Treatment Objectives for Oppositional Behavior

Oppositional defiant disorder is a behavior condition that presents in a child's severe misbehavior. This misbehavior can be the simple rejection of parental instructions or more severe activities that could place the child or other children in severe danger. The child with ODD feels a compulsion to perform actions that are counter to expected behavior and often damaging to his parents' property.

Long-Term Development

• There is no quick fix to helping a child through oppositional defiant disorder. Treatment includes consistent personality changing attention focused on reinforcement of the child's positive traits and discouragement of his negative ones. According to Mental Help, "Therapy also attempts to change affected children's long-term developmental course towards a more positive outcome." Treatment is intended to promote a child's ability to make healthy choices and curb completely the most serious and dangerous aspects of a child's behavior.

Targeted Behavior

• In ODD treatment, specific behaviors are targeted and determined to be either positive or negative. These behaviors are ranked, in terms of which could potentially cause harm to the child or others. Therapists choose specific rewards for each positive action, in order to reinforce the activity when the child performs it. Rewards range from positive words to attention or possibly allowance for other activities later. Each negative action is given specific punishments, and placed in order of how much harm they could potentially cause to others. The objective is to reward positive behavior and punish, uniformly, negative activities, says Mental Help.

Consistency

• Consistency is both the objective and method behind treatment for oppositional defiant disorder. As a method, parents are taught to be consistent in their punishments and rewards. Parents must target specific areas for a consistent push. For instance, a child who has seen problems completing her schoolwork would see specific punishments designed for each homework distraction, like video games or leaving the house during homework time, and specific rewards for completing homework. The objective is to set up multiple behavior encouragements that promote the overall behavior that you intend to support. Treatment is intended to establish a set of consistent choices by a child that lead to other positive choices. The child is empowered with a system that allows her to select her behavior and expect specific rewards or punishments.

Family Involvement

• While treatment does not attempt to blame one parent or the other for the condition, the entire family must work toward healthy behavior in the child. The therapist will encourage each member of the family to provide the expected punishment or reward system while he is in charge of the child. Family members are further encouraged to approach situations in a consistent fashion.