Neurodiverse transactional development may confound primary attachment inferences - Commentary on Martin et al 2020.

To the Editor,

Martin et al. contribute interesting observations on parent-infant interaction within the early prodrome of ASD. However, the inference they draw from their observations, namely that ‘insecure and insecure-resistant attachments are noteworthy precursors of later diagnosis’, is debatable.

The paper reports observations using the standard Strange Situation Procedure (SSP). This observes infant behaviour in a defined experimental condition, namely reunion with caregiver after a planned separation of a length intended to mobilise the infant's underlying ‘attachment behaviour system’, theorised to be largely quiescent in every day interaction unless mobilised by conditions of threat or loss. This then allows a specific inference from the behaviour to infant attachment dynamics. A corollary is that behaviours classified within the SSP will not necessarily relate to everyday naturalistic observations in a low stress situation; something supported generally by empirical research within attachment theory.