Behavioral Disorders

It was a twisted ankle that finally brought Corinne down. After so many injuries-a broken hip, surgery on her knees and her shoulder-it was one small twist, something anyone would dismiss offhand, and Corinne was flat on her back, in absolutely unimaginable, intolerable pain.

Today's parents have a mind-boggling array of movies, video games, CDs, and MP3s to sift through to keep abreast of their children's vast entertainment options.

Ashley Melvin had a blast this summer swimming at camp, walking her dog in her Eastern Shore hometown, celebrating her Sweet Sixteen at a bowling alley.

What a difference a year makes. In August 2002, paramedics rushed to Ashley's house when she fell and her frightened grandparents realized they couldn't help her get up. At 397 lbs, Ashley was dangerously overweight. The teen depended on oxygen 24 hours a day and her feet had swollen so large she could not wear shoes.

At nine years old, Hillary Reston developed a dangerous energy her father describes as "positively thermonuclear." If they turned their back on her for an instant, her parents often found Hillary perched on top of kitchen cabinets, swallowing staples and tacks, smashing glass tables and throwing knives.

Young children go through all sorts of phases, some of which can be alarming for parents. Tantrums, defiance, refusing to eat all can cause a great deal of stress. With time and patience, most of these habits fade quickly. A more disturbing problem for many families is self-injurious behavior like head banging, skin scratching or eye poking.

Does Your Child Try to Hurt Him or Herself?

Some children bang their heads, hit themselves, pull their hair, or do other things that look like they are trying to hurt themselves. Usually these behaviors go away, but they could be a sign of a serious behavior disorder known as self-injury. Kennedy Krieger researchers are conducting a study to learn why these behaviors continue for some children and go away for others. They wish to develop prevention and early intervention programs to limit self-injury.

Each year, more than 900,000 children in the United States experience physical or sexual abuse, community or domestic violence, neglect or abandonment. Many of these traumatic incidents occur within the caregiving system that is supposed to protect children.

Kennedy Krieger Institute announced today that Robert J. Lawless, former chairman, president and chief executive of McCormick & Company, Inc., has pledged $2 million for an endowed chair to enhance the Institute's longstanding history of helping children with special needs.