Oppositional Defiant Disorder - Oppositional Defiant Disorder Information

Written by HealthyPlace.com Staff Writer

Treatment of ODD may include: Parent Training Programs to help manage the child's behavior, Individual Psychotherapy to develop more effective anger management, Family Psychotherapy to improve communication, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to assist problem solving and decrease negativity, and Social Skills Training to increase flexibility and improve frustration tolerance with peers. A child with ODD can be very difficult for parents. These parents need support and understanding. Parents can help their child with ODD in the following ways:

• Always build on the positives, give the child praise and positive reinforcement when he shows flexibility or cooperation.

• Take a time out or break if you are about to make the conflict with your child worse, not better. This is good modeling for your child. Support your child if he decides to take a time out to prevent overreacting.

• Pick your battles. Since the child with ODD has trouble avoiding power struggles, prioritize the things you want your child to do. If you give your child a time out in his room for misbehavior, don't add time for arguing. Say "your time will start when you go to your room."

• Set up reasonable, age appropriate limits with consequences that can be enforced consistently.

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• Maintain interests other than your child with ODD, so that managing your child doesn't take all your time and energy. Try to work with and obtain support from the other adults (teachers, coaches, and spouse) dealing with your child.

• Manage your own stress with exercise and relaxation. Use respite care as needed.

Many children with ODD will respond to the positive parenting techniques. Consistency in rules and fair consequences should be practiced in the child's home. Punishments should not be overly harsh or inconsistently applied.

Appropriate behaviors should be modeled by the adults in the household. Abuse and neglect increase the chances that this condition will occur.

Successful treatment also requires committment and follow up on a regular basis from both parents and teachers. Expect setbacks from time-to-time but know that an ongoing consistent approach is in the best interest of the child.

When dealing with a child with Oppositional Defiant Disorder, sometimes parents are pushed to the brink - emotionally - and they consider sending the child to a "boot camp". According to the National Institutes of Health, punitive treatments like boot camps and "behavioral modification" schools which restrict contact with parents, and place the child among other disturbed children, can do more harm than good.

• American Psychiatric Association
• Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.)
• National Institutes of Health
• National Library of Medicine