At RNBC, we treat children with issues that arise when a child faces challenges that are difficult to cope with. These problems often cause social, emotional, academic, and behavioral difficulties.
The challenges children face cannot be treated until they are properly identified. That is why the assessment services we provide at RNBC are so important.
Diagnoses We Typically Uncover
Asperger’s Syndrome
Children who have some the behavioral characteristic of Autism but possess early language skills may have Asperger’s Syndrome. Behaviors associated with Asperger’s, such as obsessive interest in a particular subject or topic, a habit of carrying on long monologues on a favorite topic without noticing or caring whether the listener is interested, and a lack of ability to read non-verbal cues, can lead to social-emotional difficulties.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
A child with ADHD has a constellation of problems that can interfere with completing tasks, managing time, and interacting socially. These can include inattention, impulsiveness, distractibility, and a
lack of behavioral inhibition. Such children can seem dreamy, blurt things out, or act without regard for the consequences of their actions.
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Children with Autism have trouble relating to people or interacting with them, and may appear disinterested in other people. Autistic children typically have language delays. Often an autistic child will have a repertoire of ritualistic movements including arm-flapping, body-rocking, or shifting weight from foot to foot. This is called stereotypic behavior and is usually made worse when a child is tired or under stress.
The term Autism Spectrum was developed because many children display these behaviors with varying degrees of severity. These particularly include children with normal-to-above-average intelligence who appear to lack social interest or not comprehend the feelings of others.
Executive Function Disorder
The skills that allow a person to think out a plan and carry it through are diminished when a child has an executive function problem. Executive functions include planning, organization, mental flexibility, focused attention, and self-monitoring. The disorder often overlaps with ADHD, and children who have it are similarly forgetful, disorganized, or impulsive and may act or speak without thinking. Click here to learn more about executive function skills.
Language-Based Learning Disability
Children with Language-Based Learning Disability have difficulty processing oral or written language. They might have a hard time reading, writing or spelling. Dyslexia, which occurs when a child has trouble processing the sounds that make up words, is only one of several kinds of language-based learning problems.
Tourette’s Syndrome
Tourette’s syndrome is a movement disorder characterized by physical and vocal tics—a child may repeat a word or string of words or make a meaningless movement or gesture repeatedly. Additionally, many children with Tourette’s may have other neurobehavioral issues as well. These can include ADHD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, behavior regulation problems, or learning difficulties.
Visual-Spatial Learning Disability
Some children have trouble processing information that they see. Their vision may be perfect, but the brain fails to register or to organize the information about faces, places, or objects that it receives. Some of these children may seem clumsy or disorganized: much of what other people notice may be virtually invisible to them.
