Psychology

Levitt, Sansone and Cohn (2004), states that, behaviors outside the normal portrayed by children are referred to as atypical behaviors. They are unusual behaviors that make a child stand out in the midst of others. According to Sebastian (2005), Attention problems, internalizing problems, and externalizing problems are the three atypical behaviors in children. Problems that affect a childs capability to concentrate are referred to as attention problems. These problems are not as a result of outside factors that influence a childs ability to focus hisher attention, but disorders that are internal. Examples of attention disorders include Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD), and conduct disorders. These problems greatly affect a childs ability to pay attention as well as focus hisher attention to the task at hand and retain hisher attention span. As stated by Dale, Kehoe and Spivey (2007), a child suffering from ADD or ADHD is often disruptive in the classroom. Such a child also exhibit behavior problems that make the school experience for everybody involved very difficult. These problems greatly affect a students ability to perform at school thereby lowering hisher academic performance. The patterns of behaviors observed in children suffering from conduct behavior are more abnormal as well as antisocial as compared to the ADD and ADHD.

Sebastian (2005) asserts that internalized problems take place when a child focuses hisher unusual behavior on himherself. Adolescent suicide, eating disorders, and depression are some of the problems associated with internalized problems. Eating disorders arise from feelings of self hate and distortion of body image. A child suffering from eating disorder often makes himherself vomit after eating.

Externalizing problems are the last type of atypical problems experienced during childhood. They are also referred to as disturbances of conduct. They are unusual behaviors that a child directs outwardly to other people. Various types of externalized problems that children face are delinquency, defiance and extreme violence. Treatment for atypical disorders includes behavioral adjustments and drug therapies. Attention problems are treated using the drugs Modafinil and Ritalin (Sebastian, 2005). For proper treatment of attention disorders, treatment is directed to individual symptoms. Eating disorders in internalized behaviors are treated with psychological counseling and support groups. An intravenous nutrition can also be pumped directly to the child if the problem becomes severe and life threatening. Psychological counseling, as noted by Dale, Kehoe, and Spivey (2007), focuses on core issues affecting the mood of a child thereby increasing hisher self esteem.

The problems associated with atypical behaviors are not only devastating to the child suffering from them, but also to the whole family and the community at large. They are challenging as well as taxing to the family too. Unusual behaviors resulting from hyperactivity, deviant and antisocial behaviors as well as inability to pay attention can all have negative impacts on to the family members who have to deal with the adverse effects these behaviors generate. Examples of behaviors exposed by these children include stealing, excessive hostility, and outburst. These behaviors are especially dangerous if there are other children in the family. In case family members are unable to deal with dangerous behaviors displayed by a child suffering from atypical behaviors, then they have to consider taking himher to an in-patient program or an institution so as to help the child recuperate from the disorder and also to safeguard other members of the family. Though this decision may be the best option, it may develop a feeling of embarrassment, guilt, and shame to other members of the family thereby subjecting them to a problem of dealing with these feelings. In such a situation, family counseling may be required to assist members deal with the emotions as well as problems that arise (Sebastian, 2005).

Families dealing with a child suffering from eating disorders are faced by the challenge of observing their child waste away to nothing. They live in denial and are faced by the challenge of handling increasing unusual behaviors that emerge as the disorder advances (Halla-Poe, 2003). They encounter a hard time in making a decision between committing their child to an in-patient treatment program and allowing their child to die from starvation. Emotional strains as well as tensions within the family develop as a result of atypical behavior problems. So as to take care of the situation, treatment for both the child with the disorder as well as the family is required (Sebastian, 2005).