Three ICD MA students enrolled in the infant and early childhood mental health track have recently completed Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-Up (ABC) intervention training and certification. ABC is a parent-child relationship-based intervention created by Mary Dozier, PhD, and her team at the University of Delaware. The early childhood intervention is designed to promote sensitive behaviors in caregivers to ultimately support their child’s brain development, behavioral development, and the formation of secure attachment relationships. To achieve these goals, the intervention typically takes place in the home and supports caregivers to provide nurturance when the child is distressed, to follow the child’s lead with delight if the child is not distressed, and to reduce frightening caregiving behaviors. 

ICD students enroll in ABC training and achieve certification through the CPSY 5996 Field Experience course. The course provides students with opportunities to deepen and extend their understanding of development science and its applications to policy and practice. The ABC field experience opportunity is based on a history of research partnerships and collaborations between ICD and the University of Delaware. The ABC training opportunity is especially relevant to students at ICD since the intervention draws directly on research on attachment, stress reactivity, and brain development conducted by faculty in the department.  

Silvia Rodriguez graduated from ICD in 2021 and completed ABC training and certification as a part of the Field Experience course. Currently, Silvia is implementing the intervention in her home community and engaged in advanced training to become an ABC supervisor for the University of Delaware. 

“I learned about the complexity of sensitive parenting. Parenting a child, especially a young child, challenges our own attachment histories at very deep levels, beyond conceptual comprehension,” Rodriguez said. “For me, ABC captured and organized this complexity by focusing on the strengths of the caregiver that provide the foundation for the abilities to reflect and override intrusive or frightening behaviors.”