Delusions and hallucinations are the most common symptoms of schizophrenia. Most people have a basic idea of ​​what schizophrenia is, but few people are interested in early-onset or childhood schizophrenia. Childhood schizophrenia is rare; only 1 in 100 people living with the disorder developed it during childhood. This mental disorder is defined as a rare and serious form of the known psychotic disorder, schizophrenia, which begins in children under the age of thirteen and most often over the age of seven. It is essentially the same as schizophrenia in adults; however, it is more difficult to diagnose in children (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Despite its rarity, research has provided information on the symptoms and diagnosis, treatments, and possible causes of this mental disorder. Much like adult-onset schizophrenia, diagnostic criteria include the presence of delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, overtly disorganized or catatonic behavior. , and other negative symptoms such as low emotional expression. For a diagnosis in the DSM-5, two of the symptoms listed above must be present for a long time over a period of one month, and at least one of the symptoms must include either delusions, hallucinations, or disorganized speech ( American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Although this is the basic criterion for diagnosing schizophrenia in a patient of any age, there are some differences in how children may present with symptoms and how those symptoms should be used to make a diagnosis. . First, delusions and hallucinations may be less elaborate than those of adults. Visual hallucinations are the most common symptom in children, but they can often be mistaken for the child's imagination. Disorganized......middle of document......Works CitedAmerican Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing. Childhood schizophrenia. (nd). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved March 27, 2014. Gallagher III, B.J. & Jones, B.J. (2013). Childhood stressors and symptoms of schizophrenia. Clinical Schizophrenia and Associated Psychoses, 7(3), 124-130.KidsMD Health Topics. (nd).Schizophrenia in children. Retrieved March 27, 2014. KovalZaitsev, AA and Zvereva, NV (2010). The level of drawing performance and the state of motor functions in children with schizophrenia. (English). Cultural and historical psychology, (3), 39-45. Medications for mental health. (nd).NIMH RSS. Retrieved March 23, 2014. Pagsberg, A. (2013). Spectrum of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. European child and adolescent psychiatry, 223-9.