Help anyone please..... My step son came to live with us just over a year ago because his mother couldn't cope with his behaviour (running away, abusive, stealing, the list goes on). Since living with us all was ok, the behaviour with us was no where near as bad as when he was with his mum, but lately, there seems no end to it.... he doesn't seem to be able to stop lieing. He has always been told not to take without asking, but this seems to be happening all the time (this includes money, sweets etc) but you ask him, knowing that it is him and he will lie lie lie!!! he knows he will be found out but does it anyway. He walks to school on his own as it isn't far away and he takes a mobile with him, he is supposed to ring my phone just to let me know he has arrived safely, the other morning my phone rang at the normal time, my step-daughter was up visiting and happened to go down his road that morning and saw him at least 15 mins after he rang me and he was still walking to school. I know it all sounds minor, but this is going on all the while, lots of little lies. we have talked to him nicely, shouted at him, he has been grounded... nothing seems to get through to him. Help Please, anyone!!!

obviously not possible to diagnose it via the internet, but it does sound VERY much like attachment disorder. Our 7 yr old adopted daughter has the same thing, yet we only found out about it because of a "chance comment" by a stranger (who happened to be a social worker).