ABSTRACT
Mrs Hemmings attends people's Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAHMS) clinic complaining that her 6-year-old son Gareth is aggressive and unpopular with other children. This has been substantiated by his school. It is important to determine when and where this ‘difficult’ behaviour occurs. If the behaviour is restricted to particular situations then further investigation of Gareth in this environment is warranted, e.g. there may be problems with the teacher or particular pupils. Hyperkinetic disorder typically results in the affected child being unable to focus or complete a task. This behaviour becomes most obvious at school when they are in a structured organised situation. The CAMHS team will explore the family dynamics and consider potential interventions that could be implemented in the home - family therapy may be indicated. Oliver Brooke is a 16-year-old who has had one admission to hospital - six months ago for a psychotic episode.
