Specialized Behavioral Therapies for Children with Special Needs.

This article describes common mental health problems in children and adolescents, and the types of specialized, evidence-based treatments that are most effective in treating these needs. The value of using an evidence-based treatment is now widely acknowledged, and the number of interventions with empirical support is increasing. This article provides an overview of the effects of trauma on developing children, with an emphasis on common maladaptive responses in infancy, toddlerhood, young childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence. This is followed by descriptions of several well-researched interventions that have the greatest utility for each distinct phase of child development.