Developmental Considerations Most Common Adjustment Problems –Attachment problems or developmental delays in

Motivation Issues Children and adolescents are more likely to blame others for their difficulties, such as teachers, peers, or family members. Adolescents in particular often resist others’ explanations of their problems and refuse to take their medication or participate in psychotherapy.

Communicating through Play Therapists who work with children must first win the child’s trust through appropriate and interesting activities Young children communicate more freely in play than in formal verbal interviews Guided play activities are a common type of intervention for children However, dolls can be misused as assessment tools by untrained examiners

Cultural Diversity There are few published research studies comparing the effects of particular types of therapy with children from different ethnic groups. Ideally, therapists should share the child’s ethnicity and cultural background Practitioners are advised to conduct culturally appropriate assessments of child clients, using language that is familiar to the child. Major Approaches to Psychological Treatment

Major Approaches to Psychological Treatment –Psychodynamic Therapy –Nondirective Play Therapy –Behavioral Therapy –Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy –Evaluation of Cognitive-Behavioral and Behavioral Therapies

Psychodynamic Therapy Little research has been done on psychodynamic therapy, so its effectiveness is unknown

Nondirective Play Therapy Probably more effective than no therapy, nondirective play therapy has limited effectiveness in clinic settings

Behavioral Therapy Behavioral therapy can teach specific skills, but careful treatment design is needed to produce durable, general effects

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Treats many of a child’s problems at the same time using different techniques. This is effective in controlled laboratory settings, but its utility in actual treatment clinics and in the long term is not established

Family Therapies Systems-oriented family therapy Behavioral family therapy Functional family therapy

Systems-oriented Family Therapy Systems-oriented family therapy views the source of the child’s problems as dysfunctional family interactions, not individual psychopathology

Behavioral Family Therapy Behavioral family therapy views the child’s problems as coming from inappropriate reinforcement contingencies and lack of social skills

Functional Family Therapy Functional Family Therapy sees both faulty family communications and inappropriate contingencies as creating children’s problems

Foster Care More appropriate to place teens in foster care rather than young children Teens should be placed in foster care only when unmanageable, refuse to obey their parents, are delinquent, and/or abuse drugs Or when their friends are antisocial or gang members

Drug Treatments for Childhood Disorders Medications prescribed to –Suppress dangerous behaviors –Suppress intrusive behaviors that interfere with child’s functioning and learning –Enhance positive behavior

Stimulants Stimulants are used mainly for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. They are effective in treating symptoms, but don’t improve social relationships or school achievement in the long term

Antidepressant drugs Tricyclic antidepressants are ineffective with children SSRI’s hold promise of being safe and effective to treat depression and anxiety

Antipsychotic Used to control psychotic behavior in adults Used re used to reduce assaultiveness, restlessness, and self-injury in severely ill children, but have serious side effects

Guidelines for use with Children Should not be the first or only treatment tried. Use less restrictive treatments first

The child should receive a component medical and psychological exam to establish a diagnosis

The child as well as the parents should consent to the use of drugs. No one should be coerced into taking medications, if at all possible

Drug administration should be conservative, with the smallest dosage possible and for the briefest possible time

Prevention and Early Intervention Emotional and cognitive problems have been reduced by comprehensive programs for high-risk, disadvantaged infants and preschool children and their parents

Conduct disorder and seriously antisocial behavior have been reduced in aggressive kindergarten children by the Fast Track program

Depressive symptoms have been reduced in children and adolescents by the Penn Optimism Program

Prejudice and discrimination have been reduced in school-age children by the Jigsaw Classroom program