Behavioural and Developmental Disorders in India – An Overview

Abstract

Today’s society is complex and ever-changing. As children grow, they must learn not only to cope with current demands, but also to prepare for the many unexpected events they will face in their tomorrows. Children are like wet clay; whatever falls on them, it makes an image. That’s why it is essential for children to adjust with the society to perform their best in the future. Children’s normal behaviours depend on various situational, developmental, natural and environmental circumstances in which a child observes and grows. The ways for his/her best possible conduct within his/her reaches and interacts among those who respond his/her gestures and body talks. Parents are the first contact person to whom a child shows and reflects his/her concerns regarding his/her desires and needs. Normal behaviour developments required normal circumstances and equal participations of parents. Behaviour problem can be defined as an abnormality of emotion, behaviour or relationship that is sufficiently severe and persistent to handicap the child in his/her social or personal functioning or to caused stress to the child, his/her parents or to the community. Learning disorders (LD) are not pure syndromes. They are developmental disorders and are multi-dimensional in nature. Research areas in child psychiatry in India remain largely unexplored, especially developmental disorders. In India, the prevalence rate of behavioural disorders is 43.1% and 14.5% conduct disorder, 29.7% attention–deficit/hyperactivity disorder, 12.5% emotional disorder, 7.1% scholastic disorders, 2% adjustment disorder and 9.5% pervasive developmental disorder.