Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypes of Oppositional Defiant DisorderSymptoms of Oppositional Defiant DisorderHow Is Oppositional Defiant Disorder Diagnosed?What Causes Oppositional Defiant Disorder?Treatment for KidsTraining for ParentsHow Can Parents Cope With ODD in Their Children?

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Types of Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Symptoms of Oppositional Defiant Disorder

How Is Oppositional Defiant Disorder Diagnosed?

What Causes Oppositional Defiant Disorder?

Treatment for Kids

Training for Parents

How Can Parents Cope With ODD in Their Children?

Close

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is apsychiatric disorderthat typically emerges in childhood, between ages 6 and 8, and can last throughout adulthood.

ODD is more than just normal childhood tantrums, and the frequency and severity of ODD causes difficulty at home and at school. What’s more, children with ODD often also struggle with learning problems related to their behavior.

There are two types of oppositional defiant disorder:

Children with ODD display behaviors that are challenging for parents and educators. For example, they demonstrateaggressionand purposeful misbehavior. They usually have difficulty interacting appropriately with peers and adults. Being argumentative and defiant is also a common problem in children with ODD.

Common signs and symptoms of ODD include:

It is important to note that with ODD, these symptoms occur in multiple domains and not just at home. Many children engage in oppositional behaviors with their parents but not in any other environment.

5 Signs Your Child’s Behavior Is Out of Control

According to the DMS-5, a diagnosis of ODD requires a child to have at least four symptoms from the following categories. The symptoms must occur for at least six months and have a negative impact on social, educational, or occupational functioning:

Your healthcare provider may assess the severity of your child’s ODD using the following scale from the DSM-5:

Conditions That Can Produce ADHD-Like Symptoms

While there is no known cause, ODD has been linked to a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors.

Biological factors include:

Psychological factors include:

Social factors include:

Sometimes ODD occurs in conjunction with other behavior disorders or mental health issues, including attention-deficit/hyperactive disorder (ADHD), anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, and language disorders.

Treatment for Oppositional Defiant Disorder

It is important that intervention begins as early as possible with children with ODD. Without proper intervention, ODD may develop into aconduct disorder.

Therapy

Treatment often involves the following:

It will be important for the child’s therapist to work closely with parents and teachers to ensure the effectiveness of a treatment program because behavior techniques that work with most children may be ineffective with children who have ODD.

The Best Online Therapy Programs for Kids

Medication

While medication alone is not a recommended treatment for ODD, your child may need medication to treat the symptoms of othercoexisting conditionslike ADHD, anxiety, and mood disorders.

Should Children Take Antidepressants?

How to Reduce Behavioral Issues in Children

Behavior modification methods can be effective ways to reduce behavior problems in children. Sometimes a clinician will meet with caregivers separately to provide training on the following parenting techniques that can reduce misbehavior.

Treatment will often focus on one or two behavior problems, but the focus should be on reinforcing pro-social behaviors (i.e., keeping hands and feet to self, demonstrating respectful disagreements, etc.).

Form a Positive Relationship

The first step in treatment is building a positive relationship with your child. Most treatments for ODD begin with the parent engaging with the child in child-led play with the parent providing positive reinforcement and engagement.

Set Expectations

Children with ODD often have a goal of annoying parents and teachers and will misbehave to provoke a negative response. It is especially important to set clear expectations rules and to apply them consistently.

Establish a Routine

Having a routine can help children with ODD cope with activities at home such as transitioning from dinner to homework to bedtime. Applying rules and following routines consistently and fairly are important for that reason.

Discipline and Rewards

Provide specific, labeled praise and rewards for theprosocial behaviorsyou want to see. If the child responds to behavior management systems, use stickers, tokens, or a behavior chart to show progress toward behavior goals. Allow the child to identify rewards they would like to earn.

As the child demonstrates success, offer reinforcement such as spending time in a preferred activity, verbal praise, edible rewards, or items from a prize box.

Social Interaction

When the child interacts with others, make sure there is adequate supervision to ensure that rules can be enforced, and adults can help them interact appropriately. It can be helpful to have the school’s counselor to work with peers to help them learn to respond appropriately to the child’s behaviors.

Support for Parents

Raising a child with ODD can be emotionally taxing and it’s important to seek out opportunities to talk with other parents. No matter how thoughtful and understanding your family and friends, there is something special about talking with other parents who understand day-to-day living with a child with ODD.

In addition to emotional support, online support communities or Facebook groups can help ensure that you’re educated on the latest findings and approaches to managing ODD.

If your child is struggling with ODD, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat 1-800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If your child is struggling with ODD, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat 1-800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

Resources for Parents of Kids With ODD

3 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Riley M, Ahmed S, Locke A.Common questions about oppositional defiant disorder.Am Fam Physician. 2016;93(7):586-91.American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.5th ed. Washington D.C.: 2013. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596Ghosh A, Ray A, Basu A.Oppositional defiant disorder: Current insight.Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2017;10:353-367. doi:10.2147/PRBM.S120582

3 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Riley M, Ahmed S, Locke A.Common questions about oppositional defiant disorder.Am Fam Physician. 2016;93(7):586-91.American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.5th ed. Washington D.C.: 2013. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596Ghosh A, Ray A, Basu A.Oppositional defiant disorder: Current insight.Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2017;10:353-367. doi:10.2147/PRBM.S120582

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Riley M, Ahmed S, Locke A.Common questions about oppositional defiant disorder.Am Fam Physician. 2016;93(7):586-91.American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.5th ed. Washington D.C.: 2013. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596Ghosh A, Ray A, Basu A.Oppositional defiant disorder: Current insight.Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2017;10:353-367. doi:10.2147/PRBM.S120582

Riley M, Ahmed S, Locke A.Common questions about oppositional defiant disorder.Am Fam Physician. 2016;93(7):586-91.

American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.5th ed. Washington D.C.: 2013. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596

Ghosh A, Ray A, Basu A.Oppositional defiant disorder: Current insight.Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2017;10:353-367. doi:10.2147/PRBM.S120582

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