As a parent, your main focus is on your child's health and welfare to ensure that they grow to be productive adults. Part of reaching that goal involves monitoring your child's behavioral health. At Desert Willow Pediatrics in Tucson, AZ, Dr. Joy Peskin and her staff specialize in diagnosing and treating behavioral health disorders in children.
About Behavioral Disorders in Children
Doctors and parents are concerned about behavioral disorders in children because a behavior problem could not only affect the wellness and development of the child but it can also affect those in the child’s outer environment. Untreated behavioral disorders can cause safety risks and potentially long-lasting negative repercussions in the child's teenage years and adulthood. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one out of six children struggle with a mental, behavioral, or developmental issue. Common behavioral disorders in children include autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder, and conduct disorder.
Recognizing Behavioral Disorders
A behavioral disorder can be defined as any trait that causes a disruption to a child's school work, relationships, family life, or mental stability. These are some things to look for when identifying a possible behavioral disorder:
- The child has a hard time making or keeping friends.
- The child is falling behind other children in school (reading, writing, math, and general communications) due to constant disruptions.
- Defiance with teachers, parents, and other authority figures.
- Displaying physically and verbally abusive behaviors.
Therapy for Child Behavioral Disorders
The primary treatment for behavioral disorders is therapy. Some therapies are targeted solely to the child while the parents are encouraged to engage in other cases. A Tucson, AZ, behavioral health therapist can help the child learn how to react and cope normally in common daily situations. A family therapist can also help the parents understand how their own moods, reactions, and forms of discipline (or lack thereof) may be contributing to the child's behavioral challenges. The child can benefit from talk therapy as well as occupational therapy depending on the diagnosis. Some children and parents will see an improvement through prescription medications that improve focus and calm anxiety.
Pay Attention to Your Child's Behavior
The first step to resolving a child's behavioral disorder is recognizing that there is a problem in the first place. If you believe that your child may have a behavioral health problem, contact Dr. Peskin at Desert Willow Pediatrics in Tucson, AZ by calling (520) 751-4124.
