| This can be a tragic result of our current mental health | | | | Did anyone look for her positive qualities?" |
| system. Parents need to understand it, how it happens, | | | | I just heard about a boy who was shy. Someone |
| why it is a tragedy and how they can prevent it from | | | | labeled him as being "antisocial". Today that boy is a |
| happening to their own child. | | | | healthy adult in spite of that label because his parents |
| The purpose of diagnosing children is to clarify and | | | | chose to take him out of the situation in which he was |
| understand the child's problem in order to work with | | | | being labeled. A child who is shy can be worked with |
| the child effectively. Too often, a diagnosis is given to | | | | using many positive methods. Being shy is not |
| a child mainly to satisfy managed health care, parents | | | | pathological and should never be treated as such. I find |
| and/or school systems. This can lead to adults thinking | | | | it sad that this child had to be moved out of one |
| about the child more as a diagnosis, as being "sick", | | | | school because several adults were so uneducated |
| and less as an individual who also has positive qualities | | | | that they chose to pathologize his behavior. |
| and strengths. This type of thinking often results in | | | | A small 6 year old I was working with had a traumatic |
| adults approaching a child in a manner that is less | | | | experience in her classroom. I carried this child away |
| respectful of the child's developmental stage and ability | | | | from the scene and onto the schools playground. |
| to change as they grow. | | | | Several teachers who did not know about the |
| Many people who work in the mental health system | | | | traumatic situation, called this child "baby" in a |
| do not understand the developmental stages of | | | | derogative manner simply because I was carrying her. |
| growth. I recently heard about a "professional" who | | | | Professionals, of any kind, should never call children |
| decided that a 4 year old was "psychotic" because he | | | | names. |
| did not color within the lines of a coloring book page. | | | | Just as in every other health field, it is important to get |
| That person had no knowledge concerning the | | | | several opinions concerning a child's mental/emotional |
| developmental stages of learning to draw. Most 4 | | | | health. Mental/emotional health is complex in all people |
| year old children are in the "scribbling" or "named | | | | including children. Most children want to fit in with their |
| scribbling" stage of drawing. It's not in the child's best | | | | peers. Adults involved with children need to help them |
| interest to use coloring books at all during that stage. | | | | learn how to fit in. The best way to do that is to call |
| Unfortunately this "professional" does not know about | | | | attention to and praise the child for all the behaviors |
| this developmental detail and this child might carry a | | | | that help them fit in. Calling attention to what might be |
| misdiagnosis for many years to come. A misdiagnosis | | | | "wrong" or abnormal could easily raise resistance in the |
| such as this often leads to poor therapeutic treatment | | | | child. Then a negative cycle may begin with the adult |
| including medication that is inappropriate for the child | | | | pressuring the child, the child resisting the adult, the adult |
| and has extreme side effects. | | | | pressuring the child, etc., etc. Children do not, cannot, |
| Another example involved a psychiatrist who asked a | | | | think like adults. They grow into adult thinking gradually |
| 5 year old leading questions. The child responded with | | | | and on individual timetables. Adults must remember |
| answers that came from her age appropriate fantasy | | | | and respect that. If you decide to take your child to a |
| thinking, as many very bright 5 year old children would | | | | mental health professional make sure that professional |
| answer. The psychiatrist diagnosed the child as thinking | | | | understands and respects the developmental levels of |
| in a "grandiose" manner. "Grandiose" thinking is part of | | | | children and does not pathologize behaviors that may |
| several diagnoses that can be assigned in early | | | | be with normal levels. |
| adulthood. Diagnosing a child with an adult disorder | | | | It is very important to remember that any behavioral |
| when her thinking is actually relatively normal for her | | | | problem a child (or adult) exhibits occurs within a |
| age, seemed to lead to mistreatment of this child. | | | | context. The precursors to a behavior must always be |
| When that child turned 11, she expressed wishing she | | | | examined. Most children "act out" their feelings about a |
| could be "like I'm supposed to be." Mental health | | | | situation and, often, when the situation is changed, the |
| professionals need to help children find out who they | | | | "acting out" behavior will change. If a situation cannot |
| want to be, rather than leading them to think they are | | | | be changed, children can, and do, learn coping skills for |
| not as they are "supposed" to be and labeling them as | | | | it. Most children (and adults) also respond, very well, |
| being "grandiose". In this case the psychiatric treatment | | | | when someone empathizes with them. Someone who |
| seemed to have a negative impact on this child's self | | | | understands, respects and can genuinely empathize |
| esteem. I would ask, "What was right about this child? | | | | with children will be able to work well with them. |