7 Year old girl with ODD

My neice has been recently diagnosed(sp?) with ODD or Oppistional Difiant Disorder. My sister in law is going insane and the childs therapist is not really helping much. the therapist is more of a pill pusher then getting to the root cause. i am begging anyone who has this disorder, or if your child has this disorder, please send me all the information and posts possible to help her. i do personally have my psychology degree however due to the face this child is family, conflict of intrests comes into play and it would not be ethical for me to do too much. i am looking for general information, tips that could help with behavior therapy, what meds people have been on that have helped and what meds people have been on that have not helped. i am trying to help my sister in law go into the next appointment as informed as possible. thank you everyone in advance for all your help, it is greatly appricated. i hope everyone has a wonderful day/night :)

[nursegirl6572]

Hello and welcome!

I personally have a lot of issues with young children being diagnosed with mental disorders, due to the fact that kids go through so many changes, and constant growth development.  Even more disturbing to me than a diagnosis of a young child is a doctor prescribing meds for them.  Meds used to treat these disorders are SO rough on children and can create way more problems than the child started with.

I'm not saying that in some cases, treatment isn't necessary, but medications should be a VERY LAST RESORT.  Intensive therapy and behavioral modification should be tried and exhausted, with numerous therapists and approaches being tried first.

My advice to you is to have your sister in law seek a second (or third, or fourth) opinion from a well known specialist...a child/adolescent psychiatrist.  Your niece definitely should not be under the care of an adult psych.

I feel for you and for your sister in law...but I also find it worrisome to hear these kinds of cases, 7 is VERY VERY young.

Please post an update when you can.  The very best of luck to you and your family!

[skittles1305]

i feel you there i as well hate to see so many young children being told they have disorders when its just lazy parenting. sadly though my neice has gone through a great deal of tramua in her life. however for ODD, she is being diagnosed around the right age. she has seen as far as i know atleast 5 different specialists and they all agree it is ODD.

her parents are against medication, my sister in law is also a psych major so she knows how meds affect children. what we are looking for are tips on how we can modify her behavior, punishments and rewards to help this child.

[nursegirl6572]

Well, I'm really glad to hear that your sister in law has had her thoroughly evaluated and is knowledgeable about this kind of thing.  Haven't the therapists helped with tips on how to manage her behavior?  Has your niece been in therapy that concentrates on behavioral modification?  The therapists should really have resources for your sister in law.

I wish I could be of more help to you...it sounds like you guys are already doing everything you can for your niece.  Hoping and praying that with a little time and growth, things will improve for her.

Let us know how she's doing!