Interview with Desirée Infante: psychological disorders in childhood

Childhood is a key stage in physical and psychological development, and that is why it is essential to make an early detection about the possible problems that arise in its course. Part of this task is carried out by psychologists and neuropsychologists trained to work with children.

Desirée Infante works in these areas of support for children and families, and in this case we interview her to tell us about psychological disturbances during childhood.

• Related article: "Child Psychology: A Practical Guide for Parents"

Desirée Infante: attention to psychological disorders in childhood

In this interview with Desirée Infante We go through topics such as ADHD, educational and parenting guidelines for parents with children diagnosed with psychological disorders, or the way in which children perceive the idea of ​​going to therapy.

Why is it important to detect psychological disorders in children as soon as possible?

It is important due to the neural plasticity that exists in childhood; plasticity is much higher in this age period than in adulthood. The importance lies in the early detection of disorders in order to begin intervention. Neural plasticity allows us to repair or compensate brain areas with dysfunctions and thus try to reverse the effects of the disorder.

It is true that in some disorders it is not possible to completely reverse the effects of the pathology, but it can be compensated with other areas or minimize the impact of the disorder on the life of the child.

There is some controversy about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, since many people question its existence, pointing out that it is a way of pathologizing the curiosity and energetic character of the little ones. Is there a line between what can be considered a normal personality trait and a disorder of these characteristics?

At the beginning of the disorder, many of the children who do not fit into a diagnostic category were diagnosed with ADHD, This is what I believe is a great controversy, because these children did not meet common characteristics and had very disparate.

This, throughout history, has been modified by defining the characteristics that must be met in diagnostic manuals. to be diagnosed, this has allowed to change the panorama and children who were previously diagnosed by mistake now are not happens.

It should also be added that within this disorder there are different subtypes that can predominate in each child. For example: there is attention deficit disorder (ADD), in which, as its name indicates, what exists is an attention deficit, which should not be confused with ADHD; attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), in which attention deficit may predominate, hyperactivity / impulsivity or the combined type that would exist both as attention deficit and hyperactivity

In this disorder, it is also necessary to know how to differentiate what is normal or what is pathological, all this depends on the age of the child and if it interferes in the normal life of the minor.

What are the frequent psychological alterations in boys and girls that give more problems when it comes to complying with the rules of the home?

The most frequent disorders in which behavior problems can be observed are: ADHD, due to the impulsivity and hyperactivity that this disorder presents; Conduct disorders such as disruptive disorder (in which there are behavioral and emotional self-control problems); and Autism spectrum disorders (ASD), cases in which boys and girls show a deterioration in social interaction and fail to understand social norms, often show problems of conduct.

What basic parenting principles can fathers and mothers follow in these cases?

The main ones are these:

• Identifying a disobedient child is the first step in solving the problem.
• Set rules that are clear and make the consequences of the behavior very clear
• Set limits
• Motivate the disobedient child
• Let him calm down, if he is in a tantrum it is better to wait for that moment to pass and not to enter into a direct confrontation
• Do not fall for provocations
• Using routines is essential to correcting a disobedient child
• Reward good behaviors, positive reinforcements motivate and are essential for the child to recreate the desired behavior
• It must be made clear that the behavior is inappropriate and not the child
• We must prevent our emotions from getting out of control
• Suggestions should be made for alternative behaviors to the problem behavior
• Explain why behavior change is necessary

And what common mistakes do parents make when trying to educate children who have developed, for example, conduct disorder?

They do not have to be making any mistakes, generally many parents, including myself, may feel guilty for the development of behavior problems in their children, believing that they are guilty of these.

There is no exact correlation between how parents educate and their children's behavior problems, if it is true that there is a generalized pattern of overprotection towards the little ones that leads them to non-tolerance to frustration. This intolerance to frustration is what leads us into the dreaded tantrums and these, through reinforcement, are getting bigger and bigger.

In your experience as a professional, is it common for little ones to feel bad about the idea that they need psychotherapeutic help?

Generally, the little ones who come for a consultation usually come quite easily and tend to adapt quickly to the intervention. Adolescents are the most reluctant to start therapy, but knowing that each person has different needs and adapting to these in each case, usually facilitates the intervention.

What can be done to educate children, at the collective level, that the disorders that some of their peers have developed are not a reason to make fun of them or to exclude them?

To work on this problem, you have to start by educating at home and for the child to understand that there are behaviors that are totally unacceptable. To educate in social inclusion, you can start working with concepts such as empathy; It is very important that children are educated in emotional intelligence from a young age, this is important to know how to recognize their own emotions and those of others.

Positive reinforcement is very important, since it is more successful than negative reinforcement, it is It is important to look for the behaviors that we want our children to do and to congratulate them when they are doing.

Adults must be the best example for children, we must be careful how we interact with children and how they interpret our behaviors. We have to avoid emphasizing the negative aspects of others and try to reflect the positive ones, when conflicts arise, teach them how to handle frustration and emotions.