Schizophrenia is a complex mental health condition that affects 1% of the population. Most people are diagnosed with schizophrenia in their late teens to early thirties, but in rare cases, it can develop during childhood or adolescence. When schizophrenia develops in kids aged 13 or younger, it’s known as childhood schizophrenia, or childhood-onset schizophrenia. 

Regardless of what age your child is diagnosed, schizophrenia can dramatically impact their quality of life. It affects how their brain processes thoughts, regulates emotions, and interprets reality. All of this can lead to significant challenges in daily life as well as your child’s ability to learn, socialize, and function.

The sooner you seek help for your child, the better the outcome, but how do you know if the signs you see are related to schizophrenia or a more common mental health condition like anxiety or ADHD?

Dr. Hadi Estakhri at Allied Psychiatry & Mental Health in Newport Beach, California, knows the signs of schizophrenia can be hard for parents to spot at first, especially if the symptoms overlap with other conditions. 

Here, our team highlights five main schizophrenia signs in children and how we can help you get the answers you need.

5 warning signs of childhood-onset schizophrenia

Childhood-onset schizophrenia often begins gradually, which makes it easy to confuse with other developmental or behavioral issues. Instead, you may notice subtle changes over time. Pay attention to the following red flags:

Social withdrawal

Your child may stop engaging with their friends or family and prefer to be alone. Some kids are naturally more reserved, so look for shifts from their norm.

A drop in performance

Your child might lose interest in school, sports, or any hobby they used to love. You may also notice their grades are falling. 

Keep in mind that this warning sign isn’t isolated to schizophrenia. Depression can also cause kids to lose interest. 

Lack of emotion

Your child may stop showing enthusiasm or facial expressions and seem emotionally flat. Again, look for deviations from their norm.

Changes in how they think

If your child struggles to organize their thoughts, speaks in a disjointed way, or seems confused, make a note of it. It’s normal to feel confused now and then, but if disjointed thinking starts to happen more often than not, let us know.

Unusual sensory experiences

Hallucinations — disordered and false perceptions of sensory experiences — are among the most well-known symptoms of schizophrenia, but your child likely won’t come right out and say they’ve had one. 

So, what should you look for? They may mention hearing voices or seeing things that others don’t, even if they seem hesitant or confused about how to explain it. 

Because hallucinations can affect all senses, they may also describe strange smells, sensations on their skin, or tastes that aren’t there — all without an obvious cause.

It’s not just a phase

Many of these symptoms can overlap with typical childhood challenges or other conditions like ADHD, anxiety, or depression. 

What sets schizophrenia apart is the persistence and severity of symptoms, especially delusions and hallucinations. If your child’s behavior seems consistently unusual or out of character, don’t assume they’ll just grow out of it.

How we can help manage childhood schizophrenia 

You don’t have to navigate this alone. At Allied Psychiatry & Mental Health, our team understands the complexities of childhood-onset schizophrenia. If you notice concerning symptoms, we can provide comprehensive psychiatric evaluations and brain scans (CT scan and/or MRI) to help rule out other conditions. 

If Dr. Estakhri confirms that your child has schizophrenia, he may prescribe medication to help regulate their brain chemistry to manage the hallucinations.

Your child’s personalized treatment plan may include therapy, family support, and educational accommodations. We also work with you to strengthen your child’s coping skills and emotional regulation. 

If you’re concerned about your child’s mental health, don’t hesitate to call our office today at 949-945-0927. You can also book an appointment online.