Assessment of Inappropriate Behavioral Development in Children and Teens :: essays research papers

It is far easier to measure a childs physical harvest-festival and increase than to assess the complexities of individual differences in childrens disruptive and antisocial development. Pediatricians can clearly record increases in a childs weight and height on growth charts and even provide percentile estimates indicating how a child comp ars to others at the aforementioned(prenominal) age. Measuring and interpreting acceptable versus unacceptable and normal versus abnormal sorts among children and adolescents are far more complex. Children and adolescents often test the limits of appropriate conduct by crossing the boundaries set by caretakers. When a spring chicken exhibits a contingent problem behavior, it is important to consider not only if the behavior has antecedently occurred, but also if it is exhibited in multiple settings and with what frequency, duration, intensity, and provocation. For example, a 2-year-old who playfully nips a playmate is less off the mark of developmentally appropriate behavior than a 4-year-old who aggressively and frequently bites playmates to forcefully gain possession of desire toys. Among adolescents, a certain degree of misbehavior, experimentation, or independence seeking is common. In fact, the American Psychiatric Association (1994) indicates that "New onset of oppositional behaviors in adolescence whitethorn be due to the process of normal individuation." On the other hand, youth who persistently and progressively engage in problem behaviors with significant stultification in personal development, social functioning, academic achievement, and vocational preparation are of great concern to caretakers. Also of concern is the broad category of "antisocial behaviors" that have an appreciable harmful effect on others, in terms of inflicting physical or mental harm on others or make property loss or damage. The Semantics of Disruptive and Delinquent Behavior A mother finds parenting exhausting an d describes her 7-year-old son as extremely energetic, frequently slip from one play activity to another, often losing his things, and forgetting to do his chores. A sulfur grade teacher notes that her student has a learning disability, as he is unruly, requires constant disciplinary attention, fidgets or squirms in his seat, fails to follow directions or carry through assignments, refuses to wait his turn, and often disturbs his classmates. A child psychologist indicates a young male child lacks the ability for sustained mental effort, is easily distracted by away stimuli, displays poor impulse control, and meets the criteria for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), as defined in symptomatic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition (American Psychiatric Association, 1994).