JAMA Potential Substance Abusers can be identified at Preschool age, according to Richard B. Heyman, MD, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Substance Abuse. As an infant, he is irritable and difficult to console. As he grows older, the child sleeps little and obeys less.
Parents spend inordinate time trying to keep the child safe.
The child is disruptive, easily distracted, and often hostile. Helping an at-risk child to acquire social skills should be included in the equation, added Trina M. Anglin, MD, PhD, a medical officer at the US Maternal and Child Health Bureau's Office of Adolescent Health. With luck, a nurturing family, and excellent health care, the difficult preschooler need not become a substance abuser in adolescence. However, have no illusions about the difficulty of managing the problems of these severely challenged patients. This page is accessible to people with disabilities.