Effective Therapies for Emotional and Behavioral Problems in Young Children

A review of effective evidence-based therapies from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Pediatricians often face limited community resources and insurance barriers in seeking referrals for the treatment of toddlers and preschool-age children with moderate to severe emotional and behavior problems. The current report reviews evidence-based treatments, both nonpharmacological and pharmacological, for these young children. The most significant observations in the report are these:

Several effective psychotherapy methods for young children are evidence-based.
For infants and toddlers, therapies focus on enhancing the parent–child relationship by teaching parents to identify and respond to their child's cues and meet their child's emotional needs, and by promoting parent self-reflection.
For preschoolers with attention-deficit/hyperac…

Reviewing Author

Martin T. Stein, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardPearson Neuroscience Advisory Board

Speaker’s bureauAmerican Academy of Pediatrics

RoyaltiesElsevier, Inc.

Editorial boardsJournal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics