Common Childhood Issues
Does your child suffer from any of the following?
Anxiety Disorder
Common symptoms are:
- School refusal
- Distress when separated from parent
- Social withdrawal and timidity
- Pervasive worry and fearfulness
- Restless sleep and nightmares
Depression
Common symptoms are:
- Ongoing sadness, irritability
- Loss of interest in friends, toys and activities
- Loss of energy and concentration
- Loss of weight or appetite
- Deterioration in school work
- Thoughts of suicide or self-harming
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Common symptoms are:
- Fear of dirt or germs
- Fear of illness or getting hurt
- Compulsions to clean or put things in order
- Compulsion to count, hoard or touch things
Being Bullied at School
Common symptoms are:
- Afraid to go to school
- Complaining of aches and pains
- Lost interest or started to do less well at school
- Loss of appetite
- Sleeping problems
- Appears anxious or depressed
Behavioural and Parenting Challenges
Common issues are:
- Emotion regulation
- Sleeping difficulties
- Difficulties following instructions
- Temper tantrums and angry outbursts
- Hurting siblings or other children
- School refusal
- Damaging toys, property
- Aggression
- Lying
- Shouting and poor attitude
- Whining and crying
- Easily angered, annoyed or irritated
- Frequent temper tantrums
- Argues with adults
- Low self-esteem
- Blames others for misdeeds
- Lack of empathy
- Talks over the top of others
ADHD (Inattentive and/or Hyperactive)
Common Symptoms for Inattentive ADHD may include some of the following:
- Does not give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, work, or other activities
- Has trouble keeping attention on tasks or play activities
- Does not seem to listen when spoken to directly
- Does not follow instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace
- Has trouble organising activities
- Avoids, dislikes, or doesn't want to do things that take a lot of mental effort for a long period of time (such as schoolwork or homework)
- Loses things needed for tasks and activities (such as toys, school assignments, pencils, books, or tools)
- Easily distracted
- Forgetful in daily activities
Common Symptoms for Hyperactivity/Impulsivity may include some of the following:
- Often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat
- Gets up from seat when remaining in seat is expected
- Runs about or climbs when and where it is not appropriate
- Has trouble playing or enjoying leisure activities quietly
- "On the go" or often acts as if "driven by a motor"
- Talks excessively
- Blurts out answers before questions have been finished
- Has trouble waiting one's turn
- Interrupts or intrudes on others
Learning Difficulties
Learning disabilities are characterised by a significant difference in the child’s achievement in some areas, as compared to his or her overall intelligence. The student may have some of these difficulties:
- Problems with reading comprehension
- Delays in speaking and listening
- Difficulty performing arithmetic functions and understanding basic concepts
- Difficulty with reading writing and spelling
- Difficulty organising and integrating thought
- Poor organisation skills
Talented and Gifted
Common symptoms are:
- Fast recall of information
- Knows a lot more about some topics than other same aged children
- Uses advanced vocabulary
- Began to read and write easily
- Displays intense interest and enjoyment when learning new things
- Has good understanding, and can teach others
- Comfortable around adults
- Shows leadership qualities
- Is resourceful and improvises well
- Uses imaginative methods to accomplish tasks
Autism Spectrum (now includes Aspergers)
Common symptoms are:
- Your child has difficulty with communication
- Delayed developmental milestones, particularly speech
- Difficulty making or maintaining friendships or socially
- Difficulty understanding how others feel/empathy
- Isolated or repetitive play
- Take language literally
- Obsessional behaviour and rituals
- Meltdowns or shutdowns
- Sensory sensitivity
- Flapping arms or toe walking
- Differences in communication (eg. formal style)
- Avoid eye contact
- Fewer or obsessive interests
- One sided conversations about favourite topics
- Typical language and intellectual development or variable language development
NB: This list is not exhaustive and doesn't describe all childhood problems. Your child may exhibit one or two of these behaviours, so it is worth following up with a psychologist, your GP or paediatrician.