RAD typically occurs in young children and is diagnosed between the ages of 9 months and 5 years. Often, it happens because of a child’s negative experiences early in life. Those may include:
Physical or emotional abuse.
Neglect.
Unavailable or inconsistent caregivers.
Physically or mentally ill caregivers.
Unstable living situations (switching households, foster care, orphanages, adoptions, and more).
While abuse and neglect can cause RAD, not all children who experience those situations develop it.