Childhood Behavioural Problems
Dr Nicole White
Most parents struggle with their child’s behaviour at one time or another.
Common challenges that parents report include:
children with big emotions who are unable to calm and regulate themselves,
defiant behaviour and difficulty complying with family or classroom boundaries,
aggressive behaviour and lashing out,
difficulty focussing and paying attention when required, and
problems interacting with peers or sibling
These behaviours can be a problem in children of all ages including toddlers right through to adolescents. Sometimes challenging behaviours are short lived, however sometimes they can be very intense and long lasting. This is a significant cause of stress for parents and can be disruptive to the family unit as a whole.
Parenting a child with challenging behaviours is exhausting and can lead to parental stress, conflict between parenting partners and deterioration of mental health in the child’s carers and siblings. It can be difficult to know where to go to get help and accessing support can seem impossible due to lengthy waiting lists.
Can my GP help in this situation?
A GP who has experience in assessing children from a behavioural and developmental point of view can help by listening to your concerns and carrying out a thorough assessment of your child to help understand what might be going on for them.
There are many things to be considered when assessing the behaviour of a child including:
What is a normal behaviour pattern for a child of this age?
What is the family situation for this child, are there any additional stressors on the child or family that may be contributing to this presentation?
Is the child well? – conditions such as constipation, allergic rhinitis or Iron deficiency can reduce a child’s resilience and contribute to difficult behaviour
Is the child sleeping well? – disrupted sleep or sleep problems will lead to a tired child who is less able to cope with big emotions.
Does the child have a developmental concern that is making it difficult for them to behave at an expected level for their age?
From here your GP can determine if there are any factors at play which might be treatable and help to improve your child’s general health which might in turn help to improve their behaviour.
Does my child have a diagnosis?
When a child has challenging behaviours, parents often worry that there might be an underlying problem contributing to this. Certainly this is the case in some situations. There is a long list of neurodevelopmental conditions including things like ADHD and ASD which need to be considered when assessing a child’s behaviour and development. Most children will display some features of these conditions at one time or another but do not necessarily meet the criteria for a diagnosis. Your GP can identify what we call “red flag” features which may prompt further assessment. There is often a lengthy wait to see a paediatrician who can formalise these assessments however there are many things that we can do to help you and your child during this waiting period.
How can I get help?
There are many allied health professionals who are particularly skilled in helping families navigate and develop strategies to help with challenging behaviours in children and adolescents. These professionals will work with both parents and children to build capacity and strategies to use at home and at school or kindy.
Dr Nicole White and Dr Nikki Twomey are well connected with local allied health practitioners including Paediatric Psychologists and Occupational Therapists and will be able to guide you towards someone appropriate for your situation who is available within a reasonable timeframe.
As a parent or carer it is also essential to look after your own physical and mental health. Similar to your child, you need to be well in yourself to be able to parent at your best. Your GP can also help you with this.
If you are having difficulties with your child and would like some advice and recommendations, please book a “ Childhood Behavioural / Developmental Assessment” appointment which will ensure we have enough time to listen to your concerns and perform a thorough assessment of your child.
