Question

Charlie is an 8-year-old boy who is having difficulty making friends and sitting still in class. When he goes to school, his teacher complains that he can't sit still. He will sit for 3 minutes but soon after he starts bouncing his leg, and then he begins tapping his pencil. Shortly thereafter, he starts rapping lyrics under his breath. He is performing well in school, but his behavior is distracting others.

Charlie isn't hyperactive like this at home, but his mother is concerned. His mother wants you to prescribe him Xanax for anxiety and Adderall for ADHD. After you do an extensive interview with Charlie, you realize that he is just bored in his U.S History class and would rather be playing basketball in P.E.

However, Charlie's mother insists that you write a few prescriptions. Research suggests that medical professionals (Doctors, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistant's, etc.) are often pressured to write prescriptions even when they don't believe that it is the best thing to do for the patient.

Your investigation has led you to believe that Charlie just needs more physical exercise. But his mother continues to insist that Charlie needs medication. How would you explain to his mother what you plan to do?

Use your investigation skills and present your facts to her. Be sure to incorporate at least 1 developmental theory covered in this week's readings to support your argument.

Answer 1

Well, in this case the child is only 8 years old and does not have any friends to play with.

The child is not actually suffering from any anxiety or depression. Change in the behaviour of the child is caused by lack of physical activity.

According to frued psychosocial stages of development, the child age belongs to the latent period. During this period, the child has not entered the puberty due to which he has a whole lot of energy and they want to make new social relations like making new friends of their own. The child during this age develop new communication skills.

Now, charlie's mother need to understand that this age is critical for the Charlie and in this age he need to make more friends and involves into more physical activity.

Not involving into any physical activity is making him restless and distracted during the class. Charlie himself told that he loves to play the basketball.

Charlie have a lot of energy like other kids of his age and he needs to use that energy to be active physically.

If the doctor prescribe the medications to suppress the behavior then it can have very adverse effects on the child after sometime.

Because taking dose medications will suppress the energy and can affect both physical and mental health of the child.

The doctor need to tell the mother that she should make him join any basketball class in the evening or any other sports activity that he would be interested in and give at least one month to observe any change in the behaviour.

If his behaviour improve in the class then he will not need any medications and if the behaviour still doesn't improve then he might consider medication.