*What is Adaptation and Behavior Disorder?
The ability of an individual to establish a balanced relationship with his/her environment and to maintain this relationship in a healthy way is called adaptation.
Children acquire various skills throughout their growth process. With every skill they acquire, they also encounter many problems. When parents and close circle exhibit appropriate attitudes and behaviors in the face of these problems, the problem can be easily resolved, whereas the problems experienced in the face of inappropriate attitudes can turn into permanent adaptation and behavior problems.
*How to Differentiate between Adjustment Disorder and Normal Behavior. ?
It is difficult for parents to distinguish between the normal problems experienced by the child depending on the developmental period and behaviors considered as adjustment disorders. In order to understand whether the problem is caused by the developmental period or whether it is a real behavioral disorder, the following points should be taken into consideration:
The child's developmental period:The behavior is a temporary situation seen in a certain developmental period. it could be. For example: Night urination until the age of 4-5, sleep disorders that occur at the age of 2-3, and short-term speech disorders do not require concern.
Frequency of the symptom: It is important how often the child's behavior occurs. Occasional disobedience, misbehavior, and the behavior of children who are grumpy and combative at home but harmonious outside are normal. Behaviors that contradict everything that is said and that continue at school and in the environment should be examined psychologically.
Severity of behavior:When the intensity of the behavior increases, it signals a problem.
Continuity of behavior: Continuous behaviors cannot be kept at the same level as behaviors that disappear after a while. For example, the behavior of a child who is irritable and grumpy due to sibling jealousy can be described as normal. However, the persistence of problems for various reasons is considered as maladaptation.
When a behavior accompanies other behaviorsFor example: Just wetting the bed at night is not enough, there are also situations such as stuttering, fear and anxiety. In this case, it can be said that there is a conduct disorder.
Not expressing the problem: Not all children express their mental problems. A child who has many internal problems without showing any external symptoms may show them as if he does not have a behavioral problem, but the child cannot always be expected to behave in a harmonious and balanced manner. He begins to show symptoms as a result of trying to cope with the problems he is experiencing and getting tired.
Examination of the child's past experiences:The child's past harmony and positive characteristics also need to be examined. Temporary or permanent maladjustment may occur in children who have deviations in their developmental periods, due to family support and positive or negative family attitudes.
*What are the Reasons Leading to Adjustment and Behavior Disorders?
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Neglect: Failure to meet the child's physical, emotional and social needs on time and adequately.
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Parental attitudes: Overly oppressive, coercive, lax or overprotective attitudes.
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Violence: Harming the child physically, emotionally or verbally, humiliating, prolonged and excessive punishment.
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Separation: Long-term separation from parents, frequent caregiver changes.
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Divorce
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Death
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Major and sudden changes in daily routine
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Birth of a sibling
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Accident, Traumatic events such as illness and disaster
*What are the Adaptation and Behavior Disorders Seen in Children?
Adaptation and behavioral disorders are three main can be listed under the title. These are;
Habit disorders: Finger sucking, nail biting, bedwetting, fecal incontinence, masturbation, hair pulling.
Behavioral disorders: Lying, stealing, stubbornness, harming.
Emotional disorders: Fear, anxiety, shyness, tics, stuttering, sleeping and eating disorders.
*The Characteristics of These Behavior Disorders What are the next steps? How is it formed? How to behave?
Thumb sucking:
One of the most important reflexes that children have from birth is the sucking reflex. Thumb sucking is considered normal in the first year after birth. Sucking is a behavior that creates pleasure and provides psychological relief. It may develop as a result of psychological problems and tensions.
Situations such as tensions in the home environment, the birth of a new sibling, and the need for sucking not being satisfied sufficiently are the situations that cause thumb sucking behavior to occur more frequently. Thumb sucking behavior, which is generally expected to decrease or even disappear around the age of 2, continues in some cases until the child starts school. Sometimes it is even seen that this behavior continues during school time. It is thought that if thumb sucking continues after the age of 2, it is likely to be seen as an adaptation and behavior problem.
How to Behave?
First of all, the reasons for thumb sucking behavior. It should be investigated whether there is an event that causes anxiety in the child. Thumb sucking behavior continues unless the main cause is eliminated. The child's need for breastfeeding should be met adequately through the use of the mother's breast, pacifier and bottle. It should be accepted that sucking is pleasurable and that this behavior is normal up to the age of 2. Misbehavior should not be exhibited, and the child should not be frightened with incorrect ideas.
It should be stated in a calm language that this behavior is unpleasant, and he should be encouraged to try to quit. The appropriate time should be chosen to discourage the habit. The child's illness or the arrival of a new sibling are not appropriate times to give up the habit.
Nail biting:
Nail biting is one of the most common behavioral problems. It usually does not start before the age of 3-4. Nail biting behavior is seen in 33% of children. This rate continues until early adolescence. Erge The rate of children biting their nails in adolescence increases to 40-45%. The main factors that cause nail biting are the application of an overly oppressive and authoritarian education in the family, constant scolding and criticism of the child, lack of attention and love, jealousy, distress and tension, incompatibilities between parents, excessive anxiety of the parents, and overprotection of the child. Additionally, nail biting is a behavior that can be acquired through imitation.
How to Behave?
The most effective method is to ignore this habit by the parents until the age of 4. Warnings such as "Don't bite your nails, take your hand away from your mouth" will cause the behavior to increase rather than decrease. The main thing is to identify and try to eliminate the factors that cause the child to acquire this habit. However, if the child feels insecure, it is seen that he/she starts this habit again.
Bedwetting:
A child who has been toilet trained It is thought that there are basically two reasons for wetting problems; The child is experiencing either an emotional or physical problem. First of all, it must be determined whether there is an organic problem. Febrile diseases, urinary tract infections, diabetes, and neurological diseases cause bedwetting behavior. Bedwetting behavior caused by a physical problem is short-term and temporary. It disappears with the treatment of the disease. The most important cause of bedwetting, especially in boys, is hereditary. If one of the parents has a history of this problem, the probability of it being seen in the child increases by 25%, and if both parents have it, it increases by 65%.
Bedwetting caused by genetic reasons appears to disappear during adolescence. One of the reasons for bedwetting is that the child is in a very deep sleep and does not realize that the toilet has come. However, if the child's development is normal, if toilet training is given at the appropriate age, if there is bedwetting behavior, even if intermittently, during the day and/or night, even though the child has completed toilet training, then this may be due to psychosis. It is thought to be of logical origin. Reasons such as moving to a new place, divorce, death of a family member, arrival of a new sibling, or forcing or punishing the child during toilet training may bring up the problem of emotional bedwetting.
How to Act? strong>
It is necessary to determine whether bedwetting behavior is due to a medical reason. It is important for the family to be consistent and determined in its communication with its child. Before toilet training, the family must wait until the child reaches a certain level of maturity in urinary control. Parents should be careful not to cause fear and anxiety in the child while giving toilet training. Parents should never express their discomfort about their child doing something in front of their child. Bedwetting seen alone in a child may not be worrying in balanced, happy and well-adjusted children. In order to solve the bedwetting problem that occurs due to the child's deep sleep, it would be appropriate to take the child to the toilet frequently and not give very watery foods at bedtime. When the bedwetting problem reaches serious levels, help should be sought from an expert.
Fecal incontinence:
It is a sign of psychological disharmony that is more severe than bedwetting. It usually occurs due to insufficient and lax training and not acquiring the habit of holding feces. Defecation may also be impaired for a while after it becomes regular. It occurs due to psychological factors, just like bedwetting. Various fears and anxieties such as the birth of a sibling, separation from the mother, and hospitalization can lead to regression in the child. This behavior can be done both to attract the mother's attention and to rebel. Some children are resistant to going to the toilet. While he/she can hold his/her stool at school, he/she may leak his/her stool at home. Children with stool problems generally act younger than their age, have poor adaptation to school, have bad relationships with friends, are dependent and stubborn.
How to Behave?
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