Early Childhood Mental Health, Social Emotional Development and Challenging Behaviors

All young children experience behaviors from time to time as they grow and develop that are challenging to adult caregivers. Many of these behaviors go away without turning into more serious behavioral concerns with the right kinds of strategies and attention from parents and other caregivers.

For some children their behavior is more intense, occurs more frequently and interferes with their ability to learn and form positive relationships with peers and significant adults. These children may have conditions considered as mental health conditions or social and emotional disturbance.

Another group of young children may be living with circumstances that can be considered environmental "risks." Risk factors may have negative consequences on the child's growth and development including social/emotional development and cognitive development. Risk factors include poverty, parental substance abuse, violence, maternal age, homelessness, parental mental health issues, child abuse or neglect, or out-of-home placement.

There are many public and private initiatives, projects, associations and organizations that focus on these populations of young children and their families. Supports for these organizations and programs come from multiple federal government agencies and from many private associations, organizations and foundations. This site is organized to assist Part C/Section 619 coordinators and others to become familiar with the multiple federal agencies and their respective initiates, as well as to become acquainted with private foundations and organizations, all working in this very important arena of early childhood mental health, social and emotional development.

ZERO TO THREE defines infant mental health as: "the developing capacity of the child from birth to age three to: experience, regulate and express emotions; form close and secure relationships; and explore the environment and learn all in the context of family community and cultural expectations for young children. Infant mental health is synonymous with healthy social and emotional development." ZERO TO THREE's Diagnostic classifications of Mental Health and Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood provides a classification scheme of mental health and developmental disorders in the first 4 years of life.

The Center for Evidence-Based Practice: Young Children with Challenging Behavior defines challenging behavior as: "any repeated pattern of behavior, or perception of behavior, that interferes with or is at risk of interfering with optimal learning or engagement in pro-social interactions with peers and adults. Challenging behavior is thus defined on the basis of its effects."

Early Childhood Mental Health is a term used to "underscore the need for a service system that deals with the emotional, social and behavioral needs of young children from birth to 6 (and perhaps even 8 years) through both developmental and clinical perspectives." (Knitzer, J.,2000 Early childhood mental health services: A policy and systems development perspective. In Shonkoff, J.P. & Meisels, S.J. (eds.) Handbook of Early Childhood Intervention, 2nd edition. NY. Cambridge Press. (pg. 417).

Glossary of mental health terms: The National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors provides an extensive glossary of mental health definitions.