| Oppositional Defiant Disorder Treatment | | | | |
| | | | -Prognosis |
| | | | |
| | | | So what happens to these children? There are |
| Attention Publishers: | | | | four possible paths. |
| | | | |
| This article is available for your website or | | | | -Some will grow out of it. Half of the |
| ezine. | | | | preschoolers that are labeled ODD are normal |
| | | | by the age of 8. However, in older ODD |
| For an ezine, send an email to: For a website | | | | children, 75% will still fulfill the |
| send an email to: About a year ago I wrote an | | | | diagnostic criteria later in life. |
| article on Oppositional Defiant Disorder | | | | |
| discussing the condition, symptoms and | | | | -The ODD may turn into something else. 5-10% |
| treatment options. This article is an update | | | | of preschoolers with ODD have their diagnosis |
| describing what is new. | | | | changed from ODD to ADHD. In some children, |
| | | | the defiant behavior gets worse and these |
| -Introduction | | | | children eventually are diagnosed with |
| | | | Conduct Disorder at This progression |
| Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is a | | | | usually happens fairly early. If a child has |
| psychiatric behavior disorder that is | | | | ODD for 3-4 years and he hasn't developed |
| characterized by aggressiveness and a | | | | Conduct Disorder, then he won't ever develop |
| tendency to purposefully bother and irritate | | | | it. |
| others. These behaviors cause significant | | | | |
| difficulties with family and friends and at | | | | -The child may continue to have ODD without |
| school or work. | | | | any thing else. This is unusual. By the |
| | | | time preschoolers with ODD are 8 years old, |
| -Description | | | | only 5% have ODD and nothing else. |
| | | | |
| Oppositional defiant children show a | | | | -The child develops other disorders in |
| consistent pattern of refusing to follow | | | | addition to ODD. This is very common. |
| commands or requests by adults. These | | | | |
| children repeatedly lose their temper, argue | | | | -Treatment: Medical Intervention |
| with adults, and refuse to comply with rules | | | | |
| and directions. They are easily annoyed and | | | | There have been some recent studies that have |
| blame others for their mistakes. Children | | | | examined the effects of certain medications |
| with ODD show a pattern of stubbornness and | | | | on Oppositional Defiant Disorder. All the |
| frequently test limits, even in early | | | | research is preliminary and just suggests |
| childhood. | | | | that certain treatments may help. |
| | | | |
| These children can be manipulative and often | | | | One study examined the use of Ritalin to |
| induce discord in those around them. Commonly | | | | treat children with both ADHD and ODD. This |
| they turn attention away from themselves by | | | | study found that 90% of the children treated |
| inciting parents and other family members to | | | | with Ritalin no longer had the ODD by the end |
| fight with one and other. | | | | of the study. The researchers skewed the |
| | | | results a bit because a number of children |
| -Behavioral Symptoms | | | | were dropped from the study because they |
| | | | wouldn't comply with the treatment regimen. |
| Normal children occasionally have episodes of | | | | Still if these children are included as |
| defiant behavior, particularly during ages of | | | | treatment failures the study still showed a |
| transition such as 2 to 3 or the teenage | | | | 75% success rate. |
| years where the child uses defiance in an | | | | |
| attempt to assert himself. Children who are | | | | There have been two studies examining the |
| tired, hungry, or upset may be defiant. | | | | effect of Strattera on children with both |
| Oppositional defiant behavior is a matter of | | | | ADHD and ODD. One study showed that |
| degree and frequency. Children with | | | | Strattera helped with ODD, one study showed |
| Oppositional Defiant Disorder display | | | | it did not help. |
| difficult behavior to the extent that it can | | | | |
| interfere with learning, school adjustment, | | | | There was a large Canadian study that showed |
| and, sometimes, with the child's social | | | | that Risperdal helped with aggressive |
| relationships. | | | | behavior in children with below normal |
| | | | intelligence. It did not matter if the child |
| Common behaviors seen in Oppositional Defiant | | | | had ADHD or not. |
| Disorder include: | | | | |
| | | | There was study showing that 80% of children |
| -Losing one's temper | | | | with explosive behavior improved when given |
| | | | the mood stabilizer, divalproex. |
| -Arguing with adults | | | | |
| | | | There was another pilot study examining the |
| -Actively defying requests | | | | use of Omega-3 oils and vitamin E in ODD |
| | | | children. Both helped the ODD behavior to |
| -Refusing to follow rules | | | | some degree. |
| | | | |
| -Deliberately annoying other people | | | | -Treatment: Psychological Intervention |
| | | | |
| -Blaming others for one's own mistakes or | | | | Parent management training is still viewed as |
| misbehavior | | | | the main treatment for Oppositional Defiant |
| | | | Disorder. Our program, How to Improve Your |
| -Being touchy, easily annoyed | | | | Child's Behavior, located at which is |
| | | | available online, or some other parent |
| -Being easily angered, resentful, spiteful, | | | | training program is still considered |
| or vindictive. | | | | essential if you want to help your child. |
| | | | Also, the younger your child is when you |
| -Speaking harshly, or unkind when upset | | | | enroll in such a program, the better the |
| | | | results. |
| -Seeking revenge | | | | |
| | | | -Conclusion: Advice to Parents |
| -Having frequent temper tantrums | | | | |
| | | | Currently, there is still far too little |
| Many parents report that their ODD children | | | | research on this very common disorder. |
| were rigid and demanding from an early age. | | | | |
| | | | Medically, the most important consideration |
| -Diagnosis | | | | is to treat other disorders that come along |
| | | | with ODD. Considering that Ritalin may help |
| The diagnosis of ODD is not always straight | | | | alleviate the problem in 75-90% of ODD |
| forward and needs to be made by a | | | | children who have ADHD, and considering that |
| psychiatrist or some other qualified mental | | | | most children with ODD also have some degree |
| health professional after a comprehensive | | | | of ADHD, I feel that it is very worth your |
| evaluation. | | | | while to try your ODD child on Ritalin unless |
| | | | you know for sure that he does not have ADHD. |
| If you feel your child may have ODD, there is | | | | The other treatments may also be worth a try |
| a quick ODD Screening Test at | | | | depending upon the nature of your child. |
| | | | |
| -Causes | | | | I feel that using Omega-3 supplements and a |
| | | | vitamin E supplement should be tried in all |
| It is not clear what causes Oppositional | | | | children. This is because most children are |
| Defiant Disorder. There are currently two | | | | deficient in these nutrients. Even if it |
| theories. | | | | does not help with the ODD, it should make |
| | | | your child healthier. |
| The developmental theory suggests that ODD is | | | | |
| really a result of incomplete development. | | | | Parent training is still the most effective |
| For some reason, ODD children never complete | | | | means of dealing with Oppositional Defiant |
| the developmental tasks that normal children | | | | Disorder. The two main drawbacks of most of |
| master during the toddler years. They get | | | | these programs are the expense and the |
| stuck in the 2-3 year old defiant stage and | | | | availability. |
| never really grow out of it. | | | | |
| | | | Some practitioners charge $100 or more per |
| The learning theory suggests that | | | | visit and considering the program will take |
| Oppositional Defiant Disorder comes as a | | | | several months costs add up. Insurance |
| response to negative interactions. The | | | | usually will not pay for such programs. Many |
| techniques used by parents and authority | | | | parents complain to me that they can not |
| figures on these children bring about the | | | | afford the program that their child so |
| oppositional defiant behavior. | | | | desperately needs. |
| | | | |
| -Co-morbidity | | | | In addition, these programs are not available |
| | | | everywhere. Over the years, numerous parents |
| Oppositional Defiant Disorder usually does | | | | have told me that where they live there are |
| not occur alone. | | | | no programs for Oppositional Defiant |
| | | | Children. |
| 50-65% of ODD children also have: | | | | |
| | | | I created How to Improve Your Child's |
| -ADD ADHD | | | | Behavior to address these two problems. It |
| | | | allows parents to help their children |
| -35% of these children develop some form of | | | | regardless of where they live and at a cost |
| affective disorder | | | | that is less than one office visit. Even |
| | | | though it was an experiment to try to |
| -20% have some form of mood disorder, such as | | | | administer such a program online and to date |
| | | | no one else is doing this, over the past two |
| -Bipolar Disorder or anxiety | | | | years How to Improve Your Child's Behavior |
| | | | has proven time and again to help parents |
| -15% develop some form of personality | | | | gain control of their defiant children. |
| disorder | | | | |
| | | | Get more information on Oppositional Defiant |
| -Many of these children have learning | | | | Disorder- ODD Help at |
| disorders | | | | |
| | | | It is tough to live with children who have |
| Any child with Oppositional Defiant Disorder | | | | ODD. However, if you make sure that your |
| must be evaluated for other disorders as | | | | child has his other problems addressed and |
| well. If your child has ODD it is imperative | | | | you improve your parenting skills by |
| to find out what are the co-existing | | | | enrolling in a parent training program, you |
| problems. This is the key to treating the | | | | can do a great deal to improve your child's |
| condition, as we shall soon discuss. | | | | condition and his future. |