What is oppositional defiance disorder? And what strategies can teachers use to ensure students diagnosed with ODD succeed to their fullest potential?

1. Brittany Leonard
OPPOSITIONAL DEFIANCE
DISORDER

2. CENTRAL QUESTION: WHAT STRATEGIES CAN TEACHERS
USE TO ENSURE STUDENTS DIAGNOSED WITH ODD
SUCCEED TO THEIR FULLEST POTENTIAL?
What is ODD?
- Oppositional Defiant Disorder is on ongoing pattern of the following
behaviours:
- disruptive
- disorganized
- hostile
- negative
- defiant
- causing conflict
- frequent temper tantrums
- argue excessively with adults
- blame others for mistakes
- say mean and hateful things when upset, often perceived by adults as
spiteful and vindictive
- easily annoyed with others
- display extreme reactions

3. - Why was I interested in this topic?
I had a student in one of my classes last year diagnosed with
it. I did not understand the disorder or how to address his
behaviour or to help him learn, so I decided to use research
methods on how to help students like him succeed.
- Step #1: Sources of Background Knowledge
- Step #2: Documentary: Taking Care: Child and Youth
Mental Health
- Step #3: Debate: Oppositional Defiant Disorder
- (Step #4: Interview with Nanaimo Chapter – Contact List
for 2014 wasn’t updated in time to complete this step)
- Step #5: Handbook: Understanding and Addressing
Oppositional and Defiant Classroom Behvaiors
OVERVIEWOFPROCESS

4. STEP 1
Sources of Background Knowledge

5. Incremental Theory: informing the test group that the ability that is being
tested is relatively unstable, so it is capable of being changed.
HOW TO INCREASE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN
CHILDREN WITH ODD? AN IMPLICIT THEORY EFFECT

6. IMPAIRED DECISION MAKING IN ODD RELATED TO ALTERED
PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO REINFORCEMENT
ADVANTAGEOUS:
Frequent small rewards
Occasional small penalties
SEDUCTIVE:
Frequent large rewards
Increasing penalties
DISADVANTAGEOUS:
Frequent small rewards
Increasing penalties

7. - high novelty seekers
- low self-directedness
- low cooperativeness
- more anxious and depressed
- have more social and attention
problems
- are prone to delinquent and
aggressive behaviours
- more persistent
- greater self-directedness
Subject with ODD Subject with ODD and ADHD
DOES ODD HAVE TEMPERAMENT AND
PSYCHOPATHOLOGICAL PROFILES
INDEPENDENT OF ADD/ADHD

8. STEP 2
Documentary: Taking Care: Child and Youth Mental
Health

9. TAKING CARE: CHILD AND
YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH
- A parent explains the behaviour of her child:
- “…it’s not selective listening, but having difficulty attending to info that isn’t that
important to him” (give students relevant information in steps if possible so it
is easy to follow without all the “fluff”)
- “…it is important to learn how to manage your reactions and deal with things in as
much of a matter-of-fact way as possible, in a positive and supportive way”
- try your best not to end up in a power struggle

10. STEP 3
Debate: Oppositional Defiant Disorder

11. - question of dominance
- these children are more defiant and
aggressive
- best steps:
- prevent outbursts before they
happen by instilling routine
- focus on socialization (sharing,
rules)
- negotiation is good for older
kids
- lack cognitive skills including: flexibility
and adaptability, frustration tolerance,
problem solving
- best steps:
- talk with the child to see why they are
reacting as they are
- work to come up with a solution
together
- the misunderstanding and poor
treatment they face are what makes
matters worse/unsolvable later in life
Jordan Peterson – Clinical
Psychologist
Ross Greene – Author and
Psychologist
OPPOSITIONAL DEFIANT
DISORDER

12. STEP 5
Handbook: Understanding and Addressing Oppositional
and Defiant Classroom Behaviors

13. UNDERSTANDING AND ADDRESSING OPPOSITIONAL
AND DEFIANT CLASSROOM BEHAVIORS
1. Access prereferral services.
2. Encourage family collaboration and communication.
3. Collect assessment data and perform a functional behaviour assessment.
4. Address students’ learning and motivational difficulties.
5. Provide social skills instruction.
6. Offer attribution training.
7. Build relationships with students
8. Develop students’ self-esteem.
9. Give students choices.
10. Be aware of verbal and nonverbal communication.
11. Teach students to use self-management interventions.
12. Follow routines and foster transitions.
13. Establish and teach rules.
14. Learn more about oppositional and defiant behaviours.

14. This handbook stated: “Educators need to be aware
of the problems associated with labeling students.
Such terms as oppositional defiant disorder locate
problems within students rather than within the
education system.”
- This statement stood out to me because I
completely agree with it and it relates to the
content of the handbook, which provides actions
a teacher may take in order to help in the success
of his/her students.
- It also relates to my “next steps” on the Slide #17.

15. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

16. Articles:
- Having the child believe in him/herself is key to their success.
- Frequent penalty is better than having larger penalty.
- Children with ODD and ADHD are more persistent and more self-
directed (don’t assume having more than one disorder is worse than
having only one).
Documentary:
- Make sure to give information without all the “fluff ”.
- Respond in a matter-of-fact way (avoiding power struggle), but be
positive and supportive.
Debate:
- Prevent! Prevent! Prevent! Have conversations to understand why they
are responding how they are. Stick to a schedule. Teach the skills they
lack (esp. social skills)
Handbook:
- In addition to those solutions above, create a plan with a support group
including the family.
- Use attribution training to reflect on their own abilities and areas of
improvement, developing their sense of responsibility and self-esteem.
- Make learning interesting to get them motivated to learn.
SPECIFICSTEPSTOTAKEINMYFUTURE
CLASSROOM

17. - Summary: This investigation has satisfied my question on what
are some techniques to ensure that students with ODD (and
other defiant behaviours) succeed at school.
- Reflection: In the first part of this inquiry, I learned about the
characteristics of a child with ODD that I knew could be
prevented in the classroom (negative, defiant, blame others). The
articles, especially the handbook, each gave me a detailed method
in addressing these behaviours more so than any other resource.
The debate was useful in that it showed me that causes and
solutions are still in the research stages, but that a consensus is
made on some of the techniques to addressing this behaviour.
The parent’s testimony in the documentary helped me to
understand the child behind the disorder and that patience is key
in helping children with ODD.
- Next steps: During this investigation, I decided that I want to
learn more about a variety of learning styles and other disorders
common in students to ensure their success. I believe it is the
teacher’s responsibility to have the knowledge to ensure the
success of all of his/her students. For these reasons, I have
enrolled in a few online courses that discuss inclusive education
(as demonstrated in my Portfolio Presentation).
SUMMARY

18. RESOURCES
D. Da Fonseca, F. Cury, A. Santos, P. Sarrazin, F. Poinso, C. Deruelle. "How to increase academic performance in
children with oppositional defiant disorder? An implicit theory effect.” Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental
Psychiatry 41.3 (2010): 234–237. Web. 18 October 2013.
Hyo-Won Kim, Soo-Churl Cho, Boong-Nyun Kim, Jae-Won Kim, Min-Sup Shin, Jin-Young Yeo. “Does
oppositional defiant disorder have temperament and psychopathological profiles independent of attention
deficit/hyperactivity disorder?” Comprehensive Psychiatry. 51.4. (2010): 412–418. Web. 18 October 2013.
Marjolein Luman, Joseph A. Sergeant, Dirk L. Knol, Jaap Oosterlaan. “Impaired Decision Making in
Oppositional Defiant Disorder Related to Altered Psychophysiological Responses to Reinforcement.” Biological
Psychiatry. 68.4 (2010): 337–344. Web. 18 October 2013.
“Oppositional Defiant Disorder.” Youtube – tvoparents. 4 May 2010.
Salend, Spencer and Shawna Sylvestre. “Understanding and Addressing Oppositional and Defiant
Classroom Behaviors.” Teaching Exceptional Children. 37.6. (2005): 32-39. Web. 18 October
2013.
Taking Care: Child and Youth Mental Health: Knowledge Network. Open Learning Agency.
(2004). Web. 23 October 2013.