Behavioral Concerns
Behavioral Therapy and Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics located in Portland, OR, providing virtual care throughout Washington and Oregon.
Behavioral Therapy in Portland, OR
Parents often put off seeking help for behavioral concerns because the challenges they face seem like expected, age-appropriate behaviors. But when behavioral issues become an ongoing or severe problem, Joy Eberhardt, MD, FAAP, at Orchid Pediatrics provides a personalized treatment that improves your child’s behavior by targeting the source of the problem. To schedule an in-person or telemedicine appointment, call the office in Portland, Oregon, or book online today.
What are Behavioral Concerns?
Behavioral concerns encompass many challenging behaviors, ranging from typical childhood problems and bad habits to behaviors caused by mental health disorders. Children often become angry and defiant at bedtime, when asked to do their homework, or when told it’s time to stop a favorite activity.
However, anger, opposition, and defiance turn into a more pressing problem when they become more than an occasional outburst, get more severe, last several months, or disrupt life at school and home.
What Symptoms Occur Because of Behavioral Concerns?
Parents are familiar with most difficult behaviors, but this list illustrates the full range of symptoms they may encounter:
Anger
Irritability
Restlessness
Arguing with adults or authority figures
Refusing to comply with requests
Hyperactivity
Bullying
Lack of focus or attention
Frequent, extreme temper tantrums
Lying
Frustration
Blaming others for their misbehavior
Verbal or physical aggression
Tantrums and meltdowns are common behavior problems. In some cases, tantrums occur because your child wants something they can’t have.
Other times, meltdowns occur when children are on sensory overload, or they’re overwhelmed, frustrated, or angry and don’t know how to express their emotions or needs. In this case, they’re not manipulating a situation. Their meltdown is a way to communicate distress.
Mental health conditions like anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can also cause sudden meltdowns that seem to come out of the blue.
What Conditions are Associated with Behavioral Concerns?
Behavioral problems are one of the top symptoms of mental health disorders, including:
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Autism spectrum disorder
Anxiety
Depression
Conduct disorder
Bipolar disorder
Tic disorders
Tourette syndrome
Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)
Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD)
Intermittent explosive disorder (IED)
If your child has one of these conditions, their behavior won’t improve until they get treatment for the underlying problem.
How are Behavioral Concerns Treated?
After identifying the reason for your child’s behavioral problems, Orchid Pediatrics develops a customized treatment plan based on their diagnosis, age, and symptom severity.
Parents may need to learn a new discipline technique or get tips on managing their child’s behavior. Cognitive behavioral therapy can be extremely beneficial. Children may need medication and/or therapy that helps them learn to recognize and control their emotions and behaviors.
If you have concerns about your child’s behavior, call Orchid Pediatrics or book an appointment online today.
Contact Orchid Pediatrics
Use the brief form below to contact developmental pediatrician, Joy Eberhardt.
Phone & Email
info@orchidpediatrics.com
Office Location
4850 SW Scholls Ferry Rd.
Suite 301
Portland, OR 97225
