A young boy with conduct disorder will display aggressive, violent and threatening behaviors without any concern for the rights or needs of others, notes the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, or the AACAP. Conduct disorder is the childhood precursor for the adult disorder, antisocial personality disorder, but if interventions and treatment are begun early, it is possible to overcome this disorder.
Family Doctor
According to the American Family Physician, treatment for conduct disorder in young children usually begins with an intervention from the child's doctor. When a child demonstrates troubled behaviors associated with conduct disorder, his parents often seek guidance from the family doctor to determine the cause of these significant behavior problems. Upon a visit to the child's doctor, the physician will likely recognize the behavior patterns as serious and will emphasize the significance of these behaviors to the child's parents. The doctor may provide recommendations for further treatment, notes the American Family Physician.
Reinforcement Techniques
Young boys with conduct disorder are often told negative things about themselves. Some are exposed to little or no reinforcement when they engage in positive behaviors; the only attention they receive comes when they act out in negative ways. Therefore, their negative behaviors increase. Parents should engage in a system of concrete, specific and prompt rewards and praise when their young boy engages in desirable behaviors, reports the American Family Physician. Violent television, movies or video games should not be used as a reward for a 5 year old boy with conduct disorder because it will only make him more likely to engage in future violent behaviors, according to the American Family Physician.
Medication
Medications are often used in the treatment of conduct disorder, even though there are not any drugs that have been specifically labeled by the FDA to treat the disorder, reports the American Family Physician. Medications that are generally used to treat boys 5 and under include, Dexedrine, which is an amphetamine; Tegretol; and lithium, notes the American Family Physician.
Family Therapy
Family therapy is often recommended in the treatment of young children with conduct disorder. According to the American Family Physician, major family problems and dysfunctions may be part of the reason the child has developed his conduct disorder; therefore, these problems must be addressed in therapy to ensure treatment success. Parents will learn ways to effectively deal with the child's behavior problems and to change their influential behaviors.
Individual Therapy
A young boy with conduct disorder will be treated through individual therapy. According to the AACAP, when the child begins individual therapy, he will learn how to identify problem behaviors, learn about his feelings, recognize and accept the causes for his behaviors, follow consequences and learn how to problem-solve so that he can handle situations in a positive way
