Children can be complicated, especially when you are trying to figure out their behavior. It can be difficult for a parent to know what normal behavior is, and which behaviors should be evaluated by a specialist. Dr. Vahid Khajoee at A Plus Pediatrics in Rockville, MD, provides comprehensive medical care for children, including behavioral health assessment and treatment.
What You Need To Know About Pediatric Behavioral Health
Let’s look at normal behaviors which don’t need to be evaluated:
- Defiance - it's most often a sign of your child showing autonomy
- Withdrawing from you - it’s most often a sign your child is exerting independence
- Acting out - it's often just a reaction to changes in your child’s life, like moving to a new school, divorce, or death of someone close to them
Behaviors that should be evaluated with a pediatric behavioral health consultation include:
- Frequent feelings of sadness, despair, and disinterest
- Threatening or harming others, pets, or themselves
- Damaging things belonging to others
- Having difficulty forming or keeping relationships with others
- Demonstrating anxiety about going to school
- Exhibiting defiance and hostility toward authority figures
- Frequently lying, arguing, stealing, or skipping school
- Using drugs, drinking, or smoking at an early age
Any of the signs listed above warrant a visit to your pediatrician. During a behavioral health consultation, our pediatrician will:
- Record a complete medical and behavioral history
- Perform a complete medical examination
- Order laboratory testing if necessary to detect underlying medical conditions
Depending on your child’s signs, symptoms, and diagnosis, behavioral health treatment may include:
- Medication therapy to modify behavior, help with depression and anxiety and treat other behavioral or developmental conditions
- Individual, group, and family counseling
- Lifestyle modification including diet and exercise
- Additional specialty care with a child psychologist
Want To Know More?
To find out more about pediatric behavioral health treatment and how it can help your child, call Dr. Khajoee at A Plus Pediatrics in Rockville, MD. You can reach him in the office by calling (301) 284-1234, so call today.