It can be scary and disconcerting to parents when their children's behavior seems different than most of their peers. Early intervention with a child psychiatrist may alleviate some of this stress, but if you are concerned about behavior in an adolescent you can still receive help. Child psychiatry care can be provided to children and adolescents up to the age of 18.
Common Conditions
Among other conditions, a child psychiatrist can address the following three common problems:
Uncontrollable Anger
Some children are aggressive or don't know how to express their anger appropriately. Common underlying conditions for uncontrollable anger include ADHD, learning disabilities, and opposition defiant disorder (ODD). A psychiatrist will perform tests to determine an accurate diagnosis to identify the problem so it can be treated. Having a professional diagnose the issue can also help minimize problems caused by non-professionals' opinions such as school officials claiming that a child "acts out" or "bullies other children" frequently.
Anxiety
If a child always seems nervous or scared, he or she may be experiencing abnormal anxiety. Anxiety can have a huge impact on a child's social and scholastic development. If this is the case, a diagnosis and treatment plan can address the current problem and potentially prevent him or her from developing panic attacks or an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) later on.
Developmental Disorders
Developmental disorders are often caught when a child's progress is compared to the expected development rates among their peers, so they are often first noticed when said child enters school. An example of a common developmental disorder is an autism spectrum disorder. Some autistic children are gifted in certain areas of development but have difficulty in other areas, and the impact of the condition can vary greatly from one child to another. The condition needs to be properly diagnosed and an individual treatment plan should be made.
Premature birth and exposure to chemicals, drugs, or alcohol during their developmental years can cause learning disabilities in children. But not all learning disabilities are immediately obvious during a child's younger years. Children who have experienced head trauma at any age may also have developmental delays. Parents of children who meet these conditions should monitor their children and take them to a psychiatrist for an evaluation if they notice anything amiss.
Professional Diagnosis
If you are concerned about your child's behavior, consult a child psychiatrist. They can evaluate the situation and provide any testing needed to diagnose a condition. Parents who have concerns about the possibility of medication being recommended as part of a treatment plan should not avoid getting help for their children. Psychiatrists do not prescribe medications to all children or all conditions. In addition to therapy sessions, a psychiatrist may recommend strategies and treatments designed to help your child manage or overcome their symptoms. If it turns out that medication is needed, a child psychiatrist can prescribe a safe dosage and will work with you to find a good option for your child. Parents can refuse the medication or delay it if they want to see if other parts of the treatment plan such as therapy are effective.
A psychiatrist can benefit families by working with school officials, the juvenile court system, and other professionals to explain a child's condition and how it impacts that child's behavior.
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