A "Rage-reduction" diagnostic technique with young children

A rage-reduction diagnostic technique adapted for use with young children has been described and its potential delineated. This procedure has been effective with children, ages three to six, who present a confusing clinical picture in terms of speech development, intellectual status, parent-child relationships, degree of emotional disturbance, and possible brain syndrome. In addition, rage-reduction provides an alternate method of evaluation when a child refuses to cooperate with traditional assessment methods, and may be the diagnostic technique of choice in selected cases.Rage-reduction is not proposed as a panacea for differential diagnosis, nor as a substitute for full-scale psychological or psychiatric workups. Itis proposed as a useful addition to diagnostic armamentarium. With omnipotent, controlling children, and in settings where time and staff allocation relative to heavy caseloads makes full clinical assessment of children the exception rather than the rule, the use of the technique can be a parsimonious approach to diagnosis.