The Impact of Oppositional Defiant Disorder

The impact of Oppositional Defiant Disorder

What is Oppositional Defiant Disorder?

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is when a child or teen
has frequent and persistent patterns of anger, irritability, arguing, defiance
or vindictiveness toward you and other authority figures (Mayo Clinic Staff,
2015).

Being a parent of a child with ODD can be very challenging.
There are plenty of resources that you could reach out to for help. Some of
them for example would be doctors, counselors, and also child development
experts could provide help.

What to look for?

Children with ODD are very quick
to lose their tempers, often disobedient at home or school, apt to ignore or
rebel against rules, quick to blame others for mistakes or misbehaviors, and
also prone to annoy others and be easily ignores (Oppositional Defiant
Disorder). Within certain limits every one of these types of behaviors are very
typical in children. The children with ODD have problems containing these
impulses. They will also act out on a regular basis that it would compromise
their ability to get along with others.

Diagnosis

To be able to distinguish symptoms
of ODD from normal childhood, professionals depend on a detailed story of the
history of behaviors of the child in a variety of situations. For children
under the age of 5, the behaviors would occur on a regular basis for at least 6
months. For those children who are of the age of 5 and older they would occur
once a week for 6 months. Since children with ODD may show symptoms in certain
settings, the symptoms may not be evidence in the clinician’s office.

Treatment

Oppositional Defiant Disorder is
very treatable. It is usually treated with behavioral therapy or a combination
of behavioral intervention and medicine (Oppositional Defiant Disorder).

A couple examples of treatment
would be:

·
Psychotherapeutic

o
In this type of therapy the parent and child
work together through a set of exercises while a therapist coaches parents
through an ear bud. This way parents understand when to increase positive
interactions with the child and to set consistent consequences for
inappropriate behavior. Also this type of treatment allows for a more
supportive relationship with their parents.

·
Pharmacological

o
There is no specific type of medicine related to
ODD. However, many children with ODD have co-occurring conditions such as ADHD
they may be on medications for those other disorders.

All in all being a parent of a
child who has ODD can be very challenging. To be able to help maintain your
child’s outburst you have to understand the signs and symptoms.

References

Children
with Oppositional Defiant Disorder. (2013, July). In *American Academy of*
Child & Adolescent Psychiatry*. Retrieved May 4, 2015, from http://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families\_and\_Youth/Facts\_for\_Families/Facts\_for\_Families\_Pages/Children\_With\_Oppositional\_Defiant\_Disorder\_72.aspx*

Mayo
CLinic Staff. (2015, February 6). Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). In *Mayo*
CLinic*. Retrieved May 4, 2015, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/oppositional-defiant-disorder/basics/definition/con-20024559*

Oppositional
Defiant Disorder. (n.d.). In *Child Mind Institute*. Retrieved from                                    http://www.childmind.org/en/health/disorder-guide/oppositional-defiant-disorder