ODD-CD part 5

First, there will be some lucky children who outgrow this. The exact number is not clear, but probably not the majority. The aggressiveness is very stable. That is, aggressive 2 year olds are likely to be aggressive 20 year olds. Only IQ is more stable over years than aggression.

Second, ODD may turn into conduct disorder (CD). This usually happens fairly early. That is, after a 3-4 years of ODD, if it hasn't turned into CD, it won't ever. What predicts a child with ODD getting CD? A history of a biologic parent who was a career criminal, and very severe ODD.

Third, the child may continue to have ODD. Recent work suggests that this is probably the most common path. If you look at a group of preschool boys who have ODD and check them out two years later, about 75% still have something wrong. Sometimes ODD at that age changes into something else, but that is rare. More often ADHD and ODD just continue on. The more common thing that happens is that children with ODD develop signs of mood disorders or anxiety as they get older. By the time these children are in the end of elementaryschool, about 25% will have mood or anxiety problems which are disabling. That means that it is very important to watch for signs of mood disorder and anxiety as children with ODD grow older.

Probably not unless they develop conduct disorder.   Even then many will grow out of it.  Life may not be easy.  People with ODD who are grown up often do best if they can work for themselves and stay away from alcohol.  However their tendency to irritate others often leads to a lonely life.

ODD is characterized by aggressiveness, but not impulsiveness.  In ODD people annoy you purposefully, While it is usually not so purposeful in ADHD.  ODD signs and symptoms are much more difficult to live with than ADHD.  ADHD sometimes goes away, but ODD rarely does.  ODD is not characterized by poor social skills.  Children with ODD can sit still.

A lot!  Children and adolescents with ADHD alone do things without thinking, but not necessarily aggressive things.  An ADHD child may impulsively push someone too hard on a swing and knock the child down on the ground.  She would likely be sorry she did this afterward.  A child with ODD plus ADHD might push the kid out of the swing and say she didn't do it, and then brag about it to her friends later.  ADHD plus ODD children and adolescents are in a lot of trouble as their impulsiveness and hyperactivity often lead to fights, rough play, and huge temper tantrums.

Unfortunately, it is quite common.  In comparison to ADHD alone, children and adolescents with ODD plus ADHD or just ODD are much more difficult to be with.  The destructiveness and disagreeableness are purposeful.  They like to see you get mad.  Every request can end up as a power struggle.  Lying becomes a way of life, and getting a reaction out of others is the chief hobby.  Perhaps hardest of all to bear, they rarely are truly sorry and often believe nothing is their fault.  After a huge blow up, the child with ODD is often calm and collected.  It is the parents who look as they are going to lose it, not the child.  This is understandable.  The parents have probably just been tricked, bullied, lied to or have witnessed temper tantrums which know no limits.

Too often!  Children and adolescents with ODD produce strong feelings in people.  They are trying to get a reaction out of people, and they are often successful.  Common ones are: inciting spouses to fight with each other and not focus on the child, making outsiders believe that all the fault lies with the parents, making certain susceptible people believe that they can "save" the child by doing everything the child wants, setting parents against grandparents, setting teachers against parents, and inciting the parents to abuse the child.  It is frequently observed in children with ODD in which teachers and parents and sometimes others are all fighting amongst each other rather than with the child who is causing all the turmoil in the first place.