The 6 Psychotherapy Techniques For Child Behavior Problems
Childhood behavioral problems are classified in the Diagnostic Manuals mainly within oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder. Faced with these behavioral alterations, it will be important to intervene as soon as possible through psychotherapy so that the dysfunctional behavior does not become chronic.
There are different psychological therapy techniques to carry out the treatment, both focused on the parents and the child, depending above all on the age of the patient. Likewise, the strategies presented to parents may be aimed at decreasing maladaptive behavior or increasing appropriate alternative behavior.
In this article We will talk about childhood behavioral problems and what psychotherapy techniques can be used To intervene.
Disruptive, impulse control, and conduct disorders
The fifth edition of the Diagnostic Manual of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM 5) presents a chapter called disruptive, impulse control, and behavior disorders, within which are classified oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder.
Oppositional defiant disorder must meet the following criteria to be diagnosed: a pattern of angry or irritable mood, frequent arguments or resentment for at least 6 months, and at least 4 or more of the symptoms linked to the aforementioned traits (anger , argument and resentment). The pathology usually begins before the age of 8 and not after adolescence.
Conduct disorder is characterized by expressing itself through a repetitive and persistent pattern in which the rights of others and social norms are violated.
3 or more symptoms must be met in 12 months or 1 in 6 months from the following categories: aggression towards people or animals, destruction of private property, theft and serious violation of rules (taking into account the age of the subject). The onset of symptoms is usually observed around 5 to 6 years of age, making it necessary to make a differential diagnosis with antisocial personality disorder if the individual is 18 years of age or older.
For the intervention of behavioral disorders, different techniques have been tested, proving to be more effective. those aimed at modifying behavior and intervention with parents.
Treatment with psychotropic drugs is not the intervention of first choice, but it has been found useful when the intention is to reduce the crisis situation or to mitigate the symptoms of comorbid pathologies. Likewise, it is necessary to ensure that the medication prescription will be carried out for a short period of time.
Let’s see what techniques can be used and what are their main characteristics or application purposes.
First of all, it is important carry out a broad treatment and in the different areas of the child to achieve an improvement and that this can be generalized in different contexts. For this reason, it will be interesting to work directly with the child, adapting this intervention to their age. As they get older, we will dedicate more time to individual and direct treatment with the child.
The main objectives linked to working with the child consist of: increasing self-control; learn alternative behaviors to aggressive ones, another way of expression; evaluate what perception and interpretations you make, since they may be the cause of your acting in such a way; and work on skills to correctly face possible future situations.
On the other hand, The main strategies used can be divided into behavioral techniques and cognitive techniques.
1. Behavioral techniques
The behavioral techniques will be aimed at modifying the child’s behavior, his objectively observable actions.
The token economy uses the administration of generalized reinforcement (tokens) that the child can later redeem by a material reinforcement. In this way, we set the behaviors you must perform, the tokens you will receive for each behavior and how many tokens you need to achieve the prize. This technique works especially with small children.
1.2. Behavioral contract
With older subjects, adolescents, the behavioral contract technique will work better, which consists of writing a contract where It establishes what behaviors you must perform and the rewards or punishments you will receive depending on their behavior.
2. Cognitive techniques
Cognitive strategies will be aimed above all at knowing the interpretation that the subject makes of his environment, of other people, to try to modify cognitions that are erroneous or dysfunctional.
2.1. Cognitive restructuring
Cognitive restructuring focuses on trying to reduce false beliefs and increase more functional or realistic beliefs. Thus, we will carry out an education phase in which we will explain the existence of erroneous beliefs, later we will apply training so that they learn to observe themselves and finally there will be a discussion of their beliefs and a search and establishment of alternative ideas.
2.2. Self-instruction training
The technique based on self-instructions has obtained positive results, especially linked to the reduction of impulsivity. This strategy consists of establish cognitive self-instructions that help the child to act appropriately. In the first instance, the instructions are carried out out loud and with the help of a model, and finally they can be carried out covertly, that is, internally without having to express them.
The self-control technique aims modify the antecedents and consequences linked to dysfunctional behavior. Self-observation will be worked on, the establishment of realistic objectives to be able to carry out self-assessment and finally training in self-reinforcement or self-punishment. This strategy will be implemented in consultation with the purpose of generalizing it in different areas of life.
2.4. Problem solving training
Problem solving training is intended to establish a functional method of solving different problems, to be effective.
The procedure to follow consists of the following. The first phase of general orientation aims to increase the ability to recognize problems and accept that they are normal events; The second phase will try to define and formulate the problem specifically to achieve a better resolution; In the third phase, all the different alternatives that can be used as a solution are proposed; In the fourth, the consequences that each solution may entail are evaluated and assessed, and in the fifth and last, the selected alternative is put into practice.
