28/12/2022
𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: "𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡?"
"ᴄʜɪʟᴅʀᴇɴ, ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ʜᴏᴡ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴇʟʟ ᴀᴅᴜʟᴛꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴅᴏᴇꜱɴ’ᴛ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ʀɪɢʜᴛ. ʀᴇᴄᴏɢɴɪᴢɪɴɢ ʙᴇʜᴀᴠɪᴏʀꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴄᴀɴ ɪɴᴅɪᴄᴀᴛᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀᴅᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ꜱᴇʀᴠɪᴄᴇꜱ ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ ꜱᴛᴇᴘ ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ꜱᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛ ꜰᴏʀ ᴄʜɪʟᴅʀᴇɴ. ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ᴡʜʏ ᴅᴀʏᴄᴀʀᴇ ᴄᴇɴᴛᴇʀꜱ ᴘʟᴀʏ ꜱᴜᴄʜ ᴀɴ ɪᴍᴘᴏʀᴛᴀɴᴛ ʀᴏʟᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴇɴᴛᴀʟ ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜ ᴏꜰ ᴄʜɪʟᴅʀᴇɴ."
It might be challenging to distinguish between undesirable habits and what is age-appropriate behavior. Negative behaviors can sometimes be developmentally appropriate, and there are techniques for controlling them. Negative behaviors can occasionally be more worrisome because they don't seem to be consistent with the child's developmental level. Teachers at daycare facilities are frequently the first to notice when kids act badly. Children spend a lot of time in daycare environments where they get to know their teachers well. By directing kids to Behavioral Health programs, childcare workers may close the gap for families. We'll go over various red flags that may appear in childcare settings and suggest that a child and their family would benefit from consulting a behavioral health therapist.
1. Difficulty Leaving the Parents
*It is developmentally normal for young children to experience anxiety or skepticism upon parting from their parents for the first time. When kids join daycare for the first time, it can be a strange and frightening experience. Children eventually feel at ease in daycare and may even enjoy being there to interact with friends and participate in enjoyable learning activities. However, even once the child is comfortable with instructors, peers, and other staff members, a referral to behavioral health may be required if the child struggles to be away from parents for long periods of time. Another red flag to watch for is if a child spends a significant portion of the day sobbing and pleading with their parent.
2. Aggressive attitude
* On a daily basis, some child care personnel will witness violent behaviors. Determining when violent behaviors have crossed the line into maladaptive coping and are no longer developmental appropriate can be challenging. Kicking, striking, spitting, biting, or regularly hurting another child are a few actions you might see. When redirection and limit-setting techniques fail to control a child's behavior, it may be time to seek the advice of a behavioral health therapist.
3. Bathroom Training
*Even when they are on schedule for developmental milestones, every kid will grow and change at a different rate. Additional assistance may be required if a child's difficulties with potty training persist as they move farther away from infancy and past the toddler periods. If children struggle to control desires to use the restroom during the school day or fail to notify instructors of an accident when it would be developmentally appropriate, they may benefit from behavioral health therapy. Specialists in behavioral health can help parents identify potty-training reward systems, effective communication techniques, and any obstacles that may be causing problems.
4. Social Reclusion
*In a daycare setting, every kid interacts with their peers on a variety of levels. Children frequently engage in cooperative play, parallel play, and play in small or big groups. If a student in your class consistently leaves group play, prefers to play alone, or exhibits easily-dysregulated behavior when play is interrupted by others, you might think about bringing up the advantages of behavioral health services to the parent. The youngster would have the chance to practice their social, communication, and constructive peer interactions.
5. A clear lack of compliance
*When they learn the power of the word "no," many kids find it to be their favorite. Children might test the boundaries to see how far an adult will go with their "no." Some forms of resistance, such as when requested to cease or begin an unfavorite chore, are developmentally appropriate. Behavioral health therapies may be helpful when kids refuse to perform anything that is required of them, even their favored tasks.
6. Having Trouble Transitioning
*Some degree of adjustment is required for kids who are fresh to the school environment. After a few consecutive weeks, kids will usually become used to their new schedule at school. After establishing a routine at school and experiencing continued difficulty with transitions, a kid may require assistance managing transitions. If a kid issues with self-regulation, parents should watch out for tantrum behaviors during transition periods, violent behaviors, or self-harming behaviors in their child. A referral to behavioral health may help a kid who struggles with transitions even after becoming accustomed to the school routine.
7. Tantrum Behaviors
*Tantrums are a typical aspect of growing up. Before entering kindergarten, the majority of kids will throw several temper tantrums. When a child's tantrums seem more intense and linger for disproportionately extended lengths of time when compared to those of their peers, these behaviors are cause for concern. Another sign that more help may be required is if a child's tantrum habits worsen despite the use of regular punishments or if the youngster starts hurting himself or herself while having a tantrum.
When making a referral to behavioral health treatment, keep an eye out for the following behaviors:
*Perpetual anxiety
When experiencing worry starts to interfere with daily life, worry becomes a barrier. This may manifest as trouble focusing, avoidance of activities, fidgeting, irritation, or an obsessive need for validation from others.
*Self-Destructive Behaviors
When experiencing any kind of strong emotion, a child may benefit from additional supports if you witness them constantly slamming their heads against the wall or the floor or biting themselves.
*Instability and Excessive Activity
Children that have trouble focusing, are more prone to distraction, or have a lot more energy than their peers are a few examples.
*Somatic Signs For some kids
Anxiety might cause physical symptoms of illness. Constant headaches, stomachaches, and even vomiting are examples of this.
*Sudden behavioral changes
Any abrupt behavioral change may be a sign of general mental health concerns. Aggression, withdrawal, personality shifts, or a sudden disdain for safety skills are examples of this.
Children, do not always know how to tell adults that something doesn’t feel right. Recognizing behaviors that can indicate the need for additional services is the first step to getting support for children. This is why daycare centers play such an important role in the mental health of children.
