The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reports that all children act oppositional at some point in time, especially if they're cranky, sleepy and hungry. However, children with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) are regularly oppositional. They throw temper tantrums, are combative with adults, question and defy rules at home and at school, annoy others on purpose, become angry and irritable easily, blame other for mistakes and seek revenge.
Individual Therapy
Individual psychotherapy is used to help a child with ODD get control of his anger and emotions. Therapists teach children and teens anger management skills. For instance, a therapist might work with a child to learn how to rate his anger, so he can gain control of it eventually. The therapist will instruct the child to rate his level of anger on a scale of one to 10 on a regular basis. If the child rates his anger higher than a three, the therapist instructs him how he can reduce his anger to get it below a three. She might teach him how to take self-imposed time-outs or utilize deep-breathing techniques.
Family Therapy
When a child or teen in the family has oppositional defiant disorder, all of the other members of the family are affected. If the child has a sibling, most of the attention is probably on the child with ODD, and the sibling might feel neglected. It's important to involve all members of the family in therapy to help them communicate more effectively and to help them improve their relationships.
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy
The Mayo Clinic reports that many times this type of therapy includes a one-way mirror in which a therapist sits on one side and the parent and child with ODD sit on the other side. The parent wears an audio device, so she can hear the therapist but the child can't. The therapist gives the parent instructions on how to interact with the child, focusing on positive reinforcement. This helps a parent learn how to parent her child more effectively.
Medication
As is the case for many mental health issues, there aren't specific medications for ODD. Some children who become extremely angry and throw severe temper tantrums may receive medication to reduce those issues; however, all of the underlying problems will still exist. Some children with ODD also suffer from other mental health disorders, such as ADHD, anxiety disorders or mood disorders. Those children may receive medication for the coexisting disorder, which can help decrease the symptoms of ODD.
Social Skills Training
Many times children with ODD have a difficult time making and maintaining relationships with peers because of their behaviors. Through social skills training, professionals help children and teens learn how to act more socially appropriate.
Cognitive Problem Solving Training
This type of therapy focuses on the patterns that emerge that negatively affect a child. With this type of therapy, a counselor works with a child and his parent to learn how to work together to solve problems. The therapist teaches the parent and child how to compromise.
