Anyone have experience with Oppositional Defiant Disorder?

[mommy_someday]

I'm not asking for me, but for my SIL. She's convinced that her DS has ODD, so I offerred to check with you all for some resources. Her DS is 29 months old and I *think* SIL said that the ped wouldn't/couldn't diagnose ODD that early. Both SIL and her DH have ADHD, fwiw. Her DS seems really out of control compared to my other SIL's DS, who is only 2 months older. A lot of things could contribute to that (personality, parenting, etc.), but my SIL is certain that it's ODD. She has some background in psychology, and she's not usually the type to jump to these sorts of conclusions rashly. So just in case she's right in her diagnosis, does anyone have experience with this? Are there any books I should tell her about? She really doesn't do much online so books would be best, but feel free to include websites that were helpful.

Thanks so much!

[brittone2]

I don't know about diagnosing ODD as I have only had limited contact with it, but a lot of other disorders/conditions that are similar can't be diagnosed until a child is at least over 3 so that makes sense...

The only suggestion I can think of is for her to consider something like the Feingold diet.

Also to look into whether it is possible that he might have some sensory integration issues?

[JustMe]

am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker/therapist and work a lot with young children. ODD can absolutely NOT be diagnosed so young for good reasons. Its not because there isn't a good enough test or anything like that its because a lot of the behaviors of ODD are completely normal for a younger child. I actually think the age of diagnosis is closer to 5, but I would have to check on that one (I would certainly not personally diagnose ODD under 5). Defiance, disregard for adult authority, etc, can be common in 2 and 3 year olds. Yes, I know some kids are not like this, some kids are only mildly like this, and others are EXTREME. The extreme ones are not necessarily ODD or anything else...they may just have this kind of temperment. I read that you said your SIL has other kids who are not like this. I have met with many parents who have had kids who were more easy going and then end up with a kid later on who is much more difficult. On the other hand, there may be something else going on, but I would doubt ODD. As someone mentioned, they may have sensory issues or could have hearing issues or some other reason for behaving like they are.

I cannot really recommend any books or other materials, as I believe every child/family is different and I would not know the needs of this family without talking with them extensively. I would recommend that they ask their ped or anyone else relevant that they know for referrals to a mental health professional that specializes in young children (not just any mental health professional). They will probably be able to give the parents some tips to deal with the behaviors and may be able to figure out what, if anything, is going on. I am sure their are other professions that could help out, but I am not as versed in those areas. I would hope that a mental health professional might know local resources (something I would ask) and be able to steer the family in the right direction if they do not think they are the right resource.

Good luck.

[wolverine2]

Just wanted to second everything the PP said...

...from another clinical social worker.

[mommy_someday]

Thanks for your input! I really appreciate it. The other DS actually belongs to a different SIL, so they are cousins rather than siblings, fwiw. The two of them are definitely opposite ends of the spectrum.

When SIL first mentioned that she thought her DS had ODD, I thought that his behavior (based on my limited knowledge/epxerience, mind you) was pretty common for a 2 year old. I didn't say this because I was trying to be supportive because I *know* her DS is a huge handful.

Can you (or anyone else...Beth?) tell me more about sensory integration problems? Or point me to a good website about it?

Thanks again!

[brittone2]

http://www.childhoodanxietynetwork.org/htdocs/htm/sid.htm

http://www.spdnetwork.org/aboutspd/index.html

http://www.canacad.org/ConsiderSensoryProcessingDisordersintheExplosiveCh ild.pdf

There is a book called "The Out of Sync Child" that is very good too.
http://www.out-of-sync-child.com/introduction.html

There's no way for us to know as outside sources whether or not this is anything even in the realm of abnormal or not, but if it is, I'd want to look into Sensory Integration issues if it was my own child. Sensory processing disorders can "look like" things like ADHD or possibly even ODD since they can result in some over the top behavior.

SID can affect any one sensory system or a combination of systems. A child may be "sensory seeking" in certain senses and be "sensory defensive" (avoids them) for other senses. Does he have any problems with textures when eating? Preference for only crunchy foods or only soft foods for example? Any problems with clothing (do tags bother him more than a typical kid, or sock seams, etc.? Some kids have issues with knowing where their body is in space which can lead to lashing out if someone invades their body space...so they may hit for example. If they crave oral stimulation they might constantly suck or chew on hands, or bite other kids, etc. The child may crave motion (constantly over the top w/ jumping, or spinning, or crashing into things, etc.) or may be scared of motion (like playground equipment, swings, etc. They may be really afraid of any loud sounds...more than a typical kid.

It can be any one or a combination of things like this. The key is that is impairing their function though. Many kids may have a little bit of these things but it isn't enough to impair their functioning or behavior, kwim?

When a child has sensory processing problems, things like loud-ish sounds that you and I can filter out while continuing our conversation may actually inflict pain on their ears and cause them to act up. The scratchy tag that you or I would forget about after 5-10 mins may make it impossible for the child to sit still all day long. The child may not understand the body space of other people and so s/he may be in other kids' faces all the time, which may cause him to be hurt by other kids and act aggressively in his/her defense. He/she may have a problem if others come too close to *their* personal space and lash out.

Sometimes only one or two areas are affected, sometimes all of the sensory systems are affected. Sometimes they avoid the sensations, sometimes they crave them.

HTH.