GREATER emphasis needs to be placed on the underlying causes of challenging behaviour in children.
That’s according to Dr Margot Sunderland, a child psychologist who is the director of The Centre of Child Mental Health, based in London.
She was the keynote speaker at Helping Children Thrive, the second annual Social and Emotional Behaviour Difficulties conference. The event, attended by 150 parents, carers and professionals from a range of agencies working with children and young people, was held last week at the Mount Murray Hotel and Country Club in Santon.
Dr Sunderland said there were eight underlying causes of challenging behaviour, including the effect of poor relationships between parent and child and the effects of trauma and loss on a child. She said they had a direct impact on the functioning of the brain, which subsequently affects behaviour.
He said: ‘People are often very quick to diagnose people, put them on Ritalin or another drug without thinking about the underlying causes, because it’s often comforting for parents to have a diagnosis and medication.’
Her talk revolved around two UK statistics which, she said, were comparable with the Isle of Man.
Half of all mental health problems show up before the age of 14. Secondly, 80 per cent of five-year-olds with behavioural difficulties go on to some sort of anti-social behaviour.
‘If we get in before the age of 14 and address the emotional problems we could have a dramatic effect on mental illness,’ she said.
Dr Sunderland, author of What Every Parent Needs to Know, believes parenting and relationship skills should be on the school curriculum at 16.
‘It’s bonkers we don’t teach parenting and relationship skills at school,’ she said.
Parenting classes would cover topics such as how to empathise with children, and how to discipline children without using anger, as well as child- led play, potty training and weaning.
Relationship classes would cover how to listen to your partner and show that you have listened, being empathetic about how your partner’s past affects how they see things now, and how to repair relationships when they go wrong.
DEC special educational needs adviser Lizzie Corrin said: ‘Knowledge is the key to understanding and meeting the needs of all children.
‘The presentation equipped educational staff with a greater knowledge and understanding of why a child may be behaving in a certain way, which then enables the staff to meet the child’s individual needs.’
• What do you think? Email {mailto:opinions@newsiom.co.im|opinions(at)newsiom.co.im} or sign in to add your comment below.