firmly attached older adopted child.

Certainly, learn about the child and the background.
But, don’t discount the amazing benefits of older child adoption for the fear of dealing with a raging case of RAD. (Yeah, pun intended – I couldn’t help myself – haha.) Older children have a lot to offer in a committed family (haha – yeah, that can be another pun intended – I’d better just quit now?) Anyway, won't you consider the option?