Oppositional Defiant Disorder

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All kids go through difficult stages and could sometimes be described as “oppositional.” There is an enormous difference between the normal defiance seen in two year olds (they don’t call it the ‘terrible twos’ for nothing!) and the early teen years though and the chronic condition referred to as Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD).

Unlike behavioural issues in older kids and teens, ODD is typically seen in children younger than nine or ten years. A diagnosis of ODD requires that the child is defiant and disobedient, with a provocative quality to their behaviour. It is also important to note that in ODD, the severity of symptoms is not such as to include extremely dissocial or aggressive behaviour that is harmful or illegal. Tendencies toward cruelty or angry, violent aggression are not symptomatic of Oppositional Defiant Disorder and should be reported to the GP so that a correct diagnosis can be made and an appropriate treatment plan can be implemented.

What is oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)?
Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is a behavior disorder, usually diagnosed in childhood, that is characterized by uncooperative, defiant, negativistic, irritable, and annoying behaviors toward parents, peers, teachers, and other authority figures. Children and adolescents with ODD are more distressing or troubling to others than they are distressed or troubled themselves.

What causes oppositional defiant disorder?
While the cause of ODD is not known, there are two primary theories offered to explain the development of ODD. A developmental theory suggests that the problems begin when children are toddlers.

Children and adolescents who develop ODD may have had a difficult time learning to separate from their primary attachment figure and developing autonomous skills. The bad attitudes characteristic of ODD are viewed as a continuation of the normal developmental issues that were not adequately resolved during the toddler years. Learning theory suggests, however, that the negativistic characteristics of ODD are learned attitudes reflecting the effects of negative reinforcement techniques used by parents and authority figures.

The use of negative reinforcers by parents is viewed as increasing the rate and intensity of oppositional behaviors in the child as it achieves the desired attention, time, concern, and interaction with parents or authority figures.

As parents attempt to assert control by insisting on compliance in such areas as eating, toilet training, sleeping, or speaking politely the child may demonstrate resistance by withholding or withdrawing.

As a child matures, increasing negativism, defiance, and noncompliance become misguided ways of dealing with adults. In this way the disorder may be a tenacious drawing out of the “terrible twos.”

The more a child reacts in defiant, provocative ways, the more negative feedback is elicited from the parents. In an attempt to achieve compliance, the parent or authority figures remind, lecture, berate, physically punish, and nag the child. But far from diminishing oppositional behavior, these kinds of responses toward the child tend to increase the rate and intensity of non-compliance. Ultimately, it becomes a tug of war and a battle of wills.

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