Children with Mental Health Disorders

Many school-aged children are being identified with mental health disorders. In some cases the child has been diagnosed with just one condition, which is the mental health disorder. In other cases, the mental illness disorder is secondary to another disorder, like autism. Studies show that many children with a variety of special needs have more than one diagnosis. For example, some children with autism also have a diagnosis of a mental illness, a learning disability or ADHD. So it is very important to learn about these conditions because they occur with other developmental disabilities.

In the following sections, we will review the main types of mental health disorders that can be diagnosed in the school age years. They are:

• Anxiety-based disorders:
  • Generalized anxiety disorder;
  • Phobias;
  • Social anxiety disorder;
  • Obsessive compulsive disorder;
  • Post traumatic stress disorder;
• Attachment disorders;
• Mood disorders;
• Oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder.

see References