| Oppositional Defiance Disorder | | | | their ability to reduce the symptoms |
| treatment generally results in the | | | | associated with ODD has been documented. |
| combination of following treatment | | | | Most physicians recommend the use of |
| methods: | | | | anti-psychotic drugs in extreme cases |
| - Psychotherapy: Psychotherapy is | | | | where behavior modification and |
| defined as any form of counseling | | | | psychotherapy have failed |
| involving a medical profession. This can | | | | - Behavior Modification: Behavior |
| range from individual to group or even | | | | Modification is a form of psychotherapy |
| family therapy. The goal of | | | | in which the parent is taught methods of |
| psychotherapy is to help the child learn | | | | controlling a child's behavior using |
| ways to express their feeling and manage | | | | positive techniques. Using a series of |
| their anger. The child learns what | | | | rewards and punishments, the parent |
| triggers their defiant behavior and ways | | | | begins to teach their defiant child what |
| to channel that energy in a more | | | | behaviors are acceptable. By encouraging |
| productive manner. Family therapy is | | | | acceptable behaviors, the parent is able |
| aimed at helping the entire family | | | | to reduce the incidence of defiant |
| understand and cope with the child's | | | | behavior. These techniques can be |
| defiant behavior. By understanding the | | | | combined with individual psychotherapy |
| triggers that stimulate a child's | | | | to provide an even stronger |
| defiant behavior the family learns how | | | | reinforcement for good behavior while |
| to properly respond. | | | | providing anger management solutions. In |
| - Medication: An increasingly common | | | | a recent study by the Journal of the |
| solution to managing ODD has been to use | | | | American Academy of Child and Adolescent |
| prescription medication. Initially | | | | Psychiatry showed that behavior |
| studied to treat chemical imbalances | | | | modification combined with psychotherapy |
| associated with schizophrenia and | | | | is as effective as medication in coping |
| Parkinson's disease, these | | | | with Oppositional Defiance Disorder. |
| anti-psychotic drugs have been shown to | | | | While there is on cure for ODD, with |
| reduce a child's outburst and defiant | | | | proper education and dedication, it is |
| behavior. However, the long-term effects | | | | possible to control the symptoms. |
| of these drugs on children has not been | | | | Medication provides a viable solution to |
| studied. ODD is not caused by a chemical | | | | coping with the symptoms however, should |
| imbalance that can be corrected using | | | | be considered only as an alternative to |
| medication. Scientist have not be able | | | | failed behavior modification. |
| to identify the cause of ODD however, | | | | |