By three to four years of age the number of referrals for difficult behavior rises (Weiss & Hechtman, 1987). This is most likely because of society’s expectations for this age child, which rise and exceed the ability of a difficult child to conform to the expected norm. It is also the time when the mother encounters community rejection of her child’s behavior-e.g., in the neighborhood, play group, or preschool. Certainly the widespread publicity about children with behavioral difficulties in the lay press may also account for these referrals.
Recognizing Difficult Behavior in the Preschool Child
- December 17, 2016