Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-Up

Abstract

This chapter describes Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-Up (ABC), a short-term (10-week) intervention that focuses on enhancing parents’ capacities for interacting with their young children (up to 24 months); randomized controlled trial (RCT) data support the program’s effectiveness several years post-intervention across social-emotional, biological, and relational indices. ABC consists of 10 weekly 60-min sessions with both the parent and child present. ABC is designed to be implemented in the home where the parent and child are most comfortable, thereby increasing confidence and skill generalization. The focus of the intervention is to increase synchrony (following the lead) and nurturing parenting behaviors, as well as decrease frightening behavior. Parent coaches encourage these behaviors by making frequent, in-the-moment comments. Specific research on the effectiveness of the intervention is discussed as well as expanding ABC in two different ways: adaptation of the intervention for toddlers (24–48 months) and disseminating ABC to national and international sites. Preliminary data from both endeavors, as well as implementation challenges and improving the dissemination and implementation of ABC, are presented, along with the next steps for the intervention.