Every parent gets concerned the moment their child is not exhibiting normal or expected behaviors. A child is expected to behave in a certain way as he or she progresses form the day of bit. There are certain common traits that should be seen from the time a child is one month to when he progresses to infant and puberty and young adulthood. There are a number of things that could be contributing to these kinds of disorders. These include emotions such as depression and anxieties, behaviors such as aggressiveness, physical functions such as psychogenic disorders and mental performance such as problems at school and within playgroups. Children can be delicate to handle. Inconsistency and contradictions in parenting can also create a major problem for children. When parents separate and other marital problems exits, children can develop behavioral problems that are seen in their daily living. It is important to come up with the best strategies to curb these behavioral challenges if children are to develop properly (Henderson 2016).
The first step to solving these issues start with understanding the problems. Most problems are multi factorial and are expressed based on a number of things. Some of the determining factors include temperament, chronic stressors, stages of development and coping or adaptive techniques. Chronic stressors may be more challenging to deal with in general. What we need to understand is the fact that children will not always display their reactions to situations immediately they are manifested. These reactions are more likely to occur later on even when you do not expect them. These are what we may term as behavioral disorders. One of the few techniques that has been found to be very effective when treating this problem is anticipatory guidance where parents are helped to guide their children who may be displaying such behavioral challenges in a way that will help them manage their issues better. This guidance is helpful since it also helps avert any traumatic issues in the end. The severe impacts of behavioral problems in children could lead to selective surgery and in some cases unavoidable separation both of which may not help the child’s condition improve( Henderson 2016). Guidance is even more important for school going children since they need to learn how to interact with other children and teachers as a preparation for how they will live in society. It is important for children to be allowed to express their true fears and anxieties in case of any imminent trials.
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Younger children tend to react using impaired psychological functions when they are under stressful situations. Some children who are likely to be below one year of age are likely to experience feeding problems as well as sleeping disorders. On the other hand, older children from about one year to five years or those who may have attained a school going age will react differently under stress. They may be getting into serious relationship disturbances with other children, friends and family included. This group of children is likely to exhibit poor academic performance and challenges in social behaviors. In extreme cases, some children experience psychological disorders such phobia and psychometric sicknesses. Teachers and parents may have a very difficult time assessing whether or not the behaviors of these children is normal. This translates to a difficult intervention or solution for such problems. However, proper diagnosis and judgment of the problem takes into consideration the intensity of the symptoms, the frequency of the symptoms as well as the range of disturbing behaviors. Teachers and parents will be able to help and guide these children better if they truly understand where the problem is coming from (Henderson 2016).
The following are some suggestions of actions one needs to take when it comes to handling behavioral disorders in children below five years. First things first, it is important to understand that every child will exhibit certain behaviors in their growing. The pattern of these behaviors may recur a few times but this does not qualify them as behavioral disorders. For any repetitive behavior to be considered a disorder, it is important that it has a high frequency which causes parents and other caretakers to be concerned. The behaviors and habits may result from intentional movements which when repeated become part of a child’s customary behavior and thus from a disorder. Some of these habits could be because the child is imitating an adult’s behavior. In addition, some children develop certain behaviors as a response to a sensory input and a way of developing comfort when a child is on his own. We will look at a few habits which are as a response of certain stresses and how they can be contained o help teachers and parents’ guide children better.
Sucking the Thumb
This is an ordinary behavior in most children at their infant stage. However, it should stop as they grow since any progression would result in improper alignment of the teeth. The remedy for this behavior should be encouragement. This is not a big problem since it is known to be a comfort behavior. Parents need to ensure that they are not dwelling on it. Instead, they need to encourage and reassure the child. Continued encouragement will help the child to quit thumb sucking and develop confidence in everything that he or she does (Henderson 2016).
Tics
Most parents and teachers take this behavioral disorder for granted unless it become so conspicuous. The child involved may express repetitive movements of certain muscles in order to minimize the tension resulting from stressful emotional and physical states. These movements may involve the head, neck or even the hands. Other muscles and body parts may be involved but the three are the most common as observed. The advice for parents and caretakers is not to pressurize the child into stopping these movements since this could only lead to exaggeration. Instead, the parent should try to find the root cause of the problem and deal with it head on. After all, children with this kind of behavioral disorder tend to exhibit the symptoms for a short period only.
Stuttering /Stammering
This is the other common behavioral disorder-affecting children below the age of five years. It is especially common in children that are learning to speak. It affects at least 5% of children in this group. When not handled or addressed properly at least 20% of the children continue with this disorder into adulthood. Research has shown that the problem is more prevalent in boys than it is in girls. It is advisable to ignore the problem when it manifests itself initially since most of the cases will resolve themselves spontaneously. However, in the cases that this speech disorder continues, parents are advised to bring in specialist to help rectify the problem. In fact, children with this behavioral disorder that has persisted for a long time should be enrolled in special schools. When the teacher understands the kind of problem that the child is suffering from chances are that he will come up with the best solution and remedies (Henderson 2016).
Anxiety Problems
Children in this age group are also likely to express their anxiety problems through behavioral manifestation. While some level of anxiety and fearful behavior is an ordinary response in a growing child, it should not be excessive to the extent that it overtakes their life. When these become too much they may develop into anxiety disorders where the child becomes over anxious and sometimes has phobia for non-existent things it may also result in excessive compulsive behaviors. Some children have been seen to develop school phobia. Such children may be suffering from high levels of anxieties and some levels of depression. In such cases, parents and teachers can step in to help through treatment of the underlying psychiatric problem. This may involve family counseling sessions, parental training as well as liaisons with the relevant school administrators and teachers that deal with the child directly. Cognitive and behavioral treatments have shown promise in other different situations. It is important to understand the role that culture may be playing on the wellbeing of the child. If there are any cultural aspects that could be contributing to the anxieties then they should also be addressed (Henderson 2016).
Disruptive behaviors
Some behaviors in children could be attributed to anger, frustrations, and the inability to control their environments. The same behaviors when manifest in grown us can be considered pathological. Tantrums and breath holding may be accepted as normal behaviors or reactions in children. However, when they persist in children, they should be a cause of worry since this could be an indication of an underlying problem (Henderson 2016). It is important to intervene at an early stage before these behaviors get out of hand. Disorders such as attention deficit can result from such disruptive behaviors. When a child is impulsively careless, poor in performing certain tasks and incapable of making any mental efforts, parents and teachers should step in and assist. There may be need for dietary interventions as well as stimulant medication and modification of behaviors.
In the need, the secret to solving any behavioral challenge in children between months and 5 years is to discover whenever the problem lies. It is important to identify the problem and deal with it early. Children destructive behaviors can be controlled at an early stage.
Reference
Henderson, R. (2016). Common Behavioral Disorders in Children . Retrieved May 17, 2016 from: http://patient.info/doctor/common-behavioural-problems-in-children
