What Is Oppositional Defiant Disorder?

==> Help for Parents with Oppositional Defiant Children and Teens

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as a recurrent pattern of negativistic, defiant, disobedient, and hostile behavior toward authority figures that persists for at least 6 months and is not due to a mood or psychotic disorder. To fulfill the diagnosis, the person must have 4 of the following: Often actively defies or refuses to comply with adult requests Often angry or resentful Often argues with adults Often blames others for his or her mistakes or poor behavior Often deliberately annoys others Often loses temper Often spiteful or vindictive Often touchy or easily annoyed Symptoms are almost always present at home and may or may not be present in the community and at school.   Treatment & Management— Children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder need to be assessed for the presence of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and learning disorders, given the high co-morbidity. If Atten