24/7: A Resource For Working Parents
When To Seek Professional Help For Your Child's Mental Health
It’s not always easy to know when your child needs professional help. Here are some guidelines that may help.
Don’t just look at severity of symptoms
A child can have symptoms that seem quite alarming, but symptoms are not considered “disorders” until they’ve been around for months and have had a significant negative impact on one’s home life and/or school life. So hang in there for a while and see if things get better.
Determine if it’s age-appropriate behaviour
The behaviour you’re concerned about may be fairly common among children of a particular age group. But if your child’s behaviour is not getting better after a few months, and seems to be unusual for children in her age group, then seek out a professional.