Most kids exhibit what seems like a behavioral issue at least one point in time. Once in a while, they disobey rules, have tantrums, or become overly active. As they grow up, they can express their feelings and understand rules better, so their behavior gets better, too. If issues still occur persistently or get worse, it could be that your child has a behavioral condition. Below are the common behavioral disorders in children.
What are some of the Common Behavioral Disorders in Children?
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Also referred to as ADHD, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is a condition where a child has inattention, hyperactivity, or both.
Depending on the more “dominant” behavior, the doctor may categorize their symptoms as predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive, or combined. However, ADHD is dynamic, so your child may have the combined form and become predominantly inattentive as time goes by.
Conduct disorder
A child or teenager who has conduct disorder (CD) has various symptoms that involve evident aggression to people and animals, defiance to authority, and a tendency to lie, steal, or become cruel.
Experts highlight that when a child has CD, their behavior goes way beyond being unruly and rebellious; sometimes, they act mainly to destroy property or harm people.
The tricky part about conduct disorder is that kids who have them are often seen as just rowdy children or teens that need stern disciplinary sanctions rather than medical, mental health intervention.
Oppositional defiant disorder
If a child has oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), they may show repeated and persistent patterns of irritability, anger, and defiance towards their parents and other authoritative figures, such as their teachers. Furthermore, they will often argue with adults and show vindictiveness when they don’t get what they want.
Like the case with CD, people tend to think that the child with ODD is just overly strong-willed, so they might end up using an inappropriate intervention.
Important:
Besides these three common behavioral disorders in children, a young child may also experience other developmental concerns that may influence their behavior.
Examples of these developmental conditions are:
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental condition that results in significant behavioral, social, and communication challenges in children.
Physically, nothing about the child sets them apart from their peers. But over time, parents may notice that their little one is learning, behaving, interacting, and communicating differently from others.
The symptoms of ASD vary from person to person, with some needing extensive support and others requiring less.