Do you have a child who seems overly rambunctious? Always on the go? Seemingly driven by a motor? Is your child struggling in school with paying attention and staying organized? Have his/her grades dropped tremendously, or does he/she have tons of missing work...even though you have watched him/her complete the school assignments? Do things not make it home or to school...even if they are in the backpack? Your child could be struggling with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, better known as ADHD or ADD. This is a disorder commonly diagnosed in children where the child struggles with maintaining attention and/or focus. Sometimes the child also seems to struggle with sitting still, moving constantly, blurting out or interrupting others, not waiting for his/her turn, and fidgeting. As we all know, there are times when all kids exhibit these behaviors. That does not necessarily mean the child has a disorder. There are also other childhood mood and emotional issues that look a lot like ADHD. For this reason, if you have concerns, you should seek out the help of a professional, like Above the Horizon Services. We have expertise in identifying symptoms of ADHD and discriminating between these and something else, including common childhood behavior.
Oftentimes when we think of depression, we think of a person who withdraws from others and isolates him/herself. We think of someone who cries a lot or someone who cannot get out of the bed to do daily activities. While all these are symptoms of depression, children with depression may also display anger, lack of focus or concentration, and overall irritability as well. Some can be overly clingy, yet others may shut themselves off to friends and family. Some may have crying spells, yet others may seem to be aloof or flat in their feelings. Some may display self-injurious behaviors (cutting, excessive tattooing or piercing, head-banging, self-scratching or rubbing, pulling out hair etc.), speak of hurting themselves or wanting to die, or may lash out at others by threatening harm. All these are cries for help, and should NOT be ignored.
Anxiety in children can look like clinginess, a desire to be with caregiver at any cost (i.e. missing school, playing with friends, etc.), worrying about things that your child has no control over (i.e. weather, a person's whereabouts, etc.), worrying that something bad is going to happen (natural disaster, violence - if not in real danger, etc.), intense fears (i.e. fear of the dark, spiders, snakes, etc.), avoiding relationships/events/situations/etc., being easily annoyed, and even having "off the wall" behavior. These worries and fears cause great distress and children usually struggle to express how they truly feel.
Depression can develop at any age. It can come in response to a situation/occurrence of illness/pain, as a long-term inability to adjust to an event, or just "out of nowhere."
While some kids can just be "moody," "out of control," or "clingy"at times, an official diagnosis should be determined by a professional with expertise in these areas, such as Above the Horizon Services. We will help discover the proper diagnosis and determine an individualized plan to assist in alleviating the symptoms and helping your child embrace his/her new normal.
A little push-back against rules is to be expected from kids, but when is enough enough? What is the difference between "normal" and something that can be considered a "disorder"? If the behavior occurs more often than not, and has been happening over a course of 6 months or more, you could be dealing with a disruptive behavior disorder.
Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD) is a new name for what was once called Disruptive Behavior Disorder and/or childhood Bipolar I. With this, the child tends to respond to most situations by having a temper tantrum. The difference is that these tantrums are markedly out of proportion to the situation that caused it. The child's mood is often described as irritable or angry, even beyond the times of having tantrums. Children with DMDD are having tantrums at a higher and more explosive rate than other children his/her age.
Disruptive behavior disorders include two similar disorders: oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD). Common symptoms occurring in children with these disorders include: defiance of authority figures, angry outbursts, and other behaviors such as lying and stealing. The difference between oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder is in the severity of symptoms and that ODD can lead to CD without treatment or intervention.
Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is an ongoing pattern of negative, defiant, disobedient and hostile behavior toward authority figures (like teachers, parents, etc.). This is different from "normal" childhood rebellion as it would occur more times than not for a period of at least 6 months. Some of these symptoms include losing temper, arguing with adults, defying rules or requests from adults, deliberately annoying people, blaming others for his/her mistakes, easily irritated or annoyed by others, being angry or resentful often, and being spiteful and vindictive.
Conduct disorder (CD) involves more serious behaviors including aggression toward people or animals, destruction of property, lying, stealing and skipping school. The behaviors associated with CD are often described as delinquency.
Children exhibiting any of these behaviors should receive a comprehensive evaluation from a professional with expertise in this area, such as Above the Horizon Services. We will assess each situation and provide individualized treatment to address your child's needs.
Above the Horizon Services' owner and Supervising Clinical Counselor, Chrystal Bright, M.Ed., LPCC-S, has over 17 years of working with children and families. While treatments for adults will include a lot of talking, treatment with children does not necessarily look the same way. Some treatments Above the Horizon Services uses with children will look like benign games and/or activities. These activities help to engage clients by distracting them and allowing them to let their guards down and also teaching and practicing various strategies and skills. At Above the Horizon we believe in working with the whole client, which includes meeting with the parents/caregivers too. You are an integral part to your child's success, and we believe this inclusion (while maybe not for all sessions) will help to strengthen/repair trust in your relationship with your child (and vice versa) as well.
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is a treatment program for children ages 2.5-6 and their primary caregiver. PCIT is a short-term, specialized behavior management program designed for young children experiencing behavioral and/or emotional difficulties and their families. PCIT teaches caregivers to manage their child’s difficult behaviors, while increasing their positive behaviors. PCIT works with the child and caregiver together to improve behavior and reduce parenting stress.
Who is a good fit for PCIT? Children ages 2 ½ to 6 who display any or all of the following:
Who is an appropriate caregiver for PCIT?
These are just a few of the conditions we address at Above the Horizon. We look forward to hearing from you and encourage you to take advantage of our free 30-minute consultation to answer any questions you may have. Please complete the CONSULTATION REQUEST FORM on the HOME page or call and leave a confidential message at 513.294.8654 to schedule. We look forward to hearing from you.