What is the difference between Oppositional Defiant Disorder and ADHD?

By Mark Hutten, M.A.

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Tricks To Getting Compliance From Defiant Children and Teens

By Mark Hutten, M.A.
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Children and teens with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) talk back, refuse to do chores, use bad language, and say things like "You can't make me" nearly every day. While all children display this kind of behavior from time to time, with Oppositional Defiant Disorder children, the symptoms continue for six months or more. Thus, moms and dads feel they are always struggling with their youngster. Even more confounding, conventional discipline strategies usual fail. Children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder refuse to go on a time-out from an early age, and claim not to care about losing privileges. If their exasperated mother or father shut them in their rooms, they may destroy their own belongings or go out the window. When parents resort to spanking, the ODD child focuses on the parent’s behavior (e.g., "I'll call the police and report you for child abuse") instead of his own. Defiant kids actually believe they are equal to their parents. It'...
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Ask - Don't Tell: Tips for Parents with Defiant Children

By Mark Hutten, M.A.
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Autonomy carried to its extreme gives rise to defiant behavior where a child refuses to be controlled by anybody. Parents often get locked in conflict cycles with such children. Defiant behavior is developmentally appropriate at three stages in a child’s life: age 2 - when the youngster is going from infancy to childhood puberty - when the young person is going from childhood to adulthood old age - when the individual is going from self-sufficient adulthood to needing supportive care What is similar about these developmental stages is that each is a time of intense transition when the person feels "out of control" regarding his or her circumstances. Some people get stuck in a defiant stage. This type of behavior is especially strong when teenagers feel that they have no control over a life situation (e.g., divorce, separation, moving, death, change in school, etc.). The reaction is to fight for control. Parents need to recognize that any child can exhibit defi...
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ODD Children Who Hit Their Parents

By Mark Hutten, M.A.
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The first thing a mother or father should realize is that aggressive behavior is common in children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) . The young child suffering from ODD simply lacks the maturity to hold back his impulse to hit or kick. He may actually know that hitting is wrong, but can't control himself in the middle of his anger and frustration. Anger and frustration are major issues for ODD kids. When the defiant youngster gets angry, he is expressing his utter frustration at the lack of control that he has over his world. Something happens that deeply troubles him, but he lacks the tools to express his frustration appropriately. This further frustrates him, and he explodes in anger. He may strike at parents with the only tool at his disposal – by hitting. Growing up is hard work. Many times, kids who face mental health issues and are under a lot of stress go through an aggressive phase. This can be because they have less energy for self-control, or because...
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