Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD)
Oppositional Defiance or Defiant Disorder (ODD) is a pattern or negative, hostile and defiant behavior that is observable for periods of longer than six months. According to the DSM IV, during this period of time four or more of the following symptoms are present:
Often actively defies or refuses to comply with adults’ requests or rules
Often blames others for his or her mistakes or misbehavior
Is often touchy or easily annoyed by others
The adolescent who exhibits ODD often has significant trouble functioning in social, academic, or occupational endeavors. Children with ODD are considered to have a disruptive behavior disorder (DBD) and ODD is thought to emerge because the individual afflicted often internalizes problems more than controls. ODD can be a co-condition of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but studies show there are differences in adolescents with one or the other and gender differences were also found. In a study of 57 boys and girls with ADHD and 94 boys and girls with ODD, using teacher ratings of symptoms, social functioning and Achenbach Teacher’s Report Form Scales, “Children with ADHD-C/ODD received the poorest ratings on all variables. In pure groups, children with ODD were rated as learning more, working harder, and being less inattentive than children with ADHD-C, only the ODD group showed more internalizing problems than controls. For ADHD-C and ODD groups, ratings of aggression and some individual symptoms were higher in boys than girls. Girls with ODD were rated as more appropriate and less inattentive, but unhappier and more socially impaired than boys with ODD” (Carlson, Tamm and Gaub, 1997, 1706).
ODD is viewed as a disorder that impairs social, academic or occupational function but it is not viewed as making the individual incapable of them. It is a disorder that impairs learning but does not mean there is little or no c...