Care assessments concerning involuntary removal of children from intellectually disabled parents

Disorganized attachment in infancy: a review of the phenomenon and its implications for clinicians and policy-makers

“…However, regrettably, it has also been evident that use of the disorganized attachment classification has sometimes reflected serious misapplications of attachment theory and related research (see discussions by Alexius & Hollander, 2014; Granqvist, 2016). We sympathize wholeheartedly with practitioners, who often find themselves confronted by challenging and important tasks but without the resources required to carry out those tasks with sufficient time and rigor, and without required training in attachment.…”

“…Behind these removals, there is often an assumption among practitioners that these parents with intellectual disabilities are inherently unable to provide sufficient care, that their children consequently will have attachment problems (e.g. disorganized attachment), and that there is no reason to provide interventions for the parents, because they will presumably fail to learn from them as a natural function of their learning disability (Alexius & Hollander, 2014; McConnell & Llewellyn, 2002). These assumptions run counter to well-established empirical research suggesting considerable functional differences among parents diagnosed with intellectual disabilities as well as indication that their caregiving may be responsive to supportive interventions (for reviews, see Feldman, 2010; Schuengel, Kef, Hodes, & Meppelder, 2017).…”

‘Framed’: Terminating the Parenting Rights of Parents with Intellectual Disability in Iceland

“…(), McConnell et al . (); for Sweden see Alexius & Hollander (); for the Netherlands see Willems et al . (), Reinders (); for the UK see Baum & Burns (), Booth et al .…”

Judicial Reliance on Parental IQ in Appellate‐Level Child Welfare Cases Involving Parents with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

“…; National Council on Disability, ; Singh et al . ; Alexius & Hollander ; Lightfoot & Slayter ). Parents with intellectual and developmental disabilities who lose custody of their children do not differ significantly in cognitive and adaptive abilities from parents with intellectual and developmental disabilities who do not lose custody of their children.…”