{"id":2207,"date":"2016-06-10T11:40:29","date_gmt":"2016-06-10T18:40:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/specialneedsresourcefoundationofsandiego.org\/?p=2207"},"modified":"2016-06-10T11:40:29","modified_gmt":"2016-06-10T18:40:29","slug":"my-child-has-oppositional-defiant-disorder-6-behavioral-signs-to-look-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/specialneedsresourcefoundationofsandiego.com\/my-child-has-oppositional-defiant-disorder-6-behavioral-signs-to-look-for\/","title":{"rendered":"My Child Has Oppositional Defiant Disorder: 6 Behavioral Signs to Look For"},"content":{"rendered":"

I knew my son was different when his tantrums lasted hours at a time. We knew we needed more help than our pediatrician could offer. Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is like having a child who never grows out of the terrible twos\u2014it is a constant, all-day challenge. Here are six signs that could mean a child has ODD.
\n1. Tantrums<\/strong>
\nTantrums that last hours and hours over absolutely nothing: throwing, hitting, spitting, crying, screaming and yelling with no end in sight.
\n2. Defiant Behavior<\/strong>
\nDoing the exact opposite of what is asked of a child, whether it is something small (like brushing teeth) or something big (not hitting).
\n3. Mood Swings<\/strong>
\nOne minute the child is happy and laughing and the next, he\u2019s grumpy and mad. This could be over something as \u201cinsignificant\u201d as a toy not working.
\n4. Lack of Sleep<\/strong>
\nInterrupted sleep is not good for an already explosive child.
\n5. Praise<\/strong>
\nChildren with ODD don\u2019t always like praise.
\n6. Lack of Affection<\/strong>
\nChildren with ODD do not always show affection. Try not to make a big deal about it. Relish the moments when hugs are offered.
\nOur Experience
\n<\/strong><\/em>I dreaded waking up in the morning because I didn\u2019t want to face another day with Dylan\u2019s defiant behavior. Each day was an all out war between the two of us and it was over anything and everything.
\nSometimes he yelled at me because his underwear was too high or too low. He wouldn\u2019t wear sneakers because they were too big or too small\u2014even though he wore them the day before. Sometimes he\u2019d spit at me because I put him on time out for saying he hated me. Situations like these went on every day.
\nWhere We Found Help<\/strong><\/em>
\nWe got a referral from Dylan’s pediatrician to see a behavioral therapist and kept seeking out specialist after specialist. My husband suggested we try Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT); a treatment program that reestablishes the relationship between parent and child. Therapy programs like PCIT are imperative to changing the dynamics in a household where a child has a disruptive behavioral disorder such as Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD).
\n\u201cWhen parents come in to receive PCIT, there is often negative behavior going on in the household,\u201d says Dr. Brandi Noirfalise, a clinical psychologist. \u201cWe try to normalize that experience for the parents.\u201d
\nThe first part of PCIT includes Child-Directed Interaction (CDI). \u201cWe try to redevelop that relationship between the parent and child,\u201d says Dr. Noirfalise. \u201cI have seen families come in and they\u2019re distraught. After they go through the program, it reduces stress.\u201d
\nThe second part of PCIT is Parent-Directed Interaction (PDI): the parent works on leading play while the child works on listening. \u201cPCIT is recommended as the first line of defense as treatment for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD),\u201d says Dr. Noirfalise. \u201cWe want to treat kids at the behavioral level before prescribing medication.\u201d
\nIf you think that your child could have ODD, seek help. Early intervention can help navigate tough times and provide answers parents desperately need. Most importantly, hang in there. Don\u2019t be too hard on yourself and give yourself a break when you need it. Having a child with ODD is extremely difficult and can feel very isolating.
\n 
\nMeagan Ruffing is a freelance writer living with a 6-year-old son who has ODD, and a 4-year-old and 2-year-old who try to keep up with the circus. She and her husband still use what they have learned in PCIT to get through the tough days.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I knew my son was different when his tantrums lasted hours at a time. We knew we needed more help than our pediatrician could offer. Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is like having a child who never grows out of the terrible twos\u2014it is a constant, all-day challenge. Here are six signs that could mean a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2209,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[231],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2207","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general-health","8":"entry"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/specialneedsresourcefoundationofsandiego.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2207","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/specialneedsresourcefoundationofsandiego.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/specialneedsresourcefoundationofsandiego.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/specialneedsresourcefoundationofsandiego.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/specialneedsresourcefoundationofsandiego.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2207"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/specialneedsresourcefoundationofsandiego.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2207\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/specialneedsresourcefoundationofsandiego.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2209"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/specialneedsresourcefoundationofsandiego.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2207"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/specialneedsresourcefoundationofsandiego.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2207"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/specialneedsresourcefoundationofsandiego.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2207"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}