3 Signs of an Emotional Behavioral Disorder

The Georgia Department of Education defines an emotional behavioral disorder as “an inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers. For preschool-age children, this would include other care providers.”

This can manifest in many ways. Other conditions, such as bipolar disorder, anxiety, or depression, can also be an emotional behavioral disorder. However, the person who has these mental health issues does not necessarily have an emotional behavior disorder. This is why diagnosing an emotional or behavioral disorder is more complicated.

This is especially true when it comes to diagnosing small children. All children have high amounts of energy and don’t have the emotional regulation skills to curb their emotions in appropriate settings. Therefore, outbursts of anger or crying spells can easily be dismissed as simply being a kid rather than an actual disorder.

Common Signs of Emotional Behavior Disorder

An Inability to Learn in Conventional Environments

A child with difficulty sitting in a classroom for long periods, listening to directions, and completing schoolwork may have an emotional behavior disorder. A child who cannot be in this setting can demonstrate behaviors such as sudden outbursts of talking, interrupting the teacher, failure to participate in class, failure to complete assignments, etc.

A child with this difficulty may need to seek the help of a school counselor or other treatment professional who can help them develop coping skills to learn in a traditional setting in ways that will help keep their unique needs in mind.

Inability to Make Lasting Connections or Relationships

A child who has an emotional disorder may also have difficulty keeping relationships. Again, kids become friends with a person one day, and then the following month, they are no longer friends. This is typical of a normal childhood. However, a child who can’t seem to share, lets another person have their way in their relationship, and bosses the other around may show signs of this inability to create lasting connections.

Because kids are innately selfish, they want things their way. However, as children mature, they should be able to regulate themselves and understand that part of a healthy relationship means compromising so that the other person can also have what they want in their relationship. A child who easily breaks off their relationship because things are not going their way may be suffering from this disorder.

Inappropriate Behaviors at Inappropriate Times

A child with a screaming outburst in the middle of the classroom or during silent reading time may suffer from this disorder. A child who also tends to talk during times of silence or can’t seem to understand the directions from a teacher may have difficulty with a behavioral disorder.

Children with this issue have even more difficulty than other children in regulating their emotions. As children grow, they learn to discern when it is appropriate to cry or get angry and when it is not. While their feelings are valid, showing them whenever they feel like it is not always appropriate – the child with difficulty understanding may have this disorder.

Because these signs of emotional behavioral disorder can easily be mistaken for normal childhood behavior, a child may have difficulty getting a diagnosis early. However, with the help of professionals who understand the signs of this, that can change. You can do proper testing and ask the correct questions to get a diagnosis that will fit your child and help them thrive in a learning environment while maintaining their uniqueness.

Contact our office today to find a professional from our directory to help you with your child’s diagnosis.