Child psychologist to deal with rage issues for 4 year old in Bay Area

January 24, 2021 9:24 AM

Our 4 year old is close to being kicked out of preschool due to rage and yelling fits. Nothing has changed at home lately (no family drama). We don't have a lot of free time due to work and just want to get her back on track so this doesn't get worse. Anger issues were also noted at a previous preschool, but at the previous place it was a bit smaller and the staff could give her a bit more personal attention. Our assumption is that she got a lack of respect for authority from one parent and a short fuse from the other parent, we guess this is part of her character and not due to some recent trauma. If you know of a good child psychologist in the East Bay that deals with rage issues for kids I would welcome all recommendations.
posted by anonymous to Health & Fitness (9 answers total)

As a parent of a very ragey small child in the past, I wish I had known about PANDA. It may not apply, but if it can't hurt to do a quick Google search.

Best of luck.
posted by kiwi-epitome at 9:35 AM on January 24, 2021 [1 favorite]

Also consider her diet. As we know food can make a huge difference in behavior, but often more than we tend to think. Maybe her metabolism burns through food quickly and affects her moods. I would look into this option, maybe talk to a nutritionist. She might be lacking something, or getting something she doesn't need, or be allergic to something. it couldn't hurt to check anyway. Best of luck.
posted by Liquidwolf at 9:57 AM on January 24, 2021 [3 favorites]

Have you thought about autism? Does she have other sensory needs? Do loud noises stress her out? Do sudden changes in routine cause stress for her?

This is obviously early doors for talking about it, but please do consider that there may be more going on - and it's not necessarily a quick fix that is going to solve the issue. Can you talk to the nursery and find out when she is getting upset? What is triggering it? (fyi: Not that kind of doctor, mum of autistic kids, probably autistic myself but v limited chance of getting diagnosis)
posted by Augenblick at 10:06 AM on January 24, 2021 [7 favorites]

Hey, the OP asked for child psychologist recommendations in the Bay Area.
posted by trig at 10:25 AM on January 24, 2021 [33 favorites]

IANYD, but I have worked with people with Oppositional Defiance Disorder. The Mayo Clinic notes, "Signs of ODD generally begin during preschool years. Sometimes ODD may develop later, but almost always before the early teen years. These behaviors cause significant impairment with family, social activities, school, and work." (Although what pre-schooler is going to work I don't know).
OP, could you post more about what type of help you're looking for? It's going to be tricky to suggest anything unless we know more about your insurance.

I found this with a gross organization name, but maybe a start?
https://www.difficultchildbayarea.com/
posted by erattacorrige at 10:30 AM on January 24, 2021 [1 favorite]

Mod note: Folks -- OP would like recommendations for professionals not your opinions on what is up with their child. Thank you.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 11:10 AM on January 24, 2021 [17 favorites]

A good place to start for a recommendation might be your child's pediatrician. They will have worked with many local specialists and should be a good resource. When my daughter started pulling out her hair, we saw her ped first to rule out any medical causes (I have alopecia) and got a list of clinicians specializing in anxiety disorders and follow-up from the office's case manager to make sure we hadn't had any problems making an appointment.
posted by danielleh at 12:01 PM on January 24, 2021 [1 favorite]

Where in the East Bay and do you have any insurance restrictions? I see you have posted anonymously, so I’ll second that a good place to start is your pediatrician; school might also have a recommendation that is local to you. If you’re with Kaiser, they’ll likely have an internal referral that is a good starting point as well.

It may help if you can contact the mods and provide an update regarding more specific location, any insurance issues, and whether you’re willing to travel (say to SF or any geographic boundaries you have).

Another good place to ask for recent recs is the Berkeley Parents Network mailing list. They have a Q&A that goes out about once a week and has a pretty large and responsive local readership. You can post there anon as well.

Wishing you and your family well.
posted by stillmoving at 12:23 PM on January 24, 2021 [1 favorite]

In California at 4 years old contact their school district (where they would attend kindergarten) and ask to start the evaluation process, this opens the door to a lot of state funded support but you have to jump through the hoops (forms, questionnaires and observations).
posted by St. Peepsburg at 4:58 PM on January 24, 2021 [4 favorites]