Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

Creative Living Center is here to help you when you find yourself overwhelmed and confused by your child’s persistent defiance. ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder) can occur in children of many different ages and can cause a lot of discomfort and tension for parents. Creative Living Center is here to help you respond to your child’s defiance in a loving, firm, and healthy way.

Definition:

ODD is an ongoing pattern of uncooperative, unruly, defiant, and hostile behavior displayed towards authority figures, which interferes with the child’s day to day functioning in a negative way.

All children are oppositional from time to time (oppositional behavior is most likely during times when a child is hungry, stressed or upset, or during a child’s years as a toddler or early adolescent). However, for most children, normal bouts of defiance are usually tempered and do not seriously impact their social functioning and day to day experiences.

Symptoms to look for:

Arguing with adults excessively
Frequent questioning of rules & boundaries
Refusal to comply with adult requests and rules
Many deliberate attempts to annoy or upset people
Child blames others for his or her own mistakes & behavior, accepting little ownership.
Child is often easily annoyed by others and/ or touchy
Frequent anger and resentment displayed
Frequent temper tantrums
Child talks meanly when upset
Revenge seeking and Spiteful attitude
Negativity in Adolescents

More Characteristics of ODD:

ODD is:

A constant day to day issue
Is excessive compared with what is usual for the child’s age
Is disruptive to the family, at school,and in other community settings
Often (but not always) directed toward authority figures: parents, teachers, principals, coaches
Girls may show the symptoms of ODD differently than boys do.
- Girls are more likely to express aggressiveness through words (including lying) and other indirect ways rather than actions
- Boys often argue with adults and lose their temper.
May co-exist with other disorders

What causes ODD

ODD is held to be caused by a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors. ODD is more likely to occur in families with a history of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), substance use disorders, or mood disorders (such as depression or bipolar disorder), however, it can also occur in families with none of these traits. Research has also suggested that some children with ODD have subtle differences in the areaof their brain associated with reasoning, judgement and impulse control.

Some major and preventable links to ODD are:

Lack of structure or parental supervision
Inconsistent discipline
Exposure to abuse or community violence

How does ODD affect my child?

Does ODD get better or go away over time?

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