New here and looking for direction...

[BusynMember]

My son missed out on an earlier diagnosis. because he made some eye contact. I'd pursue it. ODD rarely, rarely stands alone. Even Dr. Chandler, who is famous for his ODD papers, "The Chandler Papers" states clearly that "ODD rarely stands alone." My son appeared to be ODD because he'd freak out at transitions, loud noises, too much stimulation, etc. He had speech and fine motor delays, but, since he was high functioning, it wasn't THAT obvious so I got a slew of other diagnosis. and ten medications that he didn't need. He is clearly on the spectrum now--the older he gets, the more I can tell, yet the older he gets, the better he gets, if that makes sense. Your child may not have it, but a neuropsychologist is your best bet to find out if he at least has traits. If so, he needs very special schooling and interventions--they work best. The kids have great potential for improvement! You can find NeuroPsychs at Children's and University Hospitals, but we picked a private one who had worked at Mayo. He did TWELVE HOURS of testing. in my opinion that beat the crap out of the one hour of talking to me that the other professionals did. Plus they were all very quick to pull out that prescription pad. in my opinion it's best to get a full picture. You may want to also see a Psychiatrist, but, if so, have him work with the neuropsychologist. Our psychiatrist missed the obvious signs of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), called him bipolar, and put him on some scary medications that he didn't need. He's been medication free for four years now and couldn't be better. He has learned social skills, to a point, from his interventions. Lucas can converse too, but usually he either answers with "yes" "no" or "I don't kow." He tends to monologue at people rather than do give-and-take conversation. And he focuses on his obsessive topics. Anyways, hope this thread helped you and good luck!

 

[Marguerite]

The problem I have with ODD - t he name, I suspect - is that it gets us thinking that the child is being deliberately defiant, that the kid is just a wilful brat.

I do not believe this is likely, in the great, vast, majority of cases. OK, further down the track you get some kids whose sole delight seems to be torturing those around him; but not at a young age and not anywhere near as often as we think.

The label "Oppositional Defiant Disorder" immediately makes you want to turn round and say, "Quit it! Cut it out! You're only doing this out of sheer stubbornness!"

And this is absolutely the worst thing you can do, if the problem is NOT wilfulness but something more complex and scary for the child. A lot of the time, when you can really get into their heads, there are good reasons for what they do. Not justification, but reasons why it happens. And until you can sort out the underlying reasons, it is going to keep happening. Sometimes part of the underlying reason is anxiety, fear and a level of determination to try to control what seems to the child to be a chaotic environment. If you can calm the child, they feel less need to control what's around them. If you can show the child that things aren't so chaotic after all, that can also help. If you give t he child control in areas which really are not an issue for you, this too can help. It all depends on what the underlying issues are.

But to whoever has given this condition this particular name - I think the name is causing a lot more confusion, anger and grief than it should. As well as a vast amount of misunderstanding.

Marg

 

[BusynMember]

ICAM about ODD. And apparently Dr. Chandler even admits it rarely stands alone. Kids act out for many reasons and it's always good to find out why first before accepting a stand alone diagnosis. of ODD. Theoretcially, ODD is resistant to medications, yet many kids find relief in medications, such as mood stabilizers...things that make ya go hmmmmmmmmmm..

 

[rachelfran]

again - thanks for all the helpful advice here - we have the appointment with the psychiatrist on monday .. and i've heard back from my pediatrician about what else we can do -- she seems to think a neuropsychologist evaluation is not covered by insurance normally --- is this true? what can i expect in this regard?

also - he does have an IEP - should i get the testing through the board of ed? do they do thorough evaluations? I didnt' think so our first time around...


Thanks!
Rachel