Seeking Advice on ODD

A.,

As an adoptive mother of 4 really wonderful, but uniquely special, kids, I can really feel with you. This is not an easy road.

There is a fantastic book called "When Love is Not Enough" (author Thompson?) that was very good for our family. You do have to read some of it with a grain of salt, but much of it is simply very helpful.

If you are only suspicious that your son could have it, I would work very slowly and carefully, as some options out there can cause more problems. Behavior modification is my first choice.

You are more than welcome to contact me via email (____@____.com) if you have specific questions and really need a heart that understands all that goes into realizing that your child really needs help.

God bless,
T.

I don't have experience with ODD, but I do have a special needs child. I believe diagnosis should be a multi-party approach. Probably a child psychologist to start, then a pediatrician and probably a neuropsychologist. You could probably have the school evaluate, but they don't usually do as in-depth a job as an independent consultant.

You should also have him checked for ADHD. Very common to have an ADHD child develop ODD. You should ask the psychologist if he/she recommends evaluation for communication disorders such as auditory processing disorder (http://capdsupport.org explains this one).

I recently came across this site that provides information on various conduct disorders: http://www.conductdisorders.com/ They have an online forum where I'm sure you'll get lots of answers.

Take care,
B.

yes. My 5 yr old son. symptoms since birth. My son has every single "symptom". psychotherapist diagnosed. Basically, he is on a short leash. Zero tolerance on everything. I hope that starting now will be easier in the teen years.

If a therapist is diagnosing ODD, be sure they have spoken with as many people in the child's life as possible: teachers, principal, parents, coaches, other people who know your son.

Therapy is prescribed for self control, reality testing (like you mentioned he believed he was getting picked on), and of course, to discuss any other issues that are of concern to both you AND YOUR SON. Boys are probably 4:1 given this diagnosis as they are less communicative, socialize towards anger, and given little permission to access other emotions.

As far as meds, I know very little about this but I will say that ODD w/ med and w/o therapy is a shortsighted solution. He needs to develop skills to help manage his behavior AND have an additional person to act as his advocate. As many people in his corner, the better for him and his mama: )

These questions really need to be directed towards a therapist as every child is different, body chemistry is different, circumstances, length of time of acting out, precipitating factors, genetics, etc, etc.

Very best to you in your own (and very best) advocate for your son!

Jen

My 10 yr old had an ODD diagnosis (among others). Anyway, a child psychologist can make the diagnosis. It is sometimes a challenge to find one that is taking new patients and ACCEPTS your specific insurance. Then basically you're talking systematic/consistent rewards and consequences. You may also want your son in weekly therapy w/ psychologist. Mine goes to therapy and takes medication for co-existing conditions. Good luck. It is not any easy thing.

My 10 year old son was recently diagnosed with both ADHD and ODD. It's definitely a challenge so I empathize with you. I am currently having difficulty with the psychiatric haters and those who try to push the homeopathic remedies. I've never had a problem with psychiatrists or medication when absolutely necessary. Homeopathy can only go so far when the frontal lobe of the brain is immature and needs a little 'temporary' dopamine to help the child function. Just as some need antidepressants temporarily to help them function when their serotonin levels drop. I don't know your personal situation, but my son spiraled completely out of control in all areas (grades plummeted, attitude was out of control, fighting with little sister etc - much more severe than your typical kid just being a kid) I tried everything I could think of to help from books, to charts, to rewards to punishments etc. Our family isn't perfect, but we are a loving, patient, highly educated family. I finally decided he simply needed to talk his feelings of anger through with a psychologist. That's when he was diagnosed (a multi-step process through many doctors, teachers and parents). It was a trying process but ultimately decided to try ritalin on a trial basis (which helps with both conditions). He's been on 'meds' for about a month now and the focus issues are definitely better. He says he likes the feeling that he can sit and complete a task, he doesn't get aggravated quite so easily, he's not arguing about EVERYTHING all day long and the list goes on. His teacher noticed a difference the first week. Our main concern is that our son is extremely intelligent but wasn't able to focus long enough to put the effort in on his school work. When they can't focus, they don't do well, when they get poor grades, they lose interest in school, ultimately that can lead to skipping school and making poor life decisions. I felt it was my obligation as a parent to help my child succeed. If the 5th grade is even 50% better than the 4th, we'll be ecstatic!