Oppositional Defiant Disorder - Therapy Can Help

I’m at my wits end… I don’t know what to do… He just won’t listen to me… He will look me right in the eye and lie to me… If I say black, he says white…

We all know a mom who has said at least one of these things at one point or another. But do you know any mom who says things like this every time you speak to her? Someone who knows her son is the class bully but can’t admit it when the teacher addresses classroom bullying? Someone who is constantly looking to excuse her son or daughter when she gets a call from the principal, but admits in private that her child is out of control? That mom may have to face the possibility that her child may have Oppositional Defiant Disorder.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder or ODD is the diagnosis often given when a child displays an ongoing pattern of noncompliant, aggressive and defiant behavior toward teachers, parents or any authority figure that goes beyond the bounds of normal childhood behavior. Children who have it may appear willful and angry, even furious over very minor or simple requests. Common behaviors include excessive and relentless anger, temper tantrums and angry outbursts, and contempt for authority. Some children with ODD will even become aggressive and violent. Mothers who have children diagnosed as ODD report that more often than not, requests are met with arguments and a litany of reasons the request can’t be met. When accidents occur, moms are often met with a series of outlandish scenarios in which everyone else is to blame. Physical fighting is common among children with ODD and their siblings. Nothing is ever fair or even, and children with ODD are often jealous, resentful and seek revenge against other children who may achieve better grades or win games.

ODD is not a diagnoses that Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultants (LDTC) are eager to offer. In order for a child to meet the criteria for a diagnosis of ODD the child’s behaviors must cause significant stress and difficulty for the family and/or substantially obstruct academic functioning. The oppositional behaviors must persist for an extended period of time, at least six months.

Although there is no single cause for ODD, doctors suggest that contributing causes are likely a combination of inherited and environmental factors, and assert that an increase in ODD behaviors usually result from reinforcement, whether intentional or not, of the unwanted behaviors. Causes include a child's natural temperament, emotional or developmental delays, an imbalance of brain chemicals such as serotonin, caregiver neglect or abuse, inconsistent or overly harsh discipline, or lack of discipline and supervision.

The most successful treatment for ODD has been behavioral therapy for the family that focuses on how negative, aggressive thoughts and behaviors may inadvertently be rewarded by negative attention. And parents who ‘excuse’ their child’s behavior to teachers, principals and other parents or blame other children for the problems are actually promoting and encouraging outbursts. Of course, not all parents of children with ODD do this, though. Behavioral therapy also focuses on the individual with the disorder wherein therapists encourage children to try anger management strategies and positive behaviors. Group workshops are often successful, also.

Children who attend therapy along with their families have a real chance of developing positive behaviors, growing friendships, and helping to create a more harmonious household.