Quick Facts About Disruptive Behavior Disorders

Posted on by Dr. Mark Parisi

All children sometimes break the rules. The difference between disruptive behavior disorder (DBD) and a kid just being a kid is the severity and frequency that these disruptive behaviors occur. A DBD is diagnosed from a persistent pattern of angry outbursts, arguments, and disobedience.

Children and teens with a DBD struggle with symptoms that interfere with their daily lives. This usually leads to them having conflicts with parents, teachers, authority figures, and other children. With the proper help from a marriage and family therapist in Chicago children with DBDs can be very successful in school and life and maintain healthy relationships with family and friends, but they need a lot of support and tools to make this happen.

So your child was diagnosed with disruptive behavior disorder (DBD), now what? First, relax and learn a few facts.

What does this mean?

  •  * DBDs are the most common mental health disorder among children.
  •  * 4% to 9% of all children from birth to 18 years old will be diagnosed with a DBD.
  •  * Environmental factors can effect how the child functions.
  •  * DBD are disorders that are only identified in children and adolescence.

 

What should you expect in treatment?

  •  * Parenting modification strategies Social and emotional skills training for children
    •  – Communication skills
    •  – Parenting skills
    •  – Conflict resolution skills
    •  – Anger management skills
  • * Psychotherapy for the child and the family, such as one of our play therapists in Chicago
  •  * Teaming with a counselor in Chicago
  •  * If necessary, the addition of medication to the therapy plan

 

What can you do?Dr. Parisi chicago counselor

  •  * Find ways to maintain a positive relationship with your child.
  •  * Be consistent. Learn all you can about how to effectively manage your child’s behavior; find what works for you and stick to it.
  •  * Find parental support so you can handle your own emotions.
  •  * Get help!

* Try our affordable psychologists or psychiatrists in Chicago or one of our behavioral therapy specialists in Chicago and Mount  and the surrounding area including Mt. Prospect and Des Plaines, Arlington Heights, Schaumburg, Barrington, Hinsdale, Skokie, Lincolnwood, Park Ridge, and Wilmette.

 

What is ADHD?

Posted on by Dr Mark Parisi

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD as it is commonly called, is a disruptive behavior disorder that is characterized by a chronic pattern of inattention, hyperactivity, and poor impulse control or a combination of the three that affects how children, adolescents, or adults function in their day-to-day life.  ADHD is, technically, a childhood disorder and, if diagnosed in an adult, must have been evident during childhood.  Recent, emerging research from the National Institute of Mental Health suggests that ADHD has a strong genetic link – that is, often runs in families – and is about three times more prevalent among boys verus girls.

Once referred to as Attention Deficit Disorder, or ADD, the disorder was renamed in 1994 to ADHD where it was broken down into three subtypes. The three types of ADHD are predominantly inattentive type, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type, and the combined type.

The predominantly inattentive type is when an individual finds it difficult pay attention to details and difficulty with following instructions or conversations. The person is easily distracted, makes careless errors, has problems with organization, forgets details of daily routines, and has a tendency to lose things.  The hyperactive-impulsive type is characterized by fidgety behavior, difficulty sitting still, excessive energy levels, poor decision-making, and a tendency to act before thinking.  An individual with the combined type of ADHD may display elements of multiple elements described above.

Treatment for ADHD depends on the unique constellation of symptoms displayed by the individual.  Treatment options are also guided by the severity of the ADHD symptoms.  Often times, prescription stimulant medication can prove invaluable in controlling the symptoms of moderate to severe ADHD.  However, in more mild forms of ADHD, changes to daily routine, the classroom environment, and behavior modification training can produce lasting results.  Cognitive Training involving computer-assisted training of attentional skills, sequencing ability, and short-term auditory and visual memory can also prove helpful in improving the symptoms of mild to moderate ADHD.  Often times, a combination approach which involves a combination of medication management, behavior modification, school-based accommodation, and Cognitive Training is the most helpful way to manage ADHD.