As a parent, it can sometimes be difficult to identify behavioral health problems in your child. Knowing the signs illness can help your child get the treatment they need sooner, which can benefit your child for the rest of their life. To better understand the signs and symptoms of behavioral disorders in children, it is important to know their definitions.
Behavioral Health Disorder Defined
Mental health relates to our cognitive, emotional, and behavioral well-being, which is all about the way we think, feel, and behave. Behavioral health disorder is when there is a disruption in our process of thinking, feeling, and behaving which makes it difficult to function daily and to self-regulate emotions. When a child has a behavioral health disorder, it can disrupt the development in their age-appropriate thinking, social skills, behaviors, and self-regulation of emotions. This disruption can put them in distress in social situations, at home, or school. Some common disorders in children are:
- Anxiety disorder
- Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Eating Disorders
- Depression
Signs of Behavioral Health Disorders
Signs and symptoms of illness may vary from child to child, and they may not show every sign. Some of the most common signs include:
- Persistent sadness
- Avoiding or retreating from social interactions
- Self-harm or having conversations about hurting oneself
- Difficulty concentrating
- Changes in academic performance
- Avoiding or missing school
- Outbursts or severe irritability
- Harmful and out-of-control behavior
- Alterations in eating habits
If you are concerned about your child and think that they may have a disorder, reach out to your child’s primary care doctor. Make sure they are aware of the behaviors that your child is showing and how they are concerning you. The doctor will make the best educated decision for your child to initiate mental health care or continue to monitor their health.
New Alliance Academy is a school in Paramus, NJ that provides educational and ancillary therapeutic services for high school teenagers experiencing acute psychological distress.