ARE YOU CONCERNED about your adolescent?
Adolescence is a time of great change and increased expectations. Sometimes parents/caregivers begin to be concerned about their adolescent’s development at this point. Parents/caregivers may also become concerned about their adolescent’s behaviour and emotional well-being. Concerns that may arise include:
Difficulties with academic learning:
- Academic achievement
- Paying attention and focussing
- Planning and organizational skills that consistently get in the way of completing age-appropriate tasks
- Avoiding/skipping school
- Excessively negative about school and/or their own abilities
Difficulties with Social Interactions and Life skills:
- Eye contact
- Reading social cues
- Making/keeping friends.
- Social withdrawal
- More difficulty with learning independence skills than peers
- Skills to transition to adult living
Difficulties with Emotional Well-Being:
- Worrying that gets in the way of doing everyday tasks and activities
- Overly concerned that things be orderly or done “perfectly”
- Fixating on certain topics or routines; repetitive behaviour
- Poor sleeping
- Significant changes in energy level, eating or sleeping patterns
- Social withdrawal (from friends and family)
- Excessive emotional reactivity and a persistent pattern of sudden, unpredictable changes in mood
- Complaining about physical health when nothing is wrong
- Appearing sad, unmotivated, and losing interest in previous activities
- Frequent negative comments about himself/herself
- Aggressive, appearing overly angry
- Substance abuse
- Engaging in self-injurious behaviour
- Repeatedly putting himself/herself in unsafe situations.
- Poor judgement and difficulty learning from consequences
- Impulsive and frequently doing things “without thinking”
- Persistent difficulty with telling the truth
- Seeing or hearing things that others do not
- Overly suspicious of others
If you are concerned:
Talk to your family doctor or pediatrician. Talk to your child’s teachers, school support staff and/or school counselor.
Meeting with a professional to discuss your concerns may provide clarity on the issues and next steps for assessment and/or intervention.
Contact our clinic, as we would be happy to provide consultation and assessment as needed.