The Reasons why Counseling is crucial for Children with Behavioral Issues

Children these days are exposed to all kinds of information and technology, which impacts their upbringing. Technology helps children learn things quickly, but they may depend on these technological solutions.

Being a parent is not easy, and if there are 3 to 4 children with a little age gap, then parenting becomes more challenging. Most parents wish to have a playful, friendly child who adapts to changes that come as the child grows old. However, if proper time is not given and there are conflicts in the house, the child may develop behavioral issues.

Children are full of energy, adrenaline and want to remain active at all times. People of every age experience a moment of disruptive behavior or error in judgment. However, behavioral problems that occur consistently are a problem and require intervention in counseling, therapy, or medication.

The Behavioral Problems in School going Children

School going kids go through different changes and experience those for the first time. The changes are both physical and emotional, but kids adapt to these changes with the right support and care. Some things are easy for kids to learn, but some children have trouble with disappointment and frustration.

If a child is already living in a broken family, then handling a complex emotional problem is difficult for him. A child with troubled life at home is bound to take out the frustration in school and act out. There can be simple incidents such as spilling a cup of water that can lead to a child behaving in an aggressive manner.

Many experts suggest that a behavioral problem with a child is not part of a major disorder and is quite spontaneous. Some experts argue that a child experiences many changes in the first five years, so it is difficult to distinguish normal or abnormal behavior.

It can be difficult to diagnose a child with complex behavioral issues; however, they may show some signs. Counseling for school behavioral issues becomes necessary if the child may be diagnosed with any of the disorders, such as

• ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
• Anxiety disorder
• ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
• Depression
• Bipolar disorder
• Learning disorder
• Conduct disorder

Medical experts suggest that proper diagnosis can only be made if a child shows symptoms for at least 6 months.

The Significance of Counseling for School Going Children

School counseling is provided in both public and private schools. The main purpose of counseling is to improve children’s behavior and help children develop skills to control their behavior. Most schools employ full-time counselors to help children of every age overcome their issues.

The counselors intervene when a child is experiencing physical, emotional, and mental issues and challenges. Counselors help the children to

• Improve communication and social skills
• Develop skills to solve a problem and find quick solutions
• Cope with stressful situations
• Identify their strengths and weaknesses
• Find ways to keep them occupied and forget about negative behavior
• Understand the need to be respectful to parents, teachers, and their peers

The counseling may be given to individual children or a group of children facing similar behavioral problems. For many children, counseling helps them resolve personal problems and look at things from a different perspective.

School counselors need to have a Master’s Degree in child psychology and provide efficient school counseling.

How Parents must Approach Child with Behavioral Problem

The first and foremost responsibility of parents is to monitor and tackle the child’s behavioral issues. A child spends most of the time at home and then at school, which makes the environment of home quite crucial. The key is early recognition if a child displays emotional issues and then managing them. Early recognition and practicing the following can help improve the child’s behavior

• Calmly responding to the child’s questions and inquisitions
• Showing love and respect to the child for his achievements
• Having a friendly conversation even when saying that something is wrong
• Showing a dislike whenever or child or someone else in the house do a wrong thing
• Avoid physical abuse at all costs as it can leave a lifelong impact on the child’s mind and behavior
• Appreciate every small deed and good behavior of the child. Giving presents and treats is the best way to keep a child happy and contented
• Give a child a break and go for a fishing trip or vacation to theme parks

Parents must inform the teachers if the child shows signs of distress or behavioral problem. The teachers can help provide support to the child and report back on his academic and behavioral progress.

The Counseling Treatments

No one solution fits all when it comes to counseling children. The possible counseling treatments include

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): One of the most common and proven methods is CBT which is talk therapy that helps to change a child’s perspective of things. The CBT approach helps to deal with most behavioral problems and helps change a child’s thinking.

• Anger management: A child can get frustrated easily, resulting in anger and an aggressive attitude. The best way is to teach how a child can curb his anger and react in a calm manner. This method involves relaxation techniques and stress management.
• Social training: Children are supposed to study and play in a group involving agreements and disagreements. A child has to learn how to behave in a group and become a team player.
• Parental education: As children spend most of the time at home, parents have to play a crucial role in the upbringing of their kids. The counselors teach parents various ways to control and subdue the behavioral issues of a child.
• Medication: Administering medicine is a last resort and is mostly given to calm the aggressive nature of the child.
• Academic support: A child going through emotional stress or trauma can easily lose focus on studies. However, proper support can help the child to excel in studies and improve self-confidence.

Conclusion

Every child is different and has different thoughts, emotions, and opinions. If a child faces any behavioral problem at school, then immediate counseling is best to help a child overcome it. Some of the issues are mild and can be treated quickly, but some require long-term care and therapy.