Dr. Karen J Hotchkiss M.D.

Since autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder, there are a variety of different symptoms. Different children with ASD will have different reactions, symptoms, and complications on different levels. Typically, autism impairs social and communication skills; however, the...

It’s normal for young children to feel anxious when they're separated from a loved one. However, when this fear occurs in a child above six years of age, is intense, and persists for more than four weeks, the child may have separation anxiety disorder.What is Separation Anxiety Disorder?Separation...

It’s sometimes difficult to understand your kids and their behavior. One moment they are happy and the next moment, they seem sad or irritated. Well, this kind of innocent behavior in children can be considered normal under certain conditions, but not always. For example, anxiety is useful and...

Depression is usually signified by extended moods of sadness and a generally low mood even when events occur that should normally lift someone’s spirits. Patients generally ignore all positive stimuli, preferring to remain in a cocoon irrespective of external circumstances. At one stage, the loss...

Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder involving a breakdown that drastically affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. The disorder has five subtypes, one of which is disorganized schizophrenia. Its very name implies the typical and predominant characteristics by which it is identified:...

An eating disorder is usually classified as any one of a broad range of psychological disorders, but more specifically ones that demonstrate eating habits that are abnormal or absurd. The most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. Anorexia refers...