Abstract:
An overview of the literature on dissociative disorders in children and adolescents is presented in a way that highlights the emerging clinical profile of the highly complex behavioral and symptomatic presentation of these conditions in childhood. Developmental influences are recognized as playing a role in the diagnostic challenge of differentiating dissociative disorders from more commonly diagnosed childhood conditions. A systematic approach to evaluation and differential diagnosis is described in detail, and misleading symptomatic manifestations of dissociative processes are identified.