If you are a parent, you know that parenthood is a full-time role, in every sense practically possible. Temper tantrums, getting frustrated and angry are a part of childhood and a manner of expressing emotions for your child. However, sometimes certain behaviors can be due to some underlying root cause.
In this blog we aim to cover underlying causes of behavioral issues along with the therapy for them.
What are common behavioral disorders in children?
Behavioral disorders in the developing age can have a significant impact on your child's health and well-being in adulthood. It can also affect the family dynamics and their social life. It isn't common for a child to get labeled with a behavioral disorder diagnosis at an age less than 5 years, however, the early symptoms observed in a child can be diagnosed later.
Few behavioral disorders in children are:
ADHD
ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. This condition affects the person's behavior. The person tends to have difficulty in focusing, is fidgety, and often displays impulsive behavior.
The symptoms of ADHD are often categorized under two types of behavioral issues :
Attention deficit- inattentiveness and difficulty in concentrating
Hyperactivity or impulsive behavior- difficulty sitting in one place
Autism
Autism or autism spectrum disorder is a set of conditions that develop due to neurological or developmental disorders. It affects how the person interacts, behaves, communicates, and learns in several ways, thereby making them different from others.
The word spectrum is used because there can be a wide variety of symptoms in different individuals, for instance, one child might have impressive social skills, while the other might be totally non-verbal. Autism can be diagnosed at any age, but its symptoms often start appearing by the age of 2yrs.
ODD- Oppositional defiant disorder
ODD includes anger and emotional outbursts in response to people with authority. Diagnosis is often confirmed after the symptoms last for more than 6 months.
Conduct disorder
Conduct disorder is a rather serious condition, where the child's behavior is cruel towards other people and animals. This can lead to indulgence in violence and criminal activities.
The above mentioned conditions aren't as commonly observed, one very common problem observed is temporary behavioral and emotional disorder. It often passes with time, and requires support from parents or their guardians. Sometimes professional help is needed and if very effective in helping the child get a better hold on their emotions and regulate their behavior.
Behavioral therapy for children.
Approaches like Behavioural therapy and cognitive therapy can be quite helpful in managing the symptoms for most of the behavioral disorders such as ADHD, autism, anxiety, depression, conduct disorder, etc.
Behavioral therapy helps the child and their families understand the root cause of behavior of the child and helps them learn how to reduce unwanted behavior and reinforce positive behavior patterns in children. In short, the therapist helps the child turn undesirable behavior to desirable behavior, identifying the trigger, and helping the child practice more positive thoughts.
On the other hand, in Cognitive behavioral therapy the behaviour therapist focuses on identifying and evaluating negative thoughts and emotions and guiding the child through the process of regulating their thoughts and emotions and promoting positive behavior.
Based on various researches, various modes of behavioral therapy work well for different problems:
Parent training, in this mode the therapist guides the parents to learn and practice various skills to help their child manage their behavior, in various settings. It works well for :
Disruptive behavior disorder
Child behavior therapy, the sole focus is on the child, the therapist works with the child in various sessions, either at their clinic or online. It works well for :
ADHD
Disruptive behavior disorder
Cognitive behavioral therapy works well for :
Depression
PTSD
Anxiety
Disruptive behavior disorder.
In case of adolescents few different modes of therapy can be helpful such as:
For adolescents with disruptive behavior disorder, family therapy can be quite helpful as it involves various members of the family and focuses on learning communication skills and different methods to avoid conflict.
For adolescents with depression, interpersonal psychotherapy is a helpful approach, where the therapist helps them learn how to maintain relationships.
How to find the best behaviour therapy for your child's requirements?
Therapy is only effective when it fits the requirements of your child. The first step is to discuss your concerns regarding your child with a behaviour therapist. Clearly understand the areas that need intervention, such as aggression, anxiety, social skills deficits, or attention difficulties. Look for therapists with experience treating children with similar needs to your child's. Choose therapies that are backed by research and evidence demonstrating their effectiveness.
Few tips for you to help your child with regulating their behavior.
Help your child identify and label their emotions. Use phrases like, “I see you’re feeling angry,” to validate their feelings. Teach calming strategies such as deep breathing, counting to ten, or using a calm-down corner. Model these behaviors during your own moments of frustration.
Reinforce positive behavior with specific praise. Instead of saying “Good job,” try “I’m really proud of how you shared your toys today.”
Offering choices gives children a sense of control. For example, “Do you want to do your homework before or after dinner?” This can reduce power struggles and increase cooperation.
Instead of getting angry or reacting in a negative way towards bad behavior, you can ignore it, so that the child doesn't get negative attention.
Be attentive of the situations and circumstances that trigger bad behavior in your child, and try removing them.
Talk to your child, it's necessary that you explain to your child why you want them to do a certain thing, and also promote them to share what is bothering them when they display bad behavior.
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