Explosive child syndrome is not a psychological problem that is recognized by the DSM-V so it is not a diagnosis.
However, the term is used to recognize a behavioral issue among children who cannot or do not adapt to disruptions in routine, disruptions in the child's expectations, or any kind of disruption that is bound to cause the child a degree of stress that he or she has a difficult time understanding. The child cannot think rationally during such episodes, nor can they understand the consequences of their actions, or the impropriety of them if around others.
While many children react poorly to such disruptions, children with explosive child syndrome have extreme reactions. Generally, there is a diagnosable behavioral problem underlying the episodes.
The syndrome was coined by Dr. Ross Greene, an author whose books on the subject include "The Explosive Child."
Diagnosable Issues
Children with explosive child syndrome often have an underlying behavioral disorder or mental health issue. These include, but are not limited to, the following:
When this is the case, the child may be treated according to the behavioral disorder. Otherwise, cognitive-behavioral therapy likely offers the best method of treating this syndrome.
Some Symptoms of Explosive Child Syndrome
One of the most commonly seen symptoms of explosive child syndrome are prolonged tantrums that occur suddenly and can go on in an explosive manner for sometimes half an hour. The child might be verbally abusive as well as physically abusive to others. The child might also destroy property. These violent and dangerous tantrums appear in clusters, according to experts, and a child may go months on end without having an episode, only to experience several in a very short period of time.
A child in the midst of explosive child syndrome will also display physiological changes that would not ordinarily be seen from a simple temper tantrum, and the primary one among these is that of significantly elevated heart rate. When this occurs, the child may experience tightness in the chest, heart palpitations, or tingling in his or her extremities—alarming, confusing and fearful feelings that may exacerbate the tantrum.
Finally, as one might expect, a child having such a tantrum will inevitably experience a crash or comedown. This may be followed by depression or sadness, as well as extreme fatigue. Eventually the child's behavior evens out and he or she returns to behaving normally.
