Emotional Disorder Behavior

Parents today face the dilemma of having a child with emotional or behavioral disorder. For small children, to have it is one thing, but to detect it is another. Since they are still growing up and going through stages such as the "terrible two's" and adolescence, you'd think that some of their behavior is normal and it's all a part of child development. It all depends on how one may look at it. If a small child were to have a severe tantrum and rip their toys apart, one parent may see it as a serious behavioral problem, while another may look at it as their child showing independence or leadership skills. Before seeking mental health assessment, parents must first look at the whole picture. Is the child having social issues at school? Are there any family problems such as divorce or death occurring? Alternatively, may be a specific condition the child has may be affecting their behavior? Whatever the situation may be, parents should first try and understand and be aware of the problem that is going on.

All toddlers, behaviors range differently and may be considered normal for their age. Yet, if there is a delay in language development, in which an infant who is unresponsive to his her environment (doesn't show emotion such as pleasure or fear that is developmentally appropriate, doesn't look at or reach for objects within reach or respond to environmental changes such as sound or light), who is over-responsive (easily startled, cries), or who shows weight loss or inadequate weight gain that is not explainable by a physical problem (failure to thrive) and/or motor skills, or cognitive development, parents should inform the child's pediatrician right away for care and treatment. One can tell if their child is experiencing delay in normal development form observing their child since they were infants. Are they unresponsive and refuse to reach to things babies normally react to? Alternatively, overly responsive and easily cry a lot? Parent who often question about their child's behavior should immediately call a pediatrician. Evaluations and/or screenings may be done upon their child to assess their behavior and emotions and therapy may be used to care for it.

Personal Response:

I chose to do this article because I think a child in my family may have an emotional or behavioral disorder. The symptoms listed I noticed my cousin experiencing also. He overly-responds