At the opposite end of the spectrum, emotionally neglecting families are cognitively organized,
with parents often able to provide materially for their children but without emotional warmth
or connection. Family life in these households is characterized as highly structured, and children
present as pseudo-mature adults. In each of these two subtypes (disorganized and emotionally
neglecting) Crittenden argues that “half of the necessary information—either affect or cognition—
is missing from processing” (p. 61) and the job of the professional is to capitalize on the processing
strengths while simultaneously raising awareness about and building the weak areas.