These times are special!

Parents, teachers and caregivers can logically feel at a loss when dealing with children and adolescents of the 21st century, with the unpleasant feeling of being confronted with a locked door whose code has changed. The obstacle can become insurmountable at an age when the therapeutic relationship requires mutual trust and empathy.

Children born since 2000 require previous generations to adapt differently. They do not occupy the same space, and they impose new ways of eating, dressing, negotiating with adults, and managing social relationships. Not to mention a particular interest in screens, with their own image at the center of everyone’s concerns, of course.

Comprendre les particularités de cette génération devient alors un challenge nécessaire, exaltant mais compliqué. Aborder l’importance de l’hygiène de vie, du travail scolaire et des conduites à risques nécessite d’être au préalable sensibilisé aux nouveaux codes des adolescents. Surinformés, hyper-connectés, ils recherchent des plaisirs immédiats et peinent à se projeter dans un avenir rendu confus par une série d’évènements peu rassurants (Sida, chômage, attentats, tsunamis, pandémies, guerre en Europe et au Moyen Orient…).

And when our young patient shows a cognitive particularity, the situation becomes even more delicate! The presence of ADHD, a Autism Spectrum Disorder, or a High Intellectual Potential leads clinicians to adapt their approach in order to facilitate the encounter and optimize care.

For clinicians, the challenge is significant. Supporting the “millennials” as closely as possible means understanding the incredible sociological shifts that have taken place over the past 30 years and the better understanding of neurodiversity. With the need to adapt in order to establish a therapeutic alliance that is not always won in advance, it is also essential to avoid intergenerational misunderstandings and prepare the new generations for the challenges of the 21st century.

Boulé F. Highly different, Generation Y: a major challenge for medical education. Medical Education, 13 (1), 9-25, 2012

Dr Olivier Revol, 66 years old, is the author of numerous scientific publications, on intellectual precocity, hyperactivity, and school difficulties.

He heads a Child Neuro-Psychiatry department at CHU de Lyon. He teaches at Université Lyon 1 and has campaigned for 30 years so that every child, whatever their abilities, discovers in school the pleasure of learning.

He has published three books with JC Lattès: “Not even a big deal! Treating school failure” in 2006, “I have a teenager, but I’m taking care of myself..” in 2010, and “Let’s calm down” in 2013. In 2015, he co-wrote “100 ideas for supporting children with High Intellectual Potential (Tom Pousse),” and in 2019 “The Philocognitives” with Odile Jacob.

It currently helps parents and professionals understand the new codes used by children and adolescents, with a particular focus on siblings from different backgrounds.

University degrees

D.E.A (Master 2) in Neuropsychology

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry option: very good mention