This paper highlights the significance of early intervention and treatment of pediatric mental illness.

1. Running head: ASSESSMENT & TREATMENT 1
(2-3) Short Paper: Assessment and Treatment
Alexandra Perkins
Southern New Hampshire University

2. ASSESSMENT & TREATMENT 2
Accurate assessment and treatment are essential for early detection and intervention when
working with pediatric psychiatric disorders. It is necessary that assessment methods be
adaptable to address the unique, transforming nature of child development. However, these
assessment methods must distinguish specific characteristics of pediatric maladaptive behaviors
and provide accurate diagnoses if necessary. The first step in early detection of abnormal child
psychology is “to provide a clinical description, which summarizes the unique behaviors,
thoughts, and feelings that together make up the features of the child’s psychological disorder”
(Mash & Wolfe, 2019). Highlighting the significant factors of the child’s maladaptive behavior
will increase the validity of the diagnosis.
An accurate diagnosis will provide the prognosis for the child’s disorder. The prognosis
will explicate the progression of maladaptive behaviors and equivalent interventions for these
behaviors. These interventions will limit the influence that the psychiatric disorder will have on
the child’s development. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention enacted a program known
as ACTEARLY to assist children with developmental disabilities (rosaryfilms, 2009). This
program was designed to aid parents and physicians in the detection of child developmental
disorders. The critical factors of ACTEARLY analyzed how children play, learn, speak, and act.
Recognizing abnormalities or delays in the ways that children played, learned, spoke, and acted
increased the chances of early detection and intervention. The milestones that serve as guidelines
for child development were published by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide
a singular, reliable resource for parents (rosaryfilms, 2009). While each child develops at their
own pace, parents are the best resource for providing information about maladaptive behaviors
and early detection.

3. ASSESSMENT & TREATMENT 3
While early detection and parental awareness are pertinent to treatment of child
development problems, accurate diagnostic tools are necessary for treatment planning and
evaluation. This process may involve “further specification and measurement of possible
contributors to the problem, determination of resources and motivation for change, and
recommendations for the treatments likely to be the most feasible, acceptable, and effective for
the child and family” (Mash & Wolfe, 2019). The recognition of a diagnosis through accurate
assessment and a realistic prognosis illuminate stages for mediation. Assessments should be
multimethod to respect “the importance of obtaining information from different informants in a
variety of settings and using a variety of methods that may include interviews, observations,
questionnaires, and tests” (Mash & Wolfe, 2019). Various methods include behavioral
assessments, psychological testing, and sensitive interventions. Dr. Elanna Yalow, child
psychiatrist, emphasizes that assessments need to be multifaceted and “should be one of the
many tools that strong educators use to understand how to better support children” (SNHU,
2017). Assessment tools are relevant to both educators and parents because they are major
factors in their child’s environment and can facilitate appropriate interventions.
The implications of stigmatization and improper diagnosis are avoidance of treatment for
children who need care and improper treatment for children without mental illness. Over the last
50 years, “health insurance providers and national registers of mental health regularly report
significant increases in the number of mental disorder diagnoses in children and adolescents”
(Merten et al., 2017). This significant increase is most likely the result of overdiagnosis in
clinical practice rather than an actual increase. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder remains
under scrutiny due to significant evidence highlighting overdiagnosis (Merten et al., 2017).
Children without ADHD that receive medication can experience serious side effects that hinder

4. ASSESSMENT & TREATMENT 4
development. Furthermore, the repercussions of overdiagnosis are evident in severe cases of
undetected mental illness. Without treatment, these disorders increasingly inhibit the individual’s
daily functioning; many children struggle academically or socially. Neglecting to identify and
treat mental illness often results in maladaptive consequences due to the behavior that required
intervention.

5. ASSESSMENT & TREATMENT 5
References
Mash, E. J., & Wolfe, D. A. (2019). Abnormal child psychology (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage
Learning
Merten, E. C., Cwik, J. C., Margraf, J., & Schneider, S. (2017). Overdiagnosis of mental
disorders in children and adolescents (in developed countries). Child and adolescent
psychiatry and mental health, 11, 5. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-016-0140-5
rosaryfilms. (2009, February 11). Early recognition of child development problems/educational
video [Video]. Youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrUNBfyjlBk&feature=youtu.be
SNHU COCEAssistive Technology. (2017, March 29). PSY 314 child assessment common
misunderstandings CC [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6rUCi47Fgc