When I began this research project I wasn't sure how much information there would be on Childhood Behavioral Disorders, and I was afraid it would all be the same and I would already know most of it. I was surprised, then, to find a lot of new information on this topic. .
For my magazine article I chose a U.S. News article entitled "When Does A Child Need Help?"(11/11/02). It gave me some information on different types and causes of social and behavioral disorders in children, and it had examples of symptoms so one might be able to determine if their child has a disorder. It's a good beginning for parents seeking a foundation of information, but there are no helpful numbers to call or organizations to contact. One fact that I had learned is that if a child is constantly insistent on doing everything by themselves then it could be possible that child has Oppositional Defiant Disorder.
During my Internet search on my topic, I came across a website called "Understanding and Treating Childhood Behavioral Disorders". This article provided the reader with eight different disorders, with a definition and/or symptoms. It was easy to understand, and it didn't confuse me with a lot of "medical mumbo-jumbo". One fact I learned from this article was that social phobia is caused by a fear of ridicule. I only knew that people with that disorder did not like to be around other people. This article also tells the reader that their child's condition may be inherited. That is, one or more of the child's blood relatives may also have it. .
When I looked for my peer-reviewed journal it was harder because there were a lot more resources, and the terms were harder to understand. I found one, however, entitled "Conduct Disorder"(Gale Encyclopedia Of Medicine, 1999). I chose this article because it included how to recognize a conduct disorder, who can diagnose it, and how it can be treated. One thing that this article offered that the others didn't is resources for further reading.
