Odd - Henderson,NV

http://aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/children_with...

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/oppositional-defiant-dis...

Here are two links to this and I never heard of it although I have seen defiant, rebellious children. I would think she would be very rude, disrespectful, etc. to you at home if this is the case. Why should the school be the one to see it? I imagine the school does see it but you should be the one to see it and do whatever needs to be done as you are the parent. I hope you take care of this soon and before she's much older and much worse.

I've had personal experience with children with ODD. It can only be correctly diagnosed by a mental health professional. Perhaps your doctor suggested this possibility and hopefully referred you to a psychologist or psychiatrist.

A child can be defiant without having ODD. It takes an expert to recognize the disorder. So, no, the school shouldn't have recognized it. I am surprised that they haven't called you. Since they haven't I'm guessing they do not see her defiance as serious. I urge you to talk with them.

Whether or not she has ODD, I urge you to get some counseling. She is obviously having difficulty. You do want to address this issue before it gets worse.

Yes, counseling is the treatment. Drugs could only be involved if she has other issues such as ADD, anxiety, depression. These conditions often go along with ODD.

It really sounds to me that you've just begun to search out reasons for your daughter's behavior. Be vigilant and get her help.

Oppositional Definace Disorder is a serious label to slap on a child. I think the first question I have is whether or not if feels right to you. You are her mother. Is this how she behaves at home? Has she always been this way? There are red flags if there is no concern about her behavior on your part or if there has never been a behavioral issue in school prior to this. ODD does not appear suddenly overnight and one bad incident with a teacher does not a "disorder" make. I'd be scheduling a serious sit down with the school. And the doctor. Whatever made him/her say this? Did you ask? You're not giving us enough information......

It's surprising to hear your daughter is in middle school and just now getting diagnosed. Also that's it's news to you too. There is a tremendous difference between a defiant child with defiant behavior and ODD (who would have been apparent to ALL, except your daughter pretty much). You cannot fix this, but can make sure your daughter has the right professional clinicians to help her learn how to control her behavior. Treatment varies from person to person, I once worked with an 11 year old and he was placed in a school that combined his treatment and his academic learning; it was private and had a beautiful campus (he was also on medications). Good luck and if I were you, I would get a second opinion.

It takes a battery of psychological tests to diagnose someone with a mental illness. She might have it, but she might just be a normal, snot-nosed middle schooler. They all seem to be living in their own self-centered worlds.

She might have ADD if she is failing things. Or she just might not care. She also probably needs a tutor or after-school help.

There are a lot of unknowns here. You need to talk to each teacher to find out WHY she is failing. Is she not completing homework? Is she failing tests (could be test anxiety)? Is she not participating in class? Does she truly not understand the work? Is she having trouble with reading comprehension? You also need to contact the math teacher to see if she is being disrespectful in her class.

Sometimes there are psychological things wrong with our kids and sometimes we just aren't on the ball with our parenting. You need to figure out which this is. And you need to talk to her teachers ASAP, and ask your doctor for a psychiatrist who can properly test and diagnose her so that she gets the proper help now and in high school if she truly needs it. You can't "fix" something if you don't even know what it is. You have a lot of work ahead of you.

Get her some counseling ASAP.
My sister could have been a poster child for ODD and she hasn't out grown it (currently 47 yrs old).
I can't be in a room with her for 10 min before I'm wrong about something.
I could say "It's a nice day" and she'll say "No it's not".
Up is down, left is right, she HAS to push push push for an argument and she's not happy unless she's fighting something - anything - everything.
It's not a happy life she's living.
When we were kids ODD hadn't been identified yet but I always wonder if some early counseling intervention might have made a difference for her.

When there is a diagnosis of ODD, family therapy is recommended with coordination with the school. I'm giving you a very simple answer to what I'm sure is a complex situation.

Your child's doctor is probably not qualified to diagnose ODD (Oppositional DEFIANT Disorder. Sorry, maybe I have OCD!). I would have her evaluated by a psychologist. The psychologist should be very thorough and be sure to rule-out other disorders that may present with similar behaviors. If she has ODD, you would notice, the school would notice, everyone would notice. Middle school is a highly volatile time, with puberty, school changes, etc. However, ODD is beyond normal teenage rebellion and defiance. Since she's failing multiple subjects, you definitely need to meet with the school. Is something else going on that's causing learning difficulties? Is she covering this with anger? Before you can help your daughter, you need to know what the root problem is. Treating symptoms only will not be helpful in the long run. So, start with scheduling some appointments to find out what's going on, and take it one step at a time.

ODD can turn to conduct disorder and then antisocial personality disorder, something quite dangerous, if left untreated.

I have a highly sensitive child, HSP, who a therapist wrote was possibly ODD after listening to me for 5 minutes. She had not even my child.
Of course I got a differert therapist.

True ODD should occur everywhere. Also, sometimes a child is defiant and that is not ODD.

Because it is so serious, I would pay for a private evaluation before labeling a child with this. Also, in our house, my husband is harsh and we are inconsistent. That makes a child angry and wanting to get even.

I have made a PITA PTA M. cry when I simply pointed out her bizarre, inappropriate behavior. That doesn't mean I have ODD.

You won't get any evaluation until the new year. I would look up your insurance to see if it is covered.

NW, before you seek out treatment (especially medicines) may I suggest you have your daughter tested by a DAN! doctor for clostridia? We were dealing with extreme levels of defiance and aggression in our son and discovered recently that he had this bacteria that has basically taken over his intestines. We have him on a medicine now, as well as a special diet, to replenish the good bacteria in his gut while killing the bad ones at the same time. His aggression and defiance have waned to nothing. Sometimes behavior is more than a diagnosis. It is often better to get to the root of the problem before going the medicine route. Medicine will only mask the symptoms not treat the problem.

I have a 7 year old son who has ODD. This falls under the umbrella of mental health but actually is NOT treatable with chemicals, but rather is a developmental delay.
Our boy was diagnosed twice; at age 5 through parent/teacher survey and interviews then he met with a psych. for about 20 minutes who bombarded him with innappropriate questions and then made a diagnosis. We didn't believe him and didn't trust his diagnosis. 1 year later he was interviewed and there were a whole bunch of observations, interviews, physicals - again a diagnosis of (this time severe) ODD. This we trusted.
Do some research on the web, read a copy of The Explosive Child, ask your doctor about having a psych/ed evaluation done, seek professional help, and then plan a strategy and work with a team.
My son is also gifted, reading at a junior high school level - he was placed in a special ed class for kids with emotional and behavioral issues, where the goal is teaching them coping skills and then getting them back into the regular classroom. Was I happy about it - no. Has it helped? IMMENSELY. He is in the special class for math and reading and then takes all his other subjects with the regular second grade.
Think about your daughter's history - has she been defiant and argumentative since she was a toddler? That is when ODD ususally appears. Appearing at age 14 . . . ?
Really, research it, then get a mental health evaluation done - this is a serious issue, and you will need serious help for it - if ODD is what she really has.
Good luck!
(And the answer from Karin of Midlothia . . . . disregard)

My daughter is 8 and has had this for about 2 years. She finally is being seen by the school counselor. I have to thank one of her teachers for really bringing it to my attention. The previous years all made sense. She is getting the help she needs and though we have made progress, she still has a long way to go. You should have seen some of the signs awhile ago but just thought it would pass. Bring it up with the school and see if she can get help there first. You have to make an effort to change your reactions to her reactions too to make any new learning things work for both her and for you. I hope that made sense to you. You, as the parent can't just yell because it makes her respond mirror image right back at you. Good luck.

Therapy. My 8 yr old was diagnosed at 6. He is a meanie.

Do you mean Oppositional Defiance Disorder?