After reading these articles, you should be able to…

Making the decision to put a child on a psychiatric medication is hard enough. The process of discussing this possibility with parents can be even more challenging.

Many parents are understandably reluctant to begin their children on psychiatric medication, and indeed, in many cases this is inappropriate as a first step.

Every child has a family. Sometimes families are difficult and sometimes they are nontraditional. But children live in families and most often their families are their greatest resources and the medium by which children can improve.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends keeping daily television viewing to no more than two hours per day, on the basis of research linking excessive TV to behavioral problem, poor body image, and other issues (AAP Policy Statement, Pediatrics 2001;107(2):423–426).

The first line treatment for patients with Tourette’s syndrome is low-dose, high potency antipsychotic medications. Ziprasidone (Geodon) and risperidone (Risperdal) have been proven to be effective in reducing the severity of tics in children, although not for eliminating them...

After reading these articles, you should be able to…

Once you have tried the various non-pharmacological approaches to aggression, you will have to turn to what is generally the second choice—using medications.

The DSM-5 proposed diagnostic criteria have been put out for public view, in advance of field testing, on www.DSM5.org. While the proposed changes are many, those most pertinent to child psychiatry are described in this article.

Dr. Connor, you have spent many years working with and studying aggressive children. Why don’t you give us a little background on your interest in these kids?