Out Of Control In Children Research Paper

“The assumption that all psychiatric disorders are rooted in brain dysfunction is a slippery slope leading to reckless application of treatments with little understanding of the long-term implications on child and youth development.”. This was my favorite quote from the article because it accurately sums up the entirety of the problem. Infant and toddlers are being prescribed these medications while their brains are still developing and growing. Common behavioral problems that arise as children explore, learn, and attempt to make sense of their world are being treated as psychiatric disorders. A child cannot learn without experiences and they will make mistakes, sometimes the same mistake countless times, but their brain will eventually form the necessary …show more content…
Is the medication creating false connections between experience and the medication instead of deep, meaningful connections between experience and the child’s nature? I know I am supposed to give my thoughts here, but they seem to mostly be in the form of questions as so much is unknown about the effects of taking these drugs in children. This is very worrisome for me. Children do not, nor should they all act the same. In saying a child is “out of control”, what are they comparing the child to? Is it to another child or to a fictitious model that someone has envisioned as the “perfect child”? If a child has consistently shown “out of control” behavior, wouldn’t it more reasonable to compare their current behavior to their past behavior to look for patterns and areas that can be worked on without medication? Could they not be able to see that it is a part of their temperament and personality? Why is it assumed they have a disorder? If their behavior has not been consistent and has recently and dramatically changed, would considering if the child has experienced trauma or drastic life changes be a more appropriate response instead of assuming they have a disorder?