Misdiagnosing and over-diagnosing children with maladaptive behavioral problems as having Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity (ADHD), Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD), Conduct Disorder (CD), or as being on the spectrum for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a major concern in Early Childhood Education. Preschoolers are too often being diagnosed and sometimes are treated with medications they do not need because their actions or externalizing behaviors look like those of children with ADHD, ODD, CD, or autism. However, their actions or externalizing behaviors also look like those of children who suffer from Toxic Stress and Adverse Childhood Experiences. The problem addressed by this study was that preschoolers with diagnosed maladaptive behaviors in classrooms may be misunderstood and misdiagnosed due to similarities of symptoms with those of trauma, toxic stress, or ACEs. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of medical and mental health professionals, Head Start teachers, and parents regarding the causes, symptoms, and evaluation of family dynamics of preschoolers exposed to trauma. Two Head Start parents, two Head Start teachers, two mental health professionals, and two medical professionals shared their experiences of the causes, symptoms, and strategies to produce positive academic outcomes for children with maladaptive behaviors. In the arena of Early Childhood Education, the implications of this research are important to teachers and parents as the first assessors of the child's behavior who will communicate their summations to the physicians. Adequate communication and time taken to assess thoroughly will prevent these calamities from happening.
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