Philosophy of Working With Children

Our philosophy for working with troubled children is centered in the belief that the healing process needed to give children hope for the future comes through trusting relationships with positive adults in a safe and nurturing environment.

Attachment Theory

Our agency's therapeutic model focuses on the underlying causes of a child's emotional disturbances and seeks to address the needs of children through a process that is grounded in the development of a responsive, empathetic relationship. This model is based on Attachment Theory, originally developed by John Bowlby in 1944. Attachment Theory states that everyone has an "attachment style", which is either secure or insecure and controls one's ability to regulate emotions and develop healthy relationships. Insecure attachment styles are rooted in a child's experience of trauma or neglect at an early age, which later results in defiant behaviors and a lack of empathy for others. When children attend Education Alternatives, staff attune to their needs and build trusting relationships through unconditional positive regard, fostering the child's emotional growth and academic success.

Our method of Attunement, Attachment, and Achievement focuses on a child's need to build relationships with caring adults before the learning process can succeed.

• Attunement is the empathetic relationship that staff members form with children under their care. Staff demonstrate "unconditional positive regard" toward students and attune to their individual needs, which is the first step toward building a healthy, trusting relationship.
• Attachment is the result of the reciprocal relationship that is established between the child and the teacher. A secure attachment results in the child's ability to regulate emotions and engage in mutually supportive relationships with others.
• Achievement is the ultimate outcome of the program and is reflected in the child's ability to learn, manage behavior, and positively relate to others. Once students apply secure attachment behaviors such as self-care, increased trust in others, and decreased aggression, they increase their ability to learn and succeed.