A Child's Bad Behavior May be Disability Symptom
Public Urged to Think Before Blaming Parents for Misbehaving Kids
Sep 12, 2009
How does the average person distinguish between a child who has a medically diagnosed behavior problem and a child who is simply acting out because he cannot get his way? If the child having the temper tantrum is young, then it can be nearly impossible to make any distinction between the two possibilities. The child diagnosed with a behavior disorder may have no visible physical characteristics of a disability; therefore, the unacceptable behavior can easily be misinterpreted.
The same unfair judgment often applies to the parent(s) of the child with behavior problems. People see a child having a meltdown and they automatically believe the parents are at fault. Hardly anyone would consider a neurological disorder as being the cause for the angry display. Maintaining control over a child with a violent temper resulting from a developmental disability is about as easy as putting out a wildfire with a single bucket of water.
A New Awareness of Behavioral Disorders
Public awareness of mental disorders and behavioral conditions is growing; but so is the belief that for every new behavior problem, there is a pill to manage the symptoms. Medications don't always work. Some behavioral conditions don't respond well to drugs. And finally, some parents prefer alternative therapies to drug treatments, especially when the side effects of the medications are worse than the disabling condition.
Children and teenagers with developmental disorders often exhibit bizarre behaviors. Autism is one of the most well-known disorders, given the rising number of cases diagnosed each year. The website, Autism Society, in the article, "What are Autism Spectrum Disorders" (No author given, 2009), states, "Autism is the most common of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders, affecting an estimated 1 in 150 births (Centers for Disease Control Prevention, 2007). Roughly translated, this means as many as 1.5 million Americans today are believed to have some form of autism. And this number is on the rise."
Children with autism have outbursts that are loud, aggressive, and quite disturbing – just like children diagnosed with intermittent explosive disorder (IED). IED is one of the common characteristics of the larger group of impulse control disorders. But autism and intermittent explosive disorder aren't the only conditions on the rise; conditions such as attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) are seeing a startling increase in numbers, too.
Putting Tolerance and Understanding of a Child's Bad Behavior to the Test
Too many adults – including relatives, friends, and even some health professionals – do not understand that parents of children and teenagers with behavioral disabilities can go through hell 24 hours a day. There is no reckoning with a child who suddenly explodes for what appears to be no reason, or the reason may seem very insignificant. There is no "quick fix," no bribing the child, or no bargaining for a few minutes of good behavior.
The anger and violence that sometimes accompany a "meltdown" are very real. For example, the "trigger" for a child with autism can be something as simple as a sound. The website CNN Health recently featured the article, "Autism Parent's Plea: Understand Kids' Meltdowns" by CNN reporter, Madison Park (2009). Park states, "Autism spectrum disorders affect the ability to communicate and interact. Many with autism have repetitive movements, like rocking or hand-flapping, and become set in their daily routines. Anything unexpected – even a sound – can result in major meltdowns."
Children misbehaving in public places usually bring disapproving stares and rude comments from onlookers. Imagine how awful the parent of the autistic child must feel when he or she is suddenly criticized by complete strangers for poor parenting, especially when parenting methods have nothing at all to do with the child's outburst.
Teenagers Diagnosed With Impulsive Behavior Problems
Older children diagnosed with IED also exhibit angry behavior grossly out of proportion to the cause. A person with IED can explode into a violent rage, causing injury to himself and to other people, as well as causing property damage. No amount of coaxing or pleading on the parent's part is going to stop such aggressive behavior.
What causes IED, autism, and other such conditions to develop in a child and last through adulthood? No one knows for sure. How do parents of children and teens with disabling behavior problems cope? The best way they can. The public can help by attempting to understand the situation, realizing there may be a disability involved.
Doctors, therapists, counselors, and child development experts work with parents to develop strategies for managing children with behavior disorders. Unless one has gone through the difficulties of raising a child with a behavior disorder however, there is still a gap between recognizing the symptoms and fully understanding the parent's position.
BNC101
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
