Depressed children may also have a pattern of aggression. Specifically, if more than half of a series of 10 or 20 tantrums includes aggression to caregivers and/or objects, consider an evaluation. If a child shows aggression toward a caregiver or tries to destroy toys or other objects during most tantrums, the child may have ADHD, oppositional-defiant disorder, or another disruptive disorder. The results of the study are preliminary, and by no means proven, but at least give parents and pediatricians a place to start.

They identified 5 high-risk tantrum styles and suggest that kids over age 3 with any of these deserve further evaluation by a mental health specialist. Instead, they should pay attention to tantrum styles, the overall pattern of tantrums. The authors suggest that parents need not worry about isolated or occasional extreme tantrums, especially if the child is hungry, overtired, or ill. They divided tantrum behaviors into aggressive-destructive (kicking others, hitting others, throwing objects, breaking objects), self-injurious (hitting self, head-banging, holding breath, biting self), non-destructive aggression (non-directed kicking, stamping feet, hitting wall), and oral aggression (biting others, spitting on others). Their results were published in the Journal of Pediatrics. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine analyzed the tantrums of 279 children from 3 to 6 years old. When is a red-faced preschooler screaming and flailing about normal when is the tantrum a cause for concern? What’s too often? What’s too long? What’s too extreme? Top Five Reasons to be Concerned about Temper Tantrums Parent s often ask me whether their child’s tantrums are beyond what is normal. Temper tantrums can be a normal and common part of early childhood, but sometimes they are a sign of a problem that needs to be addressed.

Diagnosing 4 or 5 year olds odd