Child Psychology and Mental

Health
Lesson 5
 What are the common problems of childhood?

• Early Childhood Behavioral and Emotional Disorders

• attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)
• autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
• anxiety disorder.
• depression.
• bipolar disorder.
• learning disorders.
• conduct disorders.
• Child psychology experts say that the term
“disorder” should be used cautiously for children
up to 5 years old, and question its validity.
Psychologists say the evidence is limited that
problems in preschool indicate problems later in
life, or that behavioral issues are evidence of a
true disorder. “There are concerns about
distinguishing normal from abnormal behavior in
this period of rapid developmental change. Rarely
will a child under 5 years old receive a diagnosis
of a serious behavioral disorder. However, they
may begin displaying symptoms of a disorder that
could be diagnosed later in childhood.
• Many of these you’ve likely heard of. Others are
more rare or aren’t often used outside of
discussions about childhood psychology.
• ODD, for instance, includes angry outbursts,
typically directed at people in authority. But a
diagnosis is dependent on the behaviors lasting
continuously for more than six months and
disrupting a child’s functioning. Conduct disorder is
a far more serious diagnosis and involves behavior
one would consider cruel, to both other people as
well as to animals. This can include physical
violence and even criminal activity behaviors that
are very uncommon in preschool-age children.
• Autism, meanwhile, is actually a broad range of
disorders that can affect children in a variety of
ways, including behaviorally, socially, and
cognitively. They are considered a neurological
disorder and, unlike other behavioral disorders,
the symptoms may begin as early as infanthood.
According to the American Psychiatric
Association, about one in 68 children are
diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.
 Behavior and Emotional Problems
• Far more likely than one of the above clinical disorders is
that your young child is experiencing a temporary
behavioral and/or emotional problem. Many of these pass
with time, and require a parent’s patience and
understanding.
• In some cases, outside counseling is warranted and may
be effective in helping children cope with stressors
effectively. A professional could help your child learn how
to control their anger, how to work through their
emotions, and how to communicate their needs more
effectively. For obvious reasons, medicating children at
this age is controversial.
 What Oppositional Defiant Disorder
(ODD) Looks Like in Children
• Children often test the limits of their parents
and authority figures. Some level of
disobedience and rule breaking is a normal
and healthy part of childhood.
• Sometimes, however, that behavior can be
persistent and frequent. This ongoing hostile
or defiant behavior could be a sign of
oppositional defiant disorder (ODD).
• ODD is a type of behavior disorder. Children with ODD
often act out. They throw temper tantrums, defy authority
figures, or are argumentative with peers or siblings. These
behaviors may happen only at home, around parents. They
may take place in other settings, too, such as school.
• It is estimated between 2 and 16 percent of school-age
children and teens have ODD. Symptoms of ODD can
appear as early as 2 or 3 years old. However, it’s more
likely they’ll show up between ages 6 and 8.
• If ODD is not addressed and treated in childhood, the child
may develop long-term, chronic problems. These issues
can last through their teenage years and into adulthood.
• Keep reading to find out what ODD is, how it’s diagnosed,
and what can be done to help a child who has it.
• What are the symptoms of ODD in children?
• Children with ODD will show several of these behavioral
symptoms:
• inability or refusal to obey rules
• easily frustrated or quick to lose one’s temper
• repeated and frequent temper tantrums
• fighting with siblings or classmates
• arguing recurrently
• deliberately upsetting or annoying others
• being unwilling to negotiate or compromise
• speaking harshly or unkindly
• defying authority
• seeking revenge
• being vindictive and spiteful
• blaming others for one’s behavior
• In addition to behavioral symptoms, a child with
ODD may have one or more of these symptoms:
• difficulty concentrating
• difficulty making friends
• low self-esteem
• persistent negativity
• Symptoms of ODD may ultimately interfere with
learning, making school difficult. Challenges at
school may further frustrate the child creating a
cycle that could lead to more symptoms or
outbursts.
 Managing a Child With Odd
• Parents and teachers can help children manage symptoms of ODD
by:
• taking part in family therapy if recommended by the child’s
psychiatrist or doctor
• enrolling in training programs that teach parents how to manage
their child’s behavior, set clear expectations, and properly provide
instruction
• using consistent discipline when warranted
• limiting the child’s exposure to environmental triggers, such as
arguments
• encouraging and modeling healthy behaviors, such as getting proper
sleep (if lack of sleep is a trigger for your child’s defiant behaviors, for
example)
 What causes ODD in children?
• It’s unclear what causes ODD. Researchers and
doctors believe a series of issues may play a role.
Johns Hopkins Medicine says that can include:
• Developmental stages. All children go through
emotional phases from the time they’re born into
adulthood. Successful resolution of those stages helps
the child grow and develop emotionally. However,
children who do not learn to be independent from a
parent may be at higher risk of developing ODD.
These attachment issues could start as early as
toddler years.
• Learned behaviors. Children who are surrounded
by a toxic or negative environment may absorb it
into their own behaviors. Parents who are
excessively strict or negative may reinforce bad
behavior that gets them attention. As such, ODD
may be born out of a child’s desire for “attention.”
• Several other factors may be linked to ODD. These
include:
• a permissive parenting style that doesn’t have
clear boundaries for appropriate behavior
• personality traits, like a strong will
• stress or turmoil in home life
 What Is Autism?
• Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a
broad range of conditions characterized by challenges
with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and
nonverbal communication. According to the Centers for
Disease Control, autism affects an estimated 1 in 54
children around the world. There is no known single
cause for autism spectrum disorder, but it is generally
accepted that it is caused by abnormalities in brain
structure or function. Brain scans show differences in
the shape and structure of the brain in children with
autism compared to in neurotypical children.
• Autism is not an illness- Being autistic does not
mean you have an illness or disease. It means
the brain works in a different way from other
people.
• It's something one born with or first appears
when they very young.
• Autism is not a medical condition with
treatments or a "cure". But some people need
support to help them with certain things.
• What are the 3 main symptoms of autism?
• Delayed milestones.
• A socially awkward child.
• The child who has trouble with verbal and nonverbal
communication.
• (ASD) is a developmental disability that causes
hypersensitivity to sights, sounds, and other sensory
information. Symptoms of autism generally fall into
three categories:
• Communication issues
• Social impairment
• Repetitive behaviors (known among the autism
community as “stimming”)
• 5 strategies for supporting students with autism
• Communication. Create a communication
environment that is “user friendly” for students.
• Environment. Set up a visual classroom.
• Giving information. Think of using visual tools to
give information to students with autism.
• Managing time.
• Support positive behaviors.
• A common characteristic of students with autism is trouble
communicating or connecting with their classmates. Use these social
skills activities to teach kids with autism how to recognize social cues,
practice empathy, and learn other important life skills.
• Name Game
• This fun group communication activity teaches students with autism
an essential skill: how to introduce themselves and learn someone
else’s name. To play this game, gather your students in a circle so they
can all see each other. Start by pointing at yourself and saying your
name (“I am Mr. or Ms. _____.”). Then, ask the child on your right to
share their name just like you did and then repeat your name while
pointing at you. Have each child take turn saying their name, then
pointing at another child in the class and repeating their name.
• The Name Game is an especially fun social skills activity for children
with autism to do at the beginning of the school year. That way, they’ll
be able to learn their classmates’ names and get a head start on
making new friends.
• “How Would It Feel to Be ____?”
• Next time you read a book to your class, try asking your
students how it would feel to be the main character in the
story. If you’re reading a picture book about Cinderella, for
example, you could ask how they would feel if they had two
evil stepsisters who were mean to them. Or if you’re reading
Peter Pan as a class, you could ask them what happy
memories they would think about to fly with magic pixie
dust.

• This can help students with autism learn empathy as well as

how to see situations in their lives from another perspective.
It can also teach them how to recognize emotional cues by
encouraging them to put themselves in the perspective of
another person.
• Sharing Time
• Sharing time is a classic elementary school staple, and it can also be a
great social-emotional learning (SEL) activity for kids with autism. Every
week, have one kid in your class bring something that they’d like to
share with the class. This will not only show students with autism how
to discuss their interests with others but also how to practice active
listening. And if they’re fascinated by something another student brings
in (or vice versa), they may even make a friend.
• Emotion Cards
• These printable cards for students with autism can help them learn how
to recognize different emotions in themselves and others. Cut out each
one with scissors and shuffle them in a deck. Then, go through each card
and see if your student can recognize the emotion without looking at
the word.
• If they get stuck, that’s okay—just show them the word and give them
context for the emotion shown. If the card is “embarrassed,” for
example, you could say, “When a person is embarrassed, they might feel
like they have done something silly or wrong on accident.”
• Auditory Sensory Play
• When the phrase “sensory play” comes up, visual or textual activities
usually come to mind first. Autism Adventures, however, suggests including
activities that involve sound—with a few examples to get you started:
• Musical chairs
• White noise machine
• Simon Says
• Noise-cancelling headphones
• Rhythm instruments like shakers, rain sticks, or drums

• Sensory Bin
• Sensory bins can be useful for two reasons. First, they encourage
differentiated instruction or independent play—both of which can have
academic benefits for students. And second, they’re a straightforward and
accessible sensory experience for students with autism.
• The Kindergarten Smorgasbord has put together a few useful tips for
making your own sensory bin. Use them as a guide to set up a sensory bin
that will best accommodate your students’ needs.
 Enuresis and Encopresis
• There are two types of elimination disorders,
encopresis and enuresis. Encopresis is the
repeated passing of feces into places other
than the toilet, such as in underwear or on the
floor. This behavior may or may not be done
on purpose. Enuresis is the repeated passing
of urine in places other than the toilet.
• Signs and symptoms of encopresis may include:
• Leakage of stool or liquid stool on underwear,
which can be mistaken for diarrhea.
• Constipation with dry, hard stool.
• Passage of large stool that clogs or almost clogs
the toilet.
• Avoidance of bowel movements.
• Long periods of time between bowel
movements.
• Lack of appetite.
 How Common Is Encopresis?
• Encopresis is fairly common, although many cases are not
reported due to the child's and/or the parents'
embarrassment. It is estimated that anywhere from 1.5%
to 10% of children have encopresis. It is more common in
boys than in girls. If symptoms of encopresis are present,
the doctor will begin an evaluation by performing a
complete medical history and physical exam. The doctor
may use certain tests -- such as X-rays . to rule out other
possible causes for the constipation, such as a disorder of
the intestines. If no physical disorder is found, the doctor
will base a diagnosis on the child's symptoms and current
bowel habits.
• The goal of encopresis treatment is to prevent
constipation and encourage good bowel habits.
Educating the child and family about the disorder
is another important part of treatment.
• Treatment often begins by clearing any feces that
has become impacted in the colon, also called the
large intestine. The next step is to try to keep the
child's bowel movements soft and easy to pass. In
most cases, this can be accomplished by changing
the child's diet, using scheduled trips to the
bathroom, and encouraging or rewarding positive
changes in the child's bathroom habits.
 What Other Problems Are Associated With
Encopresis?
• A child with encopresis is at risk for emotional and
social problems related to the condition. They may
develop self-esteem problems, become depressed, do
poorly in school, and refuse to socialize with other
children, including not wanting to go to parties or to
attend events requiring them to stay overnight.
Teasing by friends and scolding by family members can
add to the child's self-esteem problems and contribute
to the child's social isolation. If the child does not
develop good bowel habits, they may suffer from
chronic constipation.
 What Is the Outlook for Children With
Encopresis?
• Encopresis tends to get better as the child gets
older, although the problem can come and go
for years. The best results occur when all
educational, behavioral, and emotional issues
are addressed. A child may still have an
occasional accident until they regain muscle
tone and control over their bowel movements.
 Tic Disorder
• Tics are sudden twitches, movements, or sounds that
people do repeatedly. People who have tics cannot stop
their body from doing these things. For example, a
person with a motor tic might keep blinking over and
over again. Or, a person with a vocal tic might make a
grunting sound unwillingly.
• They're thought to be due to changes in the parts of the
brain that control movement. They can run in families,
and there's likely to be a genetic cause in many cases.
They also often happen alongside other conditions,
such as: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• What are the 3 types of tics?
• There are several kinds of tic disorders:
• provisional tic disorder this is the most common type of
tic disorder.
• chronic (persistent) tic disorder this is a less common tic
disorder.
• Tourette syndrome this is a much less common tic
disorder.
• The tics can occur many times a day (usually in bouts)
nearly every day, or off and on. have tics that begin
before age 18 years. have symptoms that are not due to
taking medicine or other drugs or due to having another
medical condition (for example, seizures, Huntington
disease, or postviral encephalitis).
• People with chronic motor tic disorder may
display the following symptoms:
• facial grimacing.
• excessive blinking, twitching, jerking, or
shrugging.
• sudden, uncontrollable movements of the legs,
arms, or body.
• sounds such as throat clearing, grunts, or groans.
• It usually starts during childhood, but the tics and
other symptoms usually improve after several years
and sometimes go away completely.
• Examples of physical tics include:
• blinking.
• eye rolling.
• grimacing.
• shoulder shrugging.
• jerking of the head or limbs.
• jumping.
• twirling.
• touching objects and other people.
 School Phobia
• School phobia is when your child is very nervous
and refuses to go to school. It is also called school
avoidance. A phobia is a strong fear of something
for no obvious reason. Phobias can cause very bad
anxiety or panic attacks. School phobia is often
associated with other anxiety disorders such as
agoraphobia or other mental health disorders such
as depression. Some experts theorize that another
possible cause of school refusal is traumatic and
prolonged separation from the primary caregiver in
early childhood.
• school phobia can be seen in different types of situations,
including:
• Young children going to school for the first time. This is a
normal type of school refusal. This develops with a child's
normal separation anxiety, or uneasiness about leaving a parent
figure. This type of fear often goes away a few days after the
child starts school.
• Fear. Older children may have school phobia based on a real
fear of something that may happen to them at school. This
could be a bully or a teacher being mean. In this situation, it's
important to talk with your child to find out what is causing his
or her fears.
• Distress. The final type of school phobia is seen in children who
are truly distressed about leaving their parent and going to
school. Often these children enjoy school. But they are too
anxious about leaving their parents to attend.
 What are the Signs of School Phobia?
• Every child is different. But these are some of the
behaviors your child may have:

• Your child may complain of other symptoms, such

as a stomachache or headache, that get better as
soon as he or she is allowed to stay home.

• Your child may tell you that he or she is anxious or

afraid of a certain situation that happens at school.
• Your child may not want to leave you because of a
change in their life, such as:
• New school

• Just moved

• New brother or sister

• Sick brother, sister, or parent

• Divorce

• Death in the family

 Managing School Phobia
• Every child is unique. So each situation will be handled on an
individual basis. These are some of the interventions that may be
used to help your child:
• Return the child to school. Make sure the school officials
understand the situation and don't send the child home for the
wrong reasons.
• Think about family counseling if other problems exist.
• Let the child talk about his or her concerns and fears.
• Slowly separating the parent from the child in school may also be
used. One approach is to have the parent sit with the child in the
classroom at first. Then the parent may attend school, but sit in
another room. Next, the parent may continue to get farther
away.