Treatments & Diagnosis
Child Psychiatry Services
Diagnosis and treatment for anxiety, ADHD, autism, and other childhood mental health conditions, with care built around the child and family.
Treatment & Diagnosis for Child Psychiatry
Child psychiatry focuses on diagnosing and treating mental, emotional, and behavioural difficulties in children, from anxiety and depression to ADHD and autism spectrum disorder. Because children express distress differently than adults, often through behaviour rather than words, treatment is built around the child's age and developmental stage rather than a standard adult approach.
Our child psychiatry specialists work closely with children and their families, since a treatment plan that ignores the home environment rarely holds up outside the clinic.
Child PsychiatryKey Treatments & Diagnosis
Which treatment we recommend depends on the child's age, diagnosis, and how they respond to different approaches. Options include:
- Psychotherapy: Individual, group, and family therapy sessions to help children build coping skills, manage emotions, and communicate more effectively.
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): A structured, evidence-based approach used for anxiety, depression, and related challenges in children.
- Medication Management: Where appropriate, medication for conditions like ADHD, depression, or anxiety, prescribed and monitored closely over time.
- Play Therapy: Uses play to help younger children, or those who struggle to put feelings into words, express what they're experiencing.
- Parenting Support: Practical guidance for parents on responding to and supporting their child's mental health and behavioural needs at home.
Child Psychiatry Common Disorders Treated
Conditions we regularly diagnose and treat include:
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Affects a child's ability to focus and control impulses, often showing up as difficulty at school or with routines at home.
- Anxiety and Depression: Common in children and easy to overlook, since symptoms can look like irritability or withdrawal rather than obvious sadness or worry. Earlier treatment tends to lead to better outcomes.
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Care focused on improving social communication and behavioural skills, tailored to where the child is developmentally.
- Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD): Persistent defiant or oppositional behaviour, usually addressed through a combination of behaviour therapy and parent training.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Can develop after a child experiences or witnesses a traumatic event, and typically requires trauma-focused therapy to work through.
Signs & Symptoms of Mental Health Issues in Children
- Excessive worrying or fear
- Difficulty concentrating or staying focused
- Changes in sleep patterns (e.g., insomnia, nightmares)
- Withdrawing from friends and family
- Physical complaints like stomach aches or headaches
- Sudden changes in academic performance or behaviour at school
- Difficulty managing anger or aggressive behaviour
One or two of these on their own isn't necessarily cause for alarm, children have off weeks too. But if you notice several of these signs together, or they persist for more than a few weeks, it's worth having a child psychiatrist evaluate what's going on.
Our Child Psychiatry Team
Our child psychiatry team takes a holistic view of diagnosis and treatment, looking at the child's behaviour, family context, and school environment together rather than in isolation.
We involve parents and caregivers throughout treatment, since consistency between the clinic and home is usually what makes a treatment plan actually work.