Can I be your safe haven and secure base? A parental perspective on parent-child attachment in young children with a severe or profound intellectual disability.
Parents of toddlers with severe ID already calm their child well; your job is to shape brief, supported explorations so the parent also becomes a secure base.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Vandesande et al. (2019) talked to parents of toddlers and preschoolers with severe or profound intellectual disability. They asked how the parents see their own role as a 'safe haven' and 'secure base'—attachment words for calming fear and encouraging exploration.
The team used open interviews, then grouped the answers into themes. No numbers were counted; the goal was to hear the parents' own words.
What they found
Every parent felt sure they were their child's safe haven. The child ran to them when upset or hurt, and they soothed the child quickly.
Secure-base use was mixed. Some parents said their child rarely left them to play. Others saw short bursts of exploration, then a quick return. Parents called the bond 'strong but tiring.'
How this fits with other research
De Schipper et al. (2010) showed the same link earlier: youth with ID who showed more secure-attachment behaviours had less irritability and stereotypy. Sien adds the parent view—parents know they calm the child, but they need help letting the child roam.
Dyches et al. (2012) meta-analysis backs this up. Across 14 studies, warm, responsive parenting improved child outcomes in developmental disabilities. Sien's themes echo the same warm style, just framed in attachment language.
Fäldt et al. (2024) extends the story to families still waiting for a diagnosis. Those parents feel just as overwhelmed, so the secure-base challenge is already there before the label 'severe ID' is even given.
Why it matters
If you work with very young children with severe ID, start by praising the parent for being the safe haven—validation builds rapport. Then add tiny goals that let the child step away and explore: a preferred toy one foot away, then two. Coach the parent to stay quiet and smiling, not to scoop the child back. Over weeks these micro-explorations build the secure-base habit, lowering later behaviour risks shown by De Schipper et al. (2010).
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Place a highly preferred toy two steps from the parent, prompt the child to get it, and cue the parent to stay seated and smile—no physical help unless safety requires it.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: The general developmental as well as the disability specific literature has stressed the crucial influence of parents on their child's social-emotional development. Attachment theory provides a framework to describe parental roles within the parent-child attachment relationship. The current study explored parents' perspectives on their role as attachment figure and the preconditions they consider necessary to establish secure attachment in children with severe or profound intellectual disability (ID). METHODS: Semi-structured interviews with 54 parents on their child's social-emotional development, attachment behaviour and the parent-child attachment bond were analysed using the Framework Method. All children were between 15 months and seven years old and had a severe or profound ID. RESULTS: Parents reported their child's clear preference towards them and acknowledged the role they fulfil as stress regulator. Children differed in the extent to which they use their parent to explore new environments. Overall, parents described the attachment relationship with their child as positive but challenging. CONCLUSIONS: Parents acknowledged the roles they fulfil both as a safe haven for their child, and (to a lesser extent) as a secure base. Clinical practice could benefit from a parental perspective to identify particular challenges parents encounter in building a secure attachment relationship.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2019 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2019.103452