Indiscriminate Social Responsiveness

Indiscriminate social responsiveness (ISR) refers to a rare constellation of behaviors in children who have been exposed to seriously neglectful care in early childhood, such as institutionalization or foster care with frequent changes in placement. ISR also has been termed indiscriminately friendly behavior, disinhibited reactive attachment disorder (RAD), socially indiscriminate attachment behavior, RAD-disinhibited type, disinhibited attachment, and disinhibited social engagement disorder. Children with ISR lack the reticence typically seen in toddlers and young children. Children with ISR have difficulties with boundaries around touch, personal inquiries, and other verbal interactions. They may approach strangers, talk to them, touch them, or ask to be picked up; they may ask strangers for comfort when distressed, even when their caregiver is nearby. These subtle but important communicative rules appear ...