It is Just a Phase: How to Tell Common Childhood Phases from More Serious Disorders

Parents concerned by the behavior of an overactive, shy or disobedient child, or troubled by their child's bedwetting or eating problems, can find reassuring, practical advice in this accessible handbook. Swedo, head of behavioral pediatrics at the National Institutes of Mental Health, and Leonard, a child psychiatrist and professor at Brown University School of Medicine, combine their expertise to aid parents in helping their toddler or teen through difficult stages in development. Each chapter in Part 1 includes brief stories that illustrate particular behaviors, such as eating problems, thumb-sucking or moodiness, in both a normal child and a problem child. The stories are followed by suggestions on what parents can do to help, and what help they can expect from teachers and doctors. Part 2 focuses on those problem behaviors that are not merely passing phases but symptoms of psychiatric disorders requiring therapeutic intervention. Such conditions as anxiety disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder are explained in clear language. Brief sets of questions assist parents in deciding whether their child fits the description or may have some related condition; the authors then discuss therapy options and offer a resource list of professional organizations. (Oct.)