The Ashwood Practice part of the BakerDuncan Partnership
	Child Development

 Home • Psychological Services for Adults • Services for Children • Training Conferences • Consultation • Medico-Legal • Contact Service • Location Map • Email Us

Please Click Here to be taken to our Brand-New Ashwood Practice Website www.ashwoodpractice.org.uk
 

How old is a child? How long is a childhood?

Problems arising from child development can extend into the far reaches of adulthood, especially at time of distress and worry when old coping patterns of behaviour may re-emerge.

The Ashwood Practice has recruited specialist teams to assess children and adults with a view to providing advice and sometimes a therapeutic intervention when a diagnosis is made. Assessments often require a team approach including a child psychiatrist, a paediatrician, a clinical psychologist, a speech and language therapist or a specialist nurse or occupational therapist for children. Educational psychologists may also be co-opted into the process. Assessments may include reference to the child’s current school and even an observation period with the school and home environment.

Children with developmental problems are referred as early as 3 years of age, but they can be referred quite late in adolescence or even early adulthood when problems arise in a college or work setting where expectations and responsibilities may create a level of stress that leads to poor coping ability.

At Ashwood we are familiar with the whole range of childhood development problems. Many of these problems are actually located in a particular part of the brain – the pre-frontal cortex – which is responsible for the higher executive functions of personal organisation, interpretation of servicing input with motor activity, co-ordination and working memory. Problems in this area of the brain can be the cause of the symptoms of a range of clinical / behavioral problems like Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity disorder (AD(H)D), Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Tic disorders (Tourettes), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Co-ordination problems (Dyspraxia), Writing and Reading problems (Dyslexia), and Specific Language and Communication problems, (Semitic – Pragmatic Disorder).

Sometimes these problems can co-exist in the same child, producing dramatic and complex behavioural / emotional social problems with major presentations of disordered behaviour and subtle manifestations of co-existing problems which are difficult to elicit.

Interventions include new diagnostic family meetings (Parents, Grandparents), Behaviour Management Programmes, Medication(s), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Family Therapy. Support for parents is crucial and we will advise resources of support as appropriate.