Many people have not heard of the Oppositional Defiant Disorder. This article will explain exactly what that disorder is and how it can affect your child. Treatment will also be bought out in this article in order for you to get the best care for your child. Opposition Defiant Disorder is actually when a child has a pattern of defiance and hostile behavior toward any type of authority. What is also referred to as ODD is considered by many doctors to be a psychiatric disorder that actually involves two separate groups of problems. Children who suffer from this disorder are very aggressive and purposefully irritate others that are around them. This disorder can be combined with ADHD, or depression.
Some of the symptoms that you may begin to notice in your child are a constant loss of temper, arguing with other children or adults, blaming their behavior on others, very easy to annoy. If you begin to notice this in your child then you should make a note of how long the behavior continues. If it is for more than three months then you should definitely consult a psychiatrist in order to determine if your child has ODD. You will also begin to notice that these symptoms begin to interfere with their school work, and their everyday life. But how can family members and educators deal with this problem?
The first thing that you will need to do as a parent is have your child diagnosed. You will then need to take the time to sit down with your child’s teacher and make them aware of this problem. This is something that will have to be done on an almost weekly basis. Remember if your child has ODD they will never admit to any wrongdoing, which is why communication between all of those who have daily contact with your child is so important. In order to avoid an emotional reaction when a problem arises you will need to make sure everyone involved knows that to do when your child begins to disrupt or annoy others. It is very important that everyone including the teacher and other school officials handle your child in the same way. Work on one specific area at a time. For example if they constantly interrupt others or being angry, you will need to have them sit by themselves and clearly explain why their behavior was wrong. Your doctor will be able to dry out clear suggestions that will work best with your child. You will need both positive and negative reinforcements. You should make sure that you visit your child’s doctor on a regular basis and if possible have the entire family who is involved with your child on a daily basis sit in as well. The bottom line is that this is a problem that can be treated and dealt with. Your doctor will specifically give you a treatment that works best for your child. Medication should be something that you use as a last resort. Again this is something that your doctor will advise you.
