This image depicts a father scolding his child and the child being disobedient and making faces at him to defy him.
Oppositional Defiant Disorder is a childhood disorder which is best characterized by behaviours of a child which are negatively defiant, disobedient towards adults.
A child in Oppositional Defiant Disorder deliberately does things that annoy others, becomes verbally aggressive, although physical aggression is not present in this type of disorder.
The severity of Oppositional Defiant Disorder is severe in home conditions and with adults, which the child knows well as compared to school and social environment.
FACTS
More than 50% of the kids with ODD abuse some form of substance, later in their life.
SYMPTOMS
At-least 4 or more of the following symptoms should exist in a child for a period of 6 months or more for him/her to be categorized under this disorder.
- Is angry and resentful
- Is touchy and easily annoyed by others
- Is often vindictive
- Often argues with adults
- Often easily loses temper
- Refuses to comply with adult rules or requests
- Deliberately annoys others
- Blaming others for his/her mistakes
- Deliberately breaks rules and is disrespectful
CASE STUDIES
Master J, 11 years old was brought to the clinic by his mother, where she complained of his constant argumentative habits, intentionally provoking her with making sounds even after being told not to do it. He doesn’t follow whatever she asks him to do like having his meals on time, making his bed, changing his dirty clothes. He even laughs and teases his parents when they scold him. His teachers define his behaviour in school as fine and he rarely disobeys them. He doesn’t have many friends because he makes fun of his fellow classmates and is often bossy. At home his behaviour sometimes gets aggressive when he is asked to follow a routine; he throws newspapers, magazines and kicks the door to show his anger. During the time of personal interview in the clinic, he frequently interrupts his mother when she complains about him. He states that she constantly pin-points him all the time and he doesn’t think he needs to do whatever his mother asks him to do, “I’m not her servant” his response when asked about his behaviour. He had been diagnosed with Oppositional Defiance Disorder.
