Stella Moll
23 May 2026
It is a call no parent wants to receive. It was a regular Tuesday when Erin Baker, mother of 12-year-old Ricky, heard that her son had hurt himself at school.
“He was in chemistry class, and he just chugged a huge bottle of peroxide. He didn’t know why he did it. We later learned this was his first time hearing voices”.
When psychosis interrupts childhood
Early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) develops before the age of 18, while adult-onset schizophrenia usually appears between the ages of 18 and 25. The condition is extremely rare in children because schizophrenia typically develops once the brain is more mature.
Researchers consider EOS more severe, as it can disrupt emotional, social and cognitive development during important childhood and teenage years.
Symptoms are often harder to diagnose, and long-term outcomes are usually poorer than in adult cases.
What is happening to my child?
Ricky’s behaviour changed in ways that concerned Erin. He wasn’t sleeping, he began talking about elaborate past lives, seeing people that weren’t there and often wrote in gibberish.
EOS is often misdiagnosed as autism because the two conditions share similar early signs. This overlap can make diagnosis difficult, especially in younger children, delaying proper treatment and support.
When the classroom becomes a challenge
Patrick Swart was 14 when he had his first psychotic episode. “It shocked us”, says his mom, Miranda, as she recounts that night. “There was no way to establish logical contact with him. He was also in intense physical pain and screamed that he felt something was cutting him up from the inside”.
Following this, Patrick spent the next 2 years in and out of hospitals, trying different medications and dealing with severe side effects.
Throughout all this, Patrick stayed resilient and determined. He told his mother he wanted to continue his education. Miranda started her school tours with one question in mind: who would accept him? His previous school was out of the question. The principal was scared and reluctant, even adding that he doubted any school would accept him.
Many schools failed to understand the realities of the condition, particularly the impact medication can have on learning. Eventually, Miranda found a small school that not only provided Patrick with the education he deserved but also understood how side effects such as severe drowsiness could affect his concentration and academic performance.
Early support, better outcomes
For children with EOS, early intervention can significantly improve long-term outcomes. The earlier the symptoms are recognised and treated, the better the chances of managing psychosis before it severely disrupts emotional, social and cognitive development.
Children require ongoing psychiatric care, therapy, educational support and carefully managed medication.
For families, it is a lifelong balancing act between stability, independence, and maintaining quality of life.
A future shaped by resilience
For many families, EOS changes what growing up looks like. Milestones that seemed ordinary – finishing school, finding independence, building relationships- can become more complicated.
Yet, with the right treatment, support systems and understanding, many young people are still able to build meaningful lives as they grow older.
While the condition does not disappear with age, families often learn how to manage it, adapting to a future not only shaped by illness, but also by resilience, routine and hope.
