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Does your child or teenager have a persistent pattern of anger, irritability, arguing, defiance, or vindictiveness towards you and other authority figures? As a parent, you don’t have to take care of it alone. Our behavioral experts at Plexus can find out whether your child has Oppositional Defiant Disorder and provide professional help to manage its symptoms. Also, here is a detailed guide for you to understand the disorder better.
Decoding Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Oppositional Defiant Disorder is a condition in which a child or teenager displays a continuing pattern of uncooperative, defiant, hostile, and annoying behavior toward people in authority. This disruptive behavior affects their daily functioning, including relationships and activities with their home, school, or community.
According to research, 2 to 16 percent of children and teens have Oppositional Defiant Disorder. It is quite common for children, especially those in their “terrible twos” and early teens to defy authority. And even the best-behaved ones can be difficult at times. They may express their defiance by arguing, disobeying, or talking back to authority figures. However, when this behavior lasts longer than six months and is of a more extreme nature, the child may be experiencing Oppositional Defiant Disorder.
Symptoms of Oppositional Defiant Disorder
The symptoms of Oppositional Defiant Disorder usually begin in children during their preschool years, but sometimes it may develop later. Children and teens with Oppositional Defiant Disorder are often moody, easily frustrated, and exhibit low self-esteem. Other symptoms may include:
Throwing repeated temper tantrums
Excessively arguing with adults, especially those with authority
Actively refusing to comply with requests and rules
Trying to annoy or upset others
Being easily annoyed by others
Blaming others for mistakes
Having frequent outbursts of anger and resentment
Being spiteful and seeking revenge
Swearing or using obscene language
Saying mean and hateful things when upset
Causes of Oppositional Defiant Disorder
The exact cause of Oppositional Defiant Disorder is still unknown, however, researchers have found that it might be due to a combination of biological, genetic, and environmental factors.
Treatments for Oppositional Defiant Disorder
The treatment for Oppositional Defiant Disorder depends on multiple factors, including the child’s age, the severity of their symptoms, and the ability to receive specific therapies. Some of the techniques used for Oppositional Defiant Disorder treatment include:
- Cognitive restructuring or reframing
- Exposure therapy
- Journaling and thought records
- Guided discovery
- Activity scheduling and behavior activation
- Relaxation and stress reduction techniques
- Behavioral experimenting
- Roleplaying
Usually, therapists use different types of treatment as part of Behavioral Therapy to identify and rectify unhealthy behaviors. It is rooted in the principles of behaviorism — a school of thought focused on the idea that we learn our behavior from our environment. Hence, unhealthy behavior can be changed through repeated practice by:
- Providing a support network necessary for recovery
- Building self-esteem by focusing on problems and working toward their solution
- Turning negative thoughts into positive, more realistic ones
- Controlling anger and recognizing the reasons behind it
- Communicating feelings with other individuals
- Improving coping skills for stressful situations
- Preventing relapses with the help of necessary tools
Our treatment program at Plexus
There are several approaches for treating Oppositional Defiant Disorder. At Plexus, we take into consideration various types of therapies such as:
Occupational Therapy
Behavior Therapy
Sensory Integration Therapy
Emotional Regulation Therapy
Anger Management
What our patients say.
Reshma, mother of Abdul (Name changed)
“My five-year-old child Abdul was sent back from school multiple times due to his temper tantrums and anger issues. He would not share things with his classmates and often pick up fights. After visiting Plexus, I realized that my child suffers from emotional dysregulation. After one month of treatment, I saw massive changes in his behavior. His stubbornness decreased, anger outbursts disappeared, and he started cooperating with his classmates and teachers at school. I am very happy to have this positive change in my child.”
Reshma, mother of Abdul (name changed)
“My five-year-old child Abdul was sent back from school multiple times due to his temper tantrums and anger issues. He would not share things with his classmates and often pick up fights. After visiting Plexus, I realized that my child suffers from emotional dysregulation. After one month of treatment, I saw massive changes in his behavior. His stubbornness decreased, anger outbursts disappeared, and he started cooperating with his classmates and teachers at school. I am very happy to have this positive change in my child.”
Naveen, father of Dev (name changed)
"I was unable to manage my teen's behaviours. I was getting a lot of complains from his class teacher too. Poor performance in academics, stubborn attitude and severe anger outbursts were some of the major complains that brought me to Dr Sadiq. I am so glad I found Plexus. Right from the medications to the counselling sessions to the therapy, everything helped my child overcome his issues. Behaviour therapists helped me understand my childs's behaviour and gave me ways to tackle it. I don't think any parent should ignore the behavioural problems of their children especially teenagers and they should definitely sought treatment at Plexus.
FAQs answered
The exact cause of Oppositional Defiant Disorder is still unknown. However, researchers have found that it is often caused by a combination of biological, genetic, and environmental factors. These include defects or injuries to certain areas of the brain, family history of mental disorders, dysfunctional family life, substance abuse, and inconsistent discipline by parents or other authority figures.
WIth proper diagnosis and treatment from a renowned neurological center like Plexus, children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder do improve over time. Research has shown that signs and symptoms resolve within 3 years in approximately 67% of children diagnosed with the disorder.
There is no single treatment for children and adolescents experiencing Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). It depends on multiple factors, including the child’s age, the severity of their symptoms, and the ability to receive specific therapies. Moreover, the most effective treatment plan will be tailored to the individual needs of each child and family. Usually, it is a combination of the following therapies:
- Occupational Therapy
- Behavior Therapy
- Sensory Integration Therapy
- Emotional Regulation Therapy
- Anger Management
There is no assured way to prevent Oppositional Defiant Disorder. In children, parent management, social skills training, conflict resolution and anger management programs can result in varying degrees of success. For adolescents, psycho-educational programs, including cognitive interventions and skills training, vocational training, and academic preparations can help improve behavior and manage the early symptoms.
