SIU Psychologist Offers Advice on Children's Behavioral Problems

While many children look forward to the beginning of a new school year with excitement, others are apprehensive about going back to the classroom. Their uneasiness may come from a lack of interest in school or a shy personality. Depending on a child's age and relationships with peers, their reluctance may result in refusing to do homework and "oppositional behavior," which disrupts the classroom and home life.

"Thirteen to 22 percent of children and teens have some type of behavioral problem, and the percentage is doubled in households with lower socioeconomic levels," says Glen Aylward, Ph.D., professor of pediatrics and director of the Center for Disorders in Development and Learning at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield.

"In fact, 70 to 80 percent of parents have concerns about their child's behavior when they visit their physician for routine or acute care. But, the vast majority of parents do not bring these concerns up unless the physician asks about behavior issues," he adds.

Some common behaviors in their children that parents express concern are problems in the child's daily routine such as getting dressed, toilet habits and eating. There also can be problems with social interactions -- aggression, hostility and withdrawal. In some cases behavioral issues are compounded by developmental issues such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or chronic medical conditions such as asthma.

Most parents do the right thing in trying to resolve problems with their children's behavior, but their attempts may need just a little fine-tuning, says Aylward. "Parents need to understand what is normal in terms of child development and what is not normal. They also need to understand why the child is engaging in a particular behavior," he suggests.

Aylward's advice to parents for problem solving is to look at three things: What are the consequences are for the child engaging in the disruptive behavior? What reinforcements and rewards does the child receive because of the behavior? How consistent is the intervention the parents are using to deal with the behavior?

"Behavioral problems should be addressed in the early stages. The younger the child is when the problem is addressed and the more consistent parents are in implementing any type of intervention, the better the outcome," explains Aylward. "Each age is different. The severity of behavioral problems is worse in adolescence because they are bigger, smarter and have had more time to develop their behaviors."

Parents addressing the problem early will protect their child from experiencing a negative impact on their development, help them enjoy the things they should enjoy at each age, and avoid any possible negative impact at school and with their peers.

They should also distinguish between discipline and punishment, Aylward says. "Discipline teaches a child what to do and what not to do and provides guidance for becoming a socialized individual who accepts responsibility for his or her actions. Punishment, such as spanking or the withdrawal of a positive reinforcement, is an unpleasant consequence that follows an undesirable behavior. Punishment often brings on crying, anxiety, anger, depression or aggression."

He advises parents to step back sometimes from the heat of this emotional reaction and look objectively at what is going on. He says humor can work well in distancing the impact from the actual behavior and improve family interaction. He also recommends taking a child to see their primary care physician, as he or she can help determine the severity of a problem and suggest appropriate resources.

To help parents and physicians deal with children's emotional and behavioral problems, Aylward has written a book, Practitioner's Guide to Behavioral Problems in Children, published by Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers. Aylward is certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology. He can be contacted through SIU's Department of Pediatrics in Springfield.

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