Introduction to the Fact Sheets

The fact sheets offered here describe some of the more common mental health disorders in infants and young children. Diagnostic classifications are intended to provide descriptions of symptoms that allow practitioners to communicate and facilitate identification of appropriate resources and services. It is essential that any assessment and diagnostic classification of young children keep in mind that all infants/young children have their own developmental progression and have individual differences in their motor, sensory, language, cognitive, emotional and interaction patterns. Acknowledging that infants/young children develop within the context of relationships is another foundation of assessment and diagnostic classification. ¹²⁷ Diagnoses of infants/young children are best made over time and across multiple settings to capture variations in adaptation and development within different contexts, relationships and occasions. Diagnosing an infant/young child must also take into consideration the family’s cultural values and practices as well as other sources of diversity.

Assessment and diagnostic classification should only be done by a qualified licensed professional. However, any of us working with young children and their families may have concerns about a child and/or be the person to whom the parents turn for guidance. The fact sheets are intended to provide a brief overview of the more common mental health disorders, common symptoms and behaviors associated with the disorders, general strategies and resources. The fact sheets have been updated using the Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood (DC:0-5™), updated in 2016. The DC:0-5 is expanded to include birth through 5 years of age.

Fact sheets for the following diagnoses, categorized to be consistent with the DC:0-5, are included:

+ Anxiety Disorders

+ Attachment Disruption

+ Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Overactivity Disorder of Toddlerhood

+ Autism Spectrum Disorder and Early Atypical Autism Disorder

+ Depressive Disorder of Early Childhood

+ Disorder of Dysregulated Anger and Aggression of Early Childhood

+ Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

+ Sensory Processing Disorders

It can be challenging at times to differentiate symptoms and behaviors of mental health disorders from children’s normal developmental patterns. For example, some toddlers respond to sensory overstimulation by flapping their hands or other repetitive activities, symptoms often associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder. A child may exhibit challenging behaviors in one setting and not another which requires that we consider the behavior as the child’s adaptation to a specific context rather than assuming the behavior represents pathology. We also perceive behaviors differently depending on the age or developmental level of a child; for example, we are likely to be much more concerned about the frequent tantrums of a 5-year-old than we are of an 18-month old, depending on the type and severity of the behavior.

Documenting Your Concerns

When you have concerns about a child, it can be extremely helpful to document your concerns in order to have accurate information when you share your concerns with parents or others. It is helpful to record the intensity and frequency of any behavioral difficulties in as much detail as possible. Also documenting the situations in which the concerning behaviors occur and help identify specific triggers and/or patterns. Specific descriptions are most helpful. For example, rather than stating that “Billy doesn’t remember the rules at Circle Time,” it is more helpful to be descriptive. For example, “Billy frequently stands up and moves about the room during Circle Time, interrupting others and has difficulty responding to the teacher’s requests. This seems to occur most often at the beginning of the week.” It is also good to record what happened before and after the disruptive or uncharacteristic behavior. The change or pattern of children’s behaviors may be explained by social situations happening in the classroom (e.g., the absence of a favorite teacher) or by something that the child is experiencing at home. With clear documentation of when the behaviors/concerns are occurring it is much easier to discover what factors may be contributing to the child’s difficulty.