Attachment Style Interview (ASI)

The ASI is an assessment that strongly engages the participant in the process of reflection. It is one of the few attachment style assessments / interviews that has an accessible and transparent method of questioning and scoring to assess both secure and insecure relating styles. It provides insights into safety, risk and resilience and how to identify stressors.

The ASI is used for adults wanting to understand how their attachment style impacts on the their behaviour and perceptions of others and the world.

The adolescent version assesses the attachment characteristics of young people aged 11-21. There are three versions of the ASI-AD, one for young people living at home, one for those living with foster carers and another that is used for young people living in residential care or Alternative Care Arrangements (ACAs).

We administer both the ASI and ASI-AD. Are licensed to train people in the ASI in Australasia and will shortly be offering training in the adolescent module for those people who have completed the adult ASI training.

The Community of Practice

We are committed to ensuring that this evidence-based tool is applied with the rigour and standards that underpin best practice.

With this in mind, we hosted an implementation meeting June 2018 to talk about the potential uses of the ASI and the shape that a community of practice should take. There were some great discussions and it’s fair to say everyone felt energised and excited by the prospect of what’s to come.

The Community of Practice is part of the ASI training and provides on going support for ASI Assessment Practitioners. We will have regular contact with our colleagues in the UK as well as discussion forums with the ASI Consultative Committee.

All members of the Community of Practice will receive a regular newsletter, articles and invitations to webinars.

Others who use the ASI

“For the past ten years we have used the Attachment Style Interview tool to work more effectively with young people across our sixteen children’s homes and therapeutic Wraparound services and we are now extending its use in fostering services. The ASI has been indispensable in providing a deeper understanding for our Support staff, Therapeutic Workers and Supervising Social Workers. The knowledge afforded by the ASI process has enabled them to develop more nuanced care plans for children and young people enabling happier more secure homes and brighter futures.”

CEO – St Christopher’s Fellowship, UK

“We have been using the ASI in our Agency for over 10 years. It is now an integral part of our assessments of suitability to adopt. The ASI gives us important evidence based information about the likely support needs of prospective adoptive parents. Because the ASI records in applicants’ own words, feedback about their attachment style and what it means for them is easily understood. It leads to a collaborative approach in the relationship, which is invaluable in planning support with them when children are placed. It also gives us an insight into the ability of applicants to name their emotions, their communicative openness, the quality of their significant relationships, and their view of the world in general.”

Senior Adoption Practitioner – Adoption Matters, UK