The simple idea
An adult has a settled baseline; a child is still developing. So the first question in child psychiatry is always: "Is this normal for this age?" A tantrum in a 3‑year‑old can be perfectly normal; the same intensity in a 15‑year‑old with school failure and daily drug use is a very different picture.
Three sources, not one
With adults, the patient usually tells their own story. With children, you gather the picture from child + parents + teachers + school records — while still treating the child as a real participant, not just something the parents describe.
Always check functioning, across settings
Look at home, school, friendships, development, emotions, and safety. A behaviour that shows up everywhere and impairs life matters more than one that appears in a single, stressful setting.
| Where to look | What you check |
|---|---|
| Home | behaviour with parents / siblings |
| School | learning, attention, behaviour |
| Friends | friendships, bullying, isolation |
| Development | language, motor, social |
| Emotions | anxiety, mood, irritability |
| Safety | self‑harm, abuse, risk |
Two gentle cautions
- Don't automatically blame the parents. A child's difficulties usually have many contributing threads (development, temperament, family, school, health).
- Childhood neurodevelopmental conditions (autism, ADHD, learning disorders) aren't "mini adult illnesses" — they're their own category, which we explore next.
Quick check ✅
- What's the first question to ask about any childhood behaviour?
- Name three people/sources you'd gather a child's story from.
Remember this 🌟
Where we're going next → The most common neurodevelopmental condition — ADHD (Concept 30).