Behavior Disorders
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Mind Performance Center
J Douglas Brown, DC, DACNB
Neurology & Functional Neurology Practice located in Foley, AL and serving the greater Baldwin County
When your child has a behavior disorder, they have a neurological-based problem that leads to oppositional outbursts, long tantrums, and sometimes destructive and dangerous behaviors. J. Douglas Brown, DC, DACNB, a chiropractic neurologist at Mind Performance Center in Foley, Alabama, takes a holistic approach to behavior disorders. Dr. Brown carefully evaluates all the potential causes, assesses central integration, and creates tailored treatments that correct and restore dysfunctional brain pathways. If you need help with your child’s behavior, call the office or schedule an appointment. At Mind Performance Center we proudly serve residents of Foley, Fairhope, Daphne, Mobile, and Pensacola and throughout the world by telemedicine.
Behavior Disorders Q & A
What are behavior disorders?
Behavior disorders resemble typical childhood problems, as all children are sometimes angry, aggressive, defiant, and hyperactive. But when these disruptive behaviors become severe, last at least six months, and cause problems in school, at home, or while socializing, your child may have a behavior disorder.
What are the different types of behavior disorders?
Behavior disorder is a general term that includes the following mental health conditions:
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
- Oppositional defiant disorder
- Conduct disorder
- Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder
- Intermittent explosive disorder
Antisocial personality disorder, pyromania, and kleptomania also belong in this category.
What should I know about oppositional defiant disorder?
Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is one of the most common behavior disorders. ODD exists when your child exhibits an ongoing pattern of angry, argumentative, and disobedient behaviors that are directed at someone other than siblings.
ODD behaviors are more frequent and last longer than the oppositional and defiant behaviors you would typically expect from children. Children with ODD often have challenging behaviors nearly every day.
How is sensory processing disorder associated with behavior disorders?
Your nerves relay sensory information to your brain. Then your brain integrates and processes the information and determines the proper response.
When your brain misinterprets the information, you don’t react or respond appropriately. This is a condition called sensory processing disorder or sensory integration dysfunction.
Sensory processing disorder causes children to overreact or underreact to sensory stimuli. For example, the sound of a vacuum cleaner or flickering lights in a classroom are excruciating for children whose brain overreacts to sensory signals, often causing them to become angry, aggressive, and oppositional.
Sometimes multiple sensory integration problems overlap with behavior disorders, making it hard to distinguish the real cause of your child’s behavioral challenges.
How are behavior and sensory disorders treated?
Dr. Brown first determines if there’s an underlying cause for your child’s behavior. Hormone imbalances, vitamin deficiencies, and other physical problems can lead to ODD symptoms, for example.
During your child’s examination, Dr. Brown assesses the brain pathways contributing to their behavior. Then he develops an individualized treatment plan that strengthens and restores abnormal pathways in the brain. As nerve connections improve, the brain can inhibit inappropriate behavior.
Dr. Brown follows a similar process for sensory integration disorder. He goes beyond simply treating the obvious sensory issue and looks at what’s happening in the brain, treating what he calls central integration disorder (CID). CID is the process that allows the brain to take in all information and turn it into memories, emotions, plans, and actions.
To learn more about treatment for behavior disorders, call Mind Performance Center or book an appointment online.