Child psychology consultation is a series of comprehensive examinations related to a child's psychological condition, including behavior, emotions, and growth and development. Through this check, expected disturbances related child psychology can be detected more inni and handled as soon as possible.
In a child psychology consultation, the child's behavior that appears in the examination session will be associated with factors that are thought to influence its emergence, such as environmental, social, genetic, emotional, educational, and cognitive aspects of the child. In addition, the child's growth and development from birth to the age when the examination is carried out will also be assessed, to see any developmental disorders that may affect the child's psychological condition.
Indications for Child Psychology Consultation
Parents can bring their child to be examined by a pediatrician, psychiatrist or child psychologist, if they feel that there is a psychological disorder in their child. Mental and psychological disorders in children are often not diagnosed early because the signs and symptoms are not always clearly visible.
Mental disorders in children can be characterized by changes in behavior, such as fighting, moody, hurting themselves or others. Other signs to look out for are:
- Changes in relationships with family and friends.
- Changes in school and study habits, for example, difficulty concentrating in class.
- Changes in sleep patterns.
- Changes in diet.
- Disturbances in growth and development, such as speech delays or not being able to play with children their age.
- Difficulty in expressing emotions.
- Unable to communicate with others normally.
- Has an imaginary friend who makes him mischievous, rude, and doesn't want to be friends with other people.
- Have recently experienced a traumatic event, such as an accident, the death of a close family member, or being a victim of violence.
Child Psychology Consultation Warning
In general, there are no special conditions that prevent a child from undergoing a child psychology consultation. If the child's physical condition is good and can be evaluated further, the parents or caregivers can take the child to a doctor, psychiatrist or child psychologist for a child psychology consultation.
Based on applicable law, psychological examination of children needs to be carried out for children who are victims or are suspected of being victims of bullying.bully) and physical, psychological, sexual abuse, or exploitation for economic purposes, to victims of neglect, including by their parents. Authorized officers can carry out investigations before, during, or after child psychology consultations with related parties, if they are suspected of having wronged children.
Preparation for Child Psychology Consultation
Before undergoing a child psychology consultation session, the child's parent or caregiver needs to determine the problems experienced by the child, since when did the child's psychological complaints or problems appear, what triggers or aggravating the symptoms, to the history of the child's growth and development, and the history of the mother's pregnancy when the child was conceived. . In addition, if necessary, people outside the family who often interact with children on a daily basis, such as neighbors or teachers, can be involved if they have important and relevant information related to the child's psychological condition.
Child Psychology Consultation Procedure
The main step of a child psychology consultation is an interview and observation of the child's condition. If the child is unable to communicate well with the examiner due to age or other reasons, an interview will be conducted with the child's parents or guardian. Interviews can also be conducted with the closest person to the child, if he or she has relevant information regarding the child's psychological condition.
In general, the contents of the interviews that will be conducted by examiners to children and parents are related to the following matters:
- Psychological problems or complaints that are being suffered by the child.
- Symptoms of mental or psychological disorders that appear in children, and how badly these symptoms interfere with daily activities.
- History and psychological condition of parents and close family of children.
- The child's medical and medication history.
- The child's growth history, including whether the child's weight and height are appropriate for the age they should be.
- Information on child development since birth. If there is a disturbance or obstacle, there is a possibility that it can affect his psychological condition in the future.
- The child's relationship with the family, including the condition of the child in the family environment.
Specifically for information on child growth and development, there are several components of the examination that need to be explored further, systematically and structured, in a single tick table or check table checklist. The contents of the table that need to be checked are different for each child, depending on their age. Aspects that need to be examined in it include the child's social emotional, language or communication skills, cognitive aspects related to the ability to think, learn, and solve problems, as well as the child's physical or motor skills.
Through checklist With this growth and development, the examiner will obtain more accurate and objective information on the child's development, and can be an indicator of whether the child has developmental delays or not. A child's developmental delays can more or less affect their psychological condition and give rise to symptoms of psychological disorders.
The general health condition of the child is also an important thing for a doctor or psychologist to know. Children will undergo medical check-up to detect the presence of diseases that can cause psychological disorders. If the child is undergoing treatment for an illness, the parent or guardian needs to inform the examiner. This can be considered by the examiner in determining the treatment plan for children's psychological disorders.
If needed, the doctor may suggest several additional examinations to help determine the psychological disorders that occur in the child, including:
- Blood test.
- Radiological tests and scans, such as CT-scan or MRI, especially of the brain.
- Examination of children's speaking and language skills.
- Examination of children's learning abilities.
- Psychological tests to assess the child's psychological aspects further, such as the level of intelligence (IQ), personality, and interest and talent tests of children.
After Child Psychology Consultation
Patient data taken and collected during the child's psychological consultation will be further analyzed to determine the problems and mental disorders suffered by the child. Through this analysis, the doctor or psychologist can determine the psychological disorders suffered accurately and then plan the treatment steps that will be taken by the child.
The type of treatment your child will undergo depends on the diagnosis and the severity of the disorder. Generally, the treatment of mental disorders or psychiatric problems is carried out by a team involving psychiatrists, psychologists, doctors, nurses, and families.
Methods of treating mental disorders or psychiatric problems that can be undertaken by children include:
- Psychotherapy.Psychotherapy is treatment for psychiatric problems by talking, or through counseling guidance with a psychiatrist or psychologist. Psychotherapy is generally done for several months, but in some cases, it can be done in the long term.
- Administration of drugs. Giving drugs can not cure mental disorders suffered by patients. However, it can relieve symptoms of mental disorders and can help other methods of therapy work more effectively. The administration of drugs to treat mental disorders must be under the supervision of a psychiatrist. It should be noted that psychologists cannot prescribe drugs.
The support of parents and the surrounding environment plays a very large role in caring for and educating children with mental or psychological disorders. Children need the help of those closest to them, including family, friends, teachers, and caregivers, so that they can undergo treatment properly.
