Posted by
V. Thomas Mawhinney, Ph.D. on Friday, November 06, 2009 9:48:43 AM
Disruptive Behavior Disorders In America's Children
All children will misbehave from time to time. Fatigue, sickness, stressful situations, and simple immaturity will be enough to ensure some balking, back talk, or outright opposition to parental requests or instructions. Also, as children mature, they have their own social goals and conflicts that can complicate the harmony of family living even further. As my dear father once said with laughter: “Adolescence is God’s way of helping parents to let go.” Mom and Dad had four children, each 5 years apart. We never understood their master plan, but you can be sure that they spent the majority of their years together raising kids. I watched from the vantage point of the eldest and I know that we had marvelous parents (am completely unbiased?). And, of course, we were all “reasonably good kids” (am I totally objective in this judgment, also?).
Even though we were "pretty good" kids, from time to time, there was trouble in paradise and we kids were clearly the trouble with Mom and Dad. Normal kids will almost certainly present problems, but they will present normal problems.
Starting tomorrow, I will post developmental problems that are notable because they are especially disruptive. They are disruptive to school, normal family settings, many community settings, and to the child’s own social, emotional and educational development.
Therefore they are among those psychological disorders that must be prevented, or improved early, when they first become a problem.
V. Thomas Mawhinney, 11/05/09