The Connected Child: Bring Hope and Healing to Your Adoptive Family

Karyn Purvis, David Cross, and Wendy Lyons Sunshine present a research-based strategy for parenting children who have experienced early life trauma, neglect, or orphanage care. The authors introduce Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI), a framework that prioritizes emotional connection over traditional punitive discipline. They explain how to interpret erratic behaviors as survival mechanisms rather than intentional defiance. The text provides specific techniques for playful engagement, structured routines, and sensory processing support to help regulate a child’s nervous system and rebuild their ability to trust caregivers.

This guide is written for adoptive and foster parents struggling with attachment challenges or reactive behaviors in their homes. These readers use the provided scripts and proactive tools to de-escalate meltdowns and encourage cooperation without damaging the parent-child bond. The reader gains a practical toolkit for addressing physical needs, such as hydration and blood sugar, alongside therapeutic methods to mend the neurological effects of past harm. This approach equips families to move from constant crisis management toward stability.