Strategy

Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC)  

What is it?

Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC) is a parent training intervention for parents of children between six months and 2 years old. The purpose of the program is to increase parent responsiveness and nurturing care to address the effects of adversity and early maltreatment. The first intervention component helps parents re-interpret children’s behaviors so that they provide nurturing care even when it is not elicited. The second component helps parents provide a predictable and warm environment that improves children’s behavioral capabilities. The third component helps parents decrease behaviors that can be frightening or overwhelming for young children. The program is conducted through 10 home visiting sessions.

What is the evidence base?

Parents in ABC show greater parental sensitivity and lower levels of intrusiveness.  Children who receive ABC show fewer disorganized attachments, improvements in anger management skills, greater cognitive flexibility, fewer behavior problems, and enhanced functioning across developmental domains.

• Dozier and Bernard_2017_Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up: Addressing the Needs of Infants and Toddlers Exposed to Inadequate or Problematic Caregiving
• Zajac et al_2019_Sustained Effects on Attachment Security in Middle Childhood: Results from a Randomized Clinical Trial of the Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up Intervention