When a child is struggling, the key to getting effective help is understanding what’s going on. In this section we offer articles and resources to help you get a good diagnosis, and know whether or not your pediatrician or mental health professional has followed best practices in evaluating your child. We also examine the most common misdiagnoses in children, and behaviors that can be especially confusing and difficult to diagnose.
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More on Diagnosis
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- How to Find a Children’s Mental Health Professional
- What Should an Evaluation for Autism Look Like?
- What Should You Look for in a Diagnosis?
- Disruptive Behavior: Why It’s Often Misdiagnosed
- Do Autism Behaviors Have Medical Causes?
- ADHD and Sleep Disorders: Are Kids Getting Misdiagnosed?
- Not All Attention Problems Are ADHD
- Pediatricians and ADHD
- When to Wait: Getting Kids Care, or Not
- A New Diagnosis for Explosive Behavior
- Why Combine Autism and Asperger’s?
- Watching for Signs of Psychosis in Teens
- How to Talk to Your Parents About Getting Help
- Do Kids With Tourette’s Usually Have Other Disorders Too?
- 11 Simple Signs a Child May Have a Psychiatric Disorder
- The Most Common Misdiagnoses in Children
- Challenges in Diagnosing Psychiatric Problems in Very Young Children
- Why We Keep Adding Psychiatric Disorders
- Liza Long on Mental Illness, Diagnosis, and Hope
- Judith Rapoport on Dimensional Research in Psychiatry
- When Will Brain Imaging Help Us Treat Kids?
- Two Psychiatrists Discuss the Changes (and Controversies) of DSM-5
Ask an Expert
All Ask an Expert- People think my son is rude because he has tantrums when we’re out, but at home he is the most loving boy in the world. Is anything wrong with him?
- Our daughter doesn’t accept her diagnoses of anxiety and depression, and we aren’t thrilled with the psychologist. Any suggestions?
- My son gets angry easily and is anxious about it. Will a safe, over-the-counter remedy or a gluten-free diet help?
- My daughter, who has ADHD, gets sad and depressed when she takes stimulant medications. Does it make sense to add an antidepressant?
- My daughter says “you can’t control my thoughts” when I try to comfort her. What can I do?
- My aggressive 6-year-old, who has had many diagnoses, reacted badly to stimulants and an SSRI. What else can we try?
- My 8-year-old son always feels unwell and is very emotional. I am depressed, and our interactions are difficult. Please help.
- My 4-year-old has strange fears. Should she see a psychiatrist?
- My 3-year-old hugs too hard and doesn’t like loud noises. What could be causing this?
- My 2-year-old daughter has a lot of fears and they are getting worse. Should I be worried?
- My 10-year-old son has become more sensitive over the last two years and now cries over almost anything. What can I do?
- When should you get a neuropsych evaluation for a child starting school in the fall?
- A 10-year-old boy has severe memory issues. What do you recommend his parents do? His public school?