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Ways to Deal With Oppositional Defiance

Children with severe defiance problems can cause difficulty in the parent-child relationship. According to additudemag.com, a child with oppositional defiant disorder may exhibit extreme outbursts, aggressive behavior and continued blatant disobedience of the rules. While it may seem difficult to deal with a child who struggles with oppositional defiance, parents and other authority figures can take actions to combat this disorder.

  1. Make a Schedule

    • A child who struggles with oppositional defiance may benefit from a daily schedule, according to mayoclinic.com. Sit down with the child the previous night and have him to write down his schedule for the next day. This way, he feels as though he is taking charge of his own life. This also allows him to avoid outbursts through planning. A daily schedule helps him understand what to expect the following day.

    Positive Reinforcement

    • When the parent gives the child constant reinforcement for positive actions, the child may begin to understand her parents' willingness to cooperate. Positive reinforcement and compliments may open the lines of communication between the parent and the child. If the child understands that her parent wants a positive relationship, she may become more apt to follow the rules at home.

    Prioritize Battles

    • A child with oppositional defiant disorder engages in more power struggles than other children, according to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Due to these power struggles, the parents must decide what consequences are worth enforcing and what should be left alone. For instance, if a child agrees to serve a consequence but takes longer than normal to complete the consequence, the parent should not add any extra consequences.

    Create a List of Consequences

    • Create a list of consequences with the child. For instance, if the child continually comes home after curfew, ask the child his thoughts on an appropriate consequence for that action. If the parent and child agree, write down the consequence. This way, when the child breaks a rule, the parent can point to list and the child does not have any surprises.

    Obtain Treatment

    • If the child's oppositional defiant disorder proves too severe or couples with another disorder, treatment may provide help. Family and individual counseling will help increase the communication between the parent and the child. Mentalhelp.net provides a therapist finder tool to locate a counselor who specializes in oppositional defiant disorder.

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