Table of Contents and Chapter Summaries
APPENDIX B:
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Part I: The Life of the Child
This section presents an approximate chronology of what to expect from your child in terms of physical, emotional, behavioral, cognitive, social, and moral maturation. The concerns discussed in this section of the book are typical of those you will routinely discuss with your pediatrician. The issues and information presented here center on what almost every child experiences during the course of childhood.
Chapter 1: Infancy: The first Year Of Life
This chapter describes the initial developmental stage during which you and your child establish a bond. This chapter includes discussions about such topics as eating, sleeping, crying, colic, and well-baby care.
Chapter 2: Toddlerhood: The Child at Ages One and Two
This chapter looks at the stage during which your chid will move further out into the larger world, relying more and more on the capabilities of his own body to explore, investigate and experiment, all the while remaining deeply and importantly attached to you. Subjects include hitting, and biting; socializing; bossiness; negativism; and discipline.
Chapter 3: The Preschool Years: Ages Three, Four, and Five
During the preschool years, a child begins to test out the social lessons learned at home. At the same time, the preschooler begins to bring home the lessons she learns in the outside world. This chapter will include discussions of such topics as toilet training; the why question; the world of fantasy; and the teaching values.
Chapter 4: The Elementary School Years: Ages Six through Eleven
This chapter talks about topics ranging from helping your child become more responsible; supporting him as he develops greater autonomy; and exploring the meaning of friendship, to such practical matters such as allowance, chores, and television.
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Part II: Day-to Day Problem Behaviors
Part II describes those everyday behaviors, feelings, and reactions that may be bewildering to you but are by no means aberrant. Other behaviors, however natural for the child, may be quite problematic. This section places such concerns in the context of the child's development by addressing these issues in greater details and offers reassurance and direction so that you can interpret and respond to your child's behavior in a helpful manner.
Chapter 5: Challenges at Home
This chapter talks about behaviors that are not so easily handled: aggression, attention-seeking, sexual behaviors, tantrums, fighting with siblings, whining, and illness, among others. You may need a few practical tips or merely need to be reassured that other parents are dealing with similar doubts or the same disquieting conduct.
Chapter 6: The Family Redefined
This chapter grapples with the question "What is a family?" Countless children today are being raised by single parents, stepparents, grandparents, gay parents, and foster families. Other factors, including adoption, sibling rivalry, and poverty have a direct impact on a child's development and the relationships he has with those who care for him. They are addressed in this chapter.
Chapter 7: School-Related Concerns
This chapter talks about such subjects as over and underachievement, peer pressure, parental involvement, changing schools, cheating, and home schooling.
Chapter 8: The Child and the Community
This chapter touches on such subjects as child abuse, natural and man-made disasters, gangs, and violence in the media.
Chapter 9: The Child with Chronic Illness
This chapter talks about the special challenges that families contend with when a child has a chronic illness such as asthma, diabetes, allergies, headaches, cancer, or AIDS.
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PART III: Serious Problems and Abnormalities
In Part III, we move beyond the day-to-day. This section reviews those emotional, behavioral, and developmental problems that usually require professional intervention. The information provided will help you understand what is going on with your child so that you can ask a child and adolescent psychiatrist or other mental health clinician the right questions and get the right kind of help for your child and your family.
Chapter 10: Emotional Disorders
This chapter talks about disturbances, including depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorders, in which a child internalizes or feels profound and constant distress to the point that the normal involvements of her life are significantly disrupted.
Chapter 11: Disruptive Behavior Disorders
This chapter talks about those disturbed behaviors that indicate a considerable degree of internal upset or represent a symptom of a larger, underlying emotional problem. Such conditions include attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorders, and opposition defiant disorder.
Chapter 12: Developmental Disorders
This chapter talks about mental retardation, pervasive developmental disorder, learning disabilities, and related problems that impede a child's development.
Chapter 13: Psychotic Disorders
This chapter talks about schizophrenia, brief reactive psychosis, and toxic psychosis, in which a child's thought processes are severely and consistently impaired.
Chapter 14: Sleep Disorders
This chapter talks about possible causes and repercussions of a child's sleep difficulties. While sleep difficulties my signal mild, passing problems, they may also represent more persistent, troublesome ones. Among the problems discussed are severe nightmares, night terrors, sleepwalking, and teeth grinding.
Back to Index
Part IV: Seeking Help
Part IV offers practical advice and useful information to guide parents when it seems hat professional mental health intervention may be called for. This section presents the who, where, when, and why of getting help. We discuss in detail the many aspects of mental health treatment as well as the professions involved.
Chapter 15: When and Where to Seek Help
This chapter helps parents understand just what is involved in seeking help, what mental health intervention can reasonably be expected to accomplish, and how to go about finding the right clinician for your child and your family.
Chapter 16: What are the Treatment Options?
This chapter talks about the fundamentals of choosing and using mental health services- specifically, the various types of therapies available and the issues and problems each typically addresses.
Appendix A: Psychiatric Medicines; a list of medical and other tests commonly used by mental health clinicians in assessing or diagnosing children.
Appendix B: Medical, Psychological, Educational, and Developmental Tests; and a glossary of psychiatric and medical terminology.
Back to Index
- Part I THE LIFE OF A CHILD
- Infancy: The First Year of Life
- Toddlerhood: The Child At Ages One and Two
- The Preschool Years: Ages Three, Four, and Five
- The Elementary School Years: Ages Six Through Eleven
- Challenges at Home
- The Family Redefined
- School-Related Concerns
- The Child and the Community
- The Child with Chronic Illness
- Emotional Disorders
- Disruptive Behavior Disorders
- Developmental Disorders
- Psychotic Disorders
- Sleep Disorders
- How and When to Seek Help
- What Are the Treatment Options?
Part II DAY-TO-DAY PROBLEM BEHAVIORS
Part III SERIOUS PROBLEMS AND ABNORMALITIES
Part IV SEEKING HELP
APPENDIX B:
Back to Index
Part I: The Life of the Child
This section presents an approximate chronology of what to expect from your child in terms of physical, emotional, behavioral, cognitive, social, and moral maturation. The concerns discussed in this section of the book are typical of those you will routinely discuss with your pediatrician. The issues and information presented here center on what almost every child experiences during the course of childhood.
Chapter 1: Infancy: The first Year Of Life
This chapter describes the initial developmental stage during which you and your child establish a bond. This chapter includes discussions about such topics as eating, sleeping, crying, colic, and well-baby care.
Chapter 2: Toddlerhood: The Child at Ages One and Two
This chapter looks at the stage during which your chid will move further out into the larger world, relying more and more on the capabilities of his own body to explore, investigate and experiment, all the while remaining deeply and importantly attached to you. Subjects include hitting, and biting; socializing; bossiness; negativism; and discipline.
Chapter 3: The Preschool Years: Ages Three, Four, and Five
During the preschool years, a child begins to test out the social lessons learned at home. At the same time, the preschooler begins to bring home the lessons she learns in the outside world. This chapter will include discussions of such topics as toilet training; the why question; the world of fantasy; and the teaching values.
Chapter 4: The Elementary School Years: Ages Six through Eleven
This chapter talks about topics ranging from helping your child become more responsible; supporting him as he develops greater autonomy; and exploring the meaning of friendship, to such practical matters such as allowance, chores, and television.
Back to Index
Part II: Day-to Day Problem Behaviors
Part II describes those everyday behaviors, feelings, and reactions that may be bewildering to you but are by no means aberrant. Other behaviors, however natural for the child, may be quite problematic. This section places such concerns in the context of the child's development by addressing these issues in greater details and offers reassurance and direction so that you can interpret and respond to your child's behavior in a helpful manner.
Chapter 5: Challenges at Home
This chapter talks about behaviors that are not so easily handled: aggression, attention-seeking, sexual behaviors, tantrums, fighting with siblings, whining, and illness, among others. You may need a few practical tips or merely need to be reassured that other parents are dealing with similar doubts or the same disquieting conduct.
Chapter 6: The Family Redefined
This chapter grapples with the question "What is a family?" Countless children today are being raised by single parents, stepparents, grandparents, gay parents, and foster families. Other factors, including adoption, sibling rivalry, and poverty have a direct impact on a child's development and the relationships he has with those who care for him. They are addressed in this chapter.
Chapter 7: School-Related Concerns
This chapter talks about such subjects as over and underachievement, peer pressure, parental involvement, changing schools, cheating, and home schooling.
Chapter 8: The Child and the Community
This chapter touches on such subjects as child abuse, natural and man-made disasters, gangs, and violence in the media.
Chapter 9: The Child with Chronic Illness
This chapter talks about the special challenges that families contend with when a child has a chronic illness such as asthma, diabetes, allergies, headaches, cancer, or AIDS.
Back to Index
PART III: Serious Problems and Abnormalities
In Part III, we move beyond the day-to-day. This section reviews those emotional, behavioral, and developmental problems that usually require professional intervention. The information provided will help you understand what is going on with your child so that you can ask a child and adolescent psychiatrist or other mental health clinician the right questions and get the right kind of help for your child and your family.
Chapter 10: Emotional Disorders
This chapter talks about disturbances, including depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorders, in which a child internalizes or feels profound and constant distress to the point that the normal involvements of her life are significantly disrupted.
Chapter 11: Disruptive Behavior Disorders
This chapter talks about those disturbed behaviors that indicate a considerable degree of internal upset or represent a symptom of a larger, underlying emotional problem. Such conditions include attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorders, and opposition defiant disorder.
Chapter 12: Developmental Disorders
This chapter talks about mental retardation, pervasive developmental disorder, learning disabilities, and related problems that impede a child's development.
Chapter 13: Psychotic Disorders
This chapter talks about schizophrenia, brief reactive psychosis, and toxic psychosis, in which a child's thought processes are severely and consistently impaired.
Chapter 14: Sleep Disorders
This chapter talks about possible causes and repercussions of a child's sleep difficulties. While sleep difficulties my signal mild, passing problems, they may also represent more persistent, troublesome ones. Among the problems discussed are severe nightmares, night terrors, sleepwalking, and teeth grinding.
Back to Index
Part IV: Seeking Help
Part IV offers practical advice and useful information to guide parents when it seems hat professional mental health intervention may be called for. This section presents the who, where, when, and why of getting help. We discuss in detail the many aspects of mental health treatment as well as the professions involved.
Chapter 15: When and Where to Seek Help
This chapter helps parents understand just what is involved in seeking help, what mental health intervention can reasonably be expected to accomplish, and how to go about finding the right clinician for your child and your family.
Chapter 16: What are the Treatment Options?
This chapter talks about the fundamentals of choosing and using mental health services- specifically, the various types of therapies available and the issues and problems each typically addresses.
Appendix A: Psychiatric Medicines; a list of medical and other tests commonly used by mental health clinicians in assessing or diagnosing children.
Appendix B: Medical, Psychological, Educational, and Developmental Tests; and a glossary of psychiatric and medical terminology.
Back to Index
