No parent wants to believe there might be something wrong with their toddler. Delays, real or perceived, get shoved behind the latest to-do list and abnormal behavior is often overlooked. When problems can no longer be relegated to the back of our minds we are often at a loss as to where to find help. Mental health practitioners may not be the first on your list, but they may be your best bet for diagnosis after your primary health care physician.

Joyce Anthony, mother of one from Erie, Pa., found the only way she could get answers for her son was through mental health professionals. Anthony first took her son to be evaluated after he was thrown out of Headstart and was told he could not return until he had a psychiatric evaluation. He had repeatedly threatened to harm staff members and had gone after another student with scissors. He was 3 years old.

"At first, I was told they usually do not deal with children as young as he was," says Anthony. "But his history showed there was a problem, so he was sent to a psychologist, who then insisted my son see a psychiatrist. Medication was suggested, but I refused because of his age and the fact they could not tell me what they were treating. I did not want him to become just another over-medicated child. We stuck with weekly talk therapy."

After years of therapy her son was finally diagnosed with bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

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