Brick Wall

Parenting a child with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is like having an aggressive brick wall in the family.  It doesn't wait for one to accidentally walk into it; this brick wall will go looking to slam into folks.  Dearest and I have spent a large portion of the last eight years or so learning how best to deal with Boyo’s ODD behavior.

My personal library is pretty extensive and includes several books on autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, and related issues.  Regarding ODD, there are some books on explosive behaviors and ‘strong-willed’ children, but there doesn’t seem to be a comprehensive selection of books on that topic available.

Autism has garnered a lot of media attention in the last several years especially, and whereas, when Girlie was first diagnosed we knew only a few people who had a clue what we were talking about, now it seems most everyone knows of someone on the spectrum.  There are still very few people who are aware of ODD other than thinking it is a nice way to refer to a disobedient kid who has slacker parents. 

What really concerns me about the lack of knowledge is that kids who would otherwise be diagnosed with ODD may slip through the cracks and right into the corrections system.  There is no medication therapy specifically for ODD, but it’s a disorder that tends to be co-morbid with other conditions such as ADD/ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol Effect (FAS/FAE).  Now, think about what you know of foster care and the numbers of drug- and alcohol-affected children in that system.  That adds up to a lot of potential for violent, dangerous kids.

I talk about this subject often to friends, teachers, and anyone else who will listen.  It’s important to know what ODD is because counseling and therapy can help teach parents and kids interventions, behavior modifications, and coping methods.  We feel like we at least have a doorway through our brick wall!

'Brick Wall' socks knitted in KnitPicks 'Stroll'

Boyo chose the pattern for the socks he asked me to knit.  Coincidence?  ;-)