Behavioral and social issues often place limitations and add problems to a child’s relationship with his/her friends and family.
Often, issues such as Social Anxiety Disorder and Oppositional Defiant Disorder can have detrimental effects on a child’s life, both in and outside the household. These problems are usually tough to deal with for any ordinary mother or father. If your child has behavioral issues that are placing limitations on his/her adolescent growth, it might be time to seek a professional.
Signals Your Child Needs a Behavioral Specialist:
- Learning and attention problems such as ADD or ADHD
- Behavioral problems including aggression, violence, anger, and oppositional defiance
- Drop in grades at school.
- Outright displays of depression or sadness.
- Signs of low self-esteem and confidence issues
- Isolation from friends and social awkwardness
- Extreme mood swings.
- Bullying others or being the victim of bullying.
- Extreme anxiety and nervousness.
If you are having trouble decoding the previous signals, there are specific acts a child can commit that require immediate attention from a behavioral specialist. Temper tantrums, violent behavior towards people, aggressive behavior towards objects, and self-injury all require urgent attention from a behavioral therapist. Behavioral problems can be detrimental to a child’s upbringing, but if handled carefully with a professional, a child can be put on the correct pathway to a more fulfilling and successful childhood. One research supported treatment for Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is called PCIT or Parent Child Interaction Therapy.
Written by Joshua Rosenthal, PsyD