What is ODD?

ODD Defined

ODD, or Oppositional Defiant Disorder, is a behavioral disorder characterized by chronic aggression, frequent outbursts, and a frequency to ignore requests to irritate others. It affects  between 1 and 16 percent of children and adolescence, and tends to come paired with other behavioral disorders such as ADHD.

Naturally, in a classroom setting such a disorder can cause mass chaos not only for that specific child, but for anyone whom the affected child feels controlled by. That means teachers will often receive the brunt of an oppositional defiant child’s rage, and need to be prepared for it.

 

Equality for ODD in the Classroom

Students with ODD feel the full range of human emotions, and often it is hard to remember that when they are in the midst of an aggressive or disruptive episode. Sadly, more often than not, ODD diagnosed students come from low income households and thus have less resources than other students. As a teacher, your compassion for these students needs to be strong enough to hold firm even when the child’s behavior is at it’s worst.

Moreover, if the child grows out of ODD(as many do), bad/impatient teachers they had in those elementary years can continue to pull them behind as they move on to high school. For the sake of the child’s future, it is critical elementary teachers can effectively handle ODD.

 

Treatment and Prognosis

Sadly there are no FDA approved drugs for treating ODD, and most medical treatments of the disorder involve treating the other disorders often paired with it(such as ADHD medication if the child has that as well).

As for prognosis, that is a bit brighter. Most children with ODD grow out of most of their behavioral issues, meaning that this disorder is more common in an elementary school setting, and high school instructors will see it much less.