Challenging behaviours are common in children. It’s normal for any child to throw tantrums or have meltdowns from time to time. However, if your child has a recurrent pattern of anger, irritability, and vindictiveness, you may wish to seek help.
ODD can often vary in severity, and for some children, these behaviours could first be observed at home and subsequently translate to other settings such as in school or with friends. Symptoms of ODD often include emotional and behavioural problems, which last for at least six months:
Angry and irritable mood:
Argumentative and defiant behaviour:
Vindictiveness:
Treatments for ODD commonly involve working with parents on developing consistent and positive parenting skills, reinforcing the child’s positive behaviour, helping the child manage anger and express their feelings in a healthier manner, and identifying and modifying thought patterns that often result in behaviour problems and the building of social skills.