Childhood Developmental Disorders and Their Treatment

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and the Difficulties Associated With the Assessment and Treatment of Psychological Childhood Disorders By any measure, childhood is a challenging period in human development where young people are forced to actively participate in the educational process while developing human relationship skills that they will need for the rest of their lives.

Against this backdrop, it is not surprising that many young people experience behavioral difficulties that detract from their ability to attain their full academic and social potential including one of the most commonly diagnosed conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. To gain some new insights into this condition, this paper reviews the relevant literature concerning attention deficit hyperactivity disorder followed by a discussion concerning the difficulties that are associated with assessing and treating psychological childhood disorders.

Finally, a summary of the research and important findings concerning these issues are presented in the conclusion. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is among the most common childhood neurodevelopmental disorders. This condition is typically diagnosed during childhood, but left untreated, it can persist well into adulthood (Facts about ADHD 1). Although individual manifestations of ADHD vary, sufferers tend to have problems controlling their impulsive behaviors and paying attention (Facts about ADHD 2).

Clinicians are increasingly applying the diagnosis of ADHD to children based on sustained disruptive or uncontrollable behaviors and more than six million children are currently diagnosed with ADHD, and one-third of these are aged 2 to 5 years (Facts about ADHD 3). In this regard, the CDC points out that, "It is normal for children to have trouble focusing and behaving at one time or another. However, children with ADHD do not just grow out of these behaviors.

The symptoms continue and can cause difficulty at school, at home, or with friends" (Facts about ADHD 4). In reality, though, it is reasonable to suggest that most young people demonstrate many of the signs and symptoms of ADHD.

For instance, the CDC advises that children suffering from ADHD might: Daydream a lot; Forget or lose things a lot; Squirm or fidget; Talk too much; Make careless mistakes or take unnecessary risks; Have a hard time resisting temptation; Have trouble taking turns; and, Have difficulty getting along with others (Facts about ADHD 5).

Not only do many adults exhibit these types of behaviors, this laundry list of ADHD symptoms could also serve as a working definition of childhood because every child in history has engaged in these behaviors to some extent at some point or another. Moreover, there remains a lack of consensus among researchers concerning the legitimacy of the ADHD diagnosis in the first place.

For instance, Wingo and Ghaemi emphasize that, "Given ADHD's relatively loose diagnostic criteria and high comorbidity in adults with mood disorders, the question of whether adult ADHD/bipolar disorder represents comorbidity or diagnostic overlap remains unresolved" (47). This "loose diagnostic criteria" could also mean that some teachers are tempted to divert troublesome students from mainstream classrooms into special educational settings even though they are simply engaging in normal childhood behaviors (Schnoes and Reid 484).

Similarly, the temptation to medicate disruptive children to make more manageable in the classroom is a real possibility (McCabe 15). These constraints and issues are just part of the difficulties that are associated with assessing and treating psychological childhood disorders as discussed further below.

Difficulties associated with the assessment and treatment of psychological childhood disorders Millions of young people are treated for psychological disorders each year, including general physical, social, behavioral and learning disorders (Mash and Barkley 258) as well as specific disorders such as depression, anxiety, selective mutism, ADHD, autism, and enuresis (McCabe 14). These young people represent especially significant challenges for assessment and treatment by clinicians due to their complexity as well as the dynamic nature of their disorders and changing best evidence-based practices (Mash and Barkley 258).

It is also important to emphasize that children are not "little adults" and their world is still full of wonder and magic as well as a limitless array of unfounded fears and phobias (McLoone and Hudson 213). Moreover, young people are experiencing the powerful effects of physical and emotional growth that introduce new challenges on a daily basis.

Combined with the pressures from parents, peers and teachers, it is not surprising that many children exhibit symptoms of conditions that adults are far too quick to diagnose as some type of behavioral or emotional disorder. For example, anxiety disorders including separation anxiety and social phobias are among the most commonly diagnosed psychological childhood disorders, but many of the assessment tools for this population have limited effectiveness (McLoone and Hudson 214).

In addition, the fear of being labeled as suffering from some type of psychological childhood disorder may compel some children to avoid certain social situations that they would otherwise enjoy (McLoone and Hudson 214). Other difficulties that are associated with the assessment and treatment of psychological childhood disorders include a lack of understanding concerning how the psychotropic drugs that are used to treat these conditions in young children affect sufferers over the long-term.

In this regard McCabe emphasizes that, "Despite a dearth of scientific data on treatment efficacy and adverse effects, prescription rates of early childhood psychopharmacology are increasing. This underscores the urgent need for additional research in this area" (14). In addition, some of the treatment options that are frequently used for treating psychological disorders in children such as therapeutic boarding schools, residential treatment centers, and wilderness therapy programs can endanger young people unless they are strictly regulated (Shea.