“Mommy, voices are talking to me…”
What are the symptoms of childhood schizophrenia?
One of the things that must be considered when determining whether a child might have the early signs of schizophrenia is whether his or her behaviors are age-appropriate. It’s not necessarily a concern, for example, if a four-year-old talks about imaginary friends, or even hearing “voices.” But a child who is seven years of age or older with these same behaviors should be evaluated.
Fortunately, schizophrenia is quite rare in children, with approximately one in 40,000 children being diagnosed with the disorder. Yet unfortunately, schizophrenia comes on very gradually in children and is often initially confused with other conditions, such as autism or bi-polar disorder, OCD, and even ADHD. It is not unusual for a diagnosis of schizophrenia to take many months of careful observation.
Here are the primary symptoms, which appear gradually:
- Hearing voices or seeing things that aren’t there. (Hallucinations.) This can be difficult to distinguish, at times, from typical childhood pretending. For the diagnosis to be certain, the child must experience the hallucinations at the age of seven or older, and they must be an ongoing concern for six months or more.
- Strange behaviors, like hiding from things that don’t exist, talking to himself, washing repeatedly or using peculiar speech patterns.
- Social isolation, gradually withdrawing from friends and not seeming to care about the lack or loss of relationships.
- Loss of interest in personal hygiene. The child may seem disinterested in her appearance, and tends to look unkempt.
- Confuses television shows or movies with reality. She may start to believe that characters from the programs are real, or that they are coming to see or get her, or that the events taking place in the program are happening to her.
- Either exhibiting extreme moodiness, or a flat, banal, emotionless personality.
- Paranoid thoughts, like an overwhelming notion that people are trying to get him. Or, he might be obsessed with the idea that others are somehow listening to his thoughts, bugging his room, or otherwise invading his privacy, when this is clearly impossible.
- Saying and talking about things that don’t make sense.
I’m concerned my child might have schizophrenia! What should I do?
The child should be referred to a psychiatrist with expertise in childhood schizophrenia. It may take several weeks, and even months, before you can get an appointment with a qualified child/adolescent psychiatrist, and you may first need a referral from your child’s primary pediatrician. So be prepared for a wait. In the interim time prior to your appointment, take notes at home of the behaviors you are observing in your child. Make note of when you first began seeing them. It may also be beneficial to make a video recording of your child during some of his episodes, for the doctor to observe.
What can be done?
The child with schizophrenia will need a comprehensive treatment plan involving psychiatric medication/s, family counseling, and special education programs. Children with schizophrenia are eligible for special education, according to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004. The diagnosis of childhood schizophrenia can be overwhelming for parents. Many people have found that modern psychiatric medications are helpful with managing symptoms. Ask your child’s psychiatrist for support group referrals.
For more information, visit the National Institute of Mental Health Website.