Ways to Deal With Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD) is a condition most often seen in children and teenagers. It is normal for children and teenagers to express anger, resentment and frustration throughout their lives. But adolescents with ODD inappropriately express these emotions to an extreme, especially against adults and other authority figures. Dealing with ODD can be a challenging and frustrating endeavor, but parental training, medical interventions and consistency can ease the symptoms of ODD.

Parenting Training

• According to mayoclinic.com, one of the most effective ways to deal with ODD is to be trained by a specialist about the condition. Parents and caregivers often bear the brunt of the rages, temper tantrumsvand arguments of children or teenagers with ODD. Training focuses on giving you effective coping skills to deal with your child's behavior, and also effective disciplinary techniques. For example, mayoclinic.com suggests you avoid power struggles with your child, remain emotionally neutral when faced with your child's anger or tantrum, and maintain boundaries to keep your stress and tension levels low.

  The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry encourages parents to praise their child's positive behaviors to reinforce them, and to take "time-outs" when arguing gets too elevated. Presenting good behavior to your child allows her to model her behavior after yours and reinforces positive actions.

Medical Interventions

• When dealing with a child or teenager with ODD, you should first have your child diagnosed by a mental health professional. ODD sometimes co-exists with other mood disorders or conditions such as an anxiety disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a learning disability, depression or another illness. Your mental health professional may suggest family therapy or counseling, individual counseling for both you and your child (and your spouse or any siblings the child may have), or support groups for caregivers of children with ODD. If your child has additional conditions, your mental health professional will also begin treatment for those conditions.

Consistency

• Perhaps the most effective disciplinary technique for a child with ODD is consistency. If you praise a positive behavior once, praise it again but in different ways. Mayoclinic.com suggests that you give your child a simple yet necessary task that he must complete or else it won't get done (i.e. washing his dishes after dinner or taking the family dog for its evening walk). Incorporate your child's interests in this task to increase the chances of things going over smoothly. You should also make time each day for you and your child to spend together. Although your child may be difficult, reinforcing the idea that the child is a "problem" will only make things worse.