Oppositional defiant disorder or ODD' is a psychiatric developmental abnormality of childhood wherein the child demonstrates undue hostile, aggressive and disobedient behavior present for at least six months without any other identifiable cause, that interferes with his relationships and performance at home and school. Such children create a lot of distress around them and those taking care of them are left wondering how to deal with their defiant and abnormal aggressiveness.

IDENTIFYING A CHILD WITH ODD'

There is no single characteristic symptom or abnormality for identification of this condition. Like most psychiatric disorders, its diagnosis depends on the presence of certain criteria. The Diagnostic and statistical manual published by the American Psychiatric Association has prescribed the following criteria for diagnosing Oppositional defiant disorder.

1. A pattern of negative, hostile and defiant behavior lasting at least six months during which four or more of the following are present: often loses temper, argues with adults, actively defies adults' requests, deliberately annoys people, blames others, touchy or easily annoyed, angry or resentful or spiteful or vindictive.

2. This behavior causes clinically significant impairment in social, academic or occupational functioning.

3. The behavior doesn't exclusively occur during a psychotic or mood disorder.

4. The behavior doesn't meet the criteria for conduct disorder or antisocial personality disorder.

In spite of these criteria, diagnosis can often be difficult in children because of the presence of other conditions like Attention deficit disorder, or in the presence of circumstances which may be able to explain the behavior of affected child as reactive behavior instead of being a result of inherent psychiatric abnormality.

LONG TERM PROGNOSIS

Without any treatment more than half of the children with this condition will continue to show the abnormalities. Around 52% of them may go on to develop Conduct Disorder', another psychiatric condition of young adulthood, wherein the affected person demonstrates aggressive, anti-social, cruel, deceitful and destructive behavior. Early identification and treatment can, however, bring remission or moderate its progression.

PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

Oppositional defiant disorder is believed to result from negative reinforcement practices, ineffective parenting, and difficulty with peer and authority figures, which gradually develop

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