Recognizing Oppositional Defiant Disorder: Three Oppositional Defiant Disorder Children

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is a psychiatric condition in which young people consistently defy, disrespect, and argue with adults. ODD sufferers are overwhelmed by feelings of anger, hostility, and resentment much of the time. Although some rebellion is normal during the developmental years, children and teens with ODD take their defiant behavior to an extreme.

ODD frustrates parents and teachers. It disrupts life at home and deters learning at school. Categorized as an official psychiatric disorder by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, ODD is a heavy burden for any child to carry alone. Adults cannot realistically expect an ODD sufferer to simply "snap out of it". Unfortunately, this is often what happens. Parents and teachers who don't understand the severe and uncontrollable nature of ODD may aggravate the situation by showing anger and inflicting harsh punishments on the ODD child. The child then becomes even more defiant than before, and the situation escalates until both child and adult are drowning in a sea of negativity.
The faces of ODD are different, but the heart of the problem is always the same: a suffering child is overwhelmed by negative emotions with which he has no way to cope. The following three subjects all suffer from various manifestations of the disease:

George
George is six years old. He's missed so much school that a truancy officer finally paid a visit to his home. George's mother told the officer that George hates school and the only way she can get him there is to drag him, kicking and screaming. But this is only half the truth. George's mother is frequently too hung over to get out of bed and deal with George. When she does bring him to school, the principal usually ends up sending him home for bad behavior. George has been suspended for biting, swearing, pulling the fire alarm, and bringing a knife to school. It's a miracle he hasn't been expelled.
Analysis Like George, children with ODD often come from alcoholic homes. Most kids his age put adults to the test from time to time, but George's misbehavior far exceeds normal limits The fact that he's been defying parental and school authority long enough to get a law officer involved is a strong indicator of ODD.

Tony
Tony is nine years old. He flunked third grade last year because he spent too much time arguing with his teacher and not enough time learning. Consequently, Tony is a head taller than all of his classmates. But that's not the only reason Tony sticks out at school. At least once a day, he throws a tantrum. "You're not the boss of me!" seems to be his mantra. The tantrums are usually sparked by a trivial incident, like a classmate bumping into him or the teacher asking him to do something he doesn't want to do. Kids at school avoid Tony. Behind his back, they make fun of him. Tony doesn't seem to care; he says his classmates are "annoying" and "stupid". He claims he'd much rather spend his time playing video games at home. Analysis Tony has become socially isolated by his own negative behavior. He's defensive, touchy, and always seems to assume the worst about people. When a child's consistently negative behavior interferes with his ability to make friends and succeed in school, the diagnosis is often ODD.

Joanne
Joanne is fourteen years old. At school, she is quiet and fairly cooperative (although her teachers must sometimes ask her to do things twice). At home, Joanne is completely different. She deliberately disobeys every request her parents make. If they ask her to come to dinner, she plops down in front of the TV. If they ask her to turn off the TV, she huristhe remote control across the room and screams about how Mom and Dad are "so unfair". The only time her parents get any peace is when Joanne watches television in her room. They know their daughter spends too much time in front of the TV, but they're so tired and overwhelmed by Joanne's constant negativity, they don't know what else to do.

Analysis. Some children with ODD manage to keep a normal profile at school while their home life suffers, or vice versa. Although Joanne is doing okay in school, her parents are distressed by her constant disobedience at home. The deterioration of Joanne's relationship with her parents over seemingly trivial matters is suggestive of ODD.
George, Tony, and Joanne are not typical children. They are psychologically troubled children, engulfed by negative emotions and behaviors over which they feel they have no control. Without the tools to handle their feelings, these children are in danger of academic and social failure. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health, untreated ODD can progress to Conduct Disorder, a more violent and severe form of the disease. When Conduct Disorder persists into adulthood, the diagnosis becomes Antisocial Personality Disorder, a label worn by many criminals
Parents and teachers are understandably exasperated by children with ODD. It's important to realize that no child suffers ODD on purpose. Although the cause of ODD is unclear, effective treatments are available, including medication and psychotherapy. Only a professional can diagnose ODD, but parents, teachers, and other caring adults can learn to identify ODD characteristics and offer empathy to children who display symptoms.