ADHD children have difficulty in modulating their behavior and changing their conduct as situation demands. They have apparent social-cognitive deficits that limit their ability to encode and recall rules of social cues. Children with ADHD pay less attention to others verbally in games and other activities.

Many ADHD children are aware that they are socially inept. Children who are anxious or fearful about peer relations are unlikely to behave in an effective manner. These children withdraw from peer interactions and, in this way, limit their ability to gain acceptance and friendship.

Children are rejected by peers when they appear to be different. Similarity fosters social acceptance. Because ADHD children do not learn social clues as well as other children, they tend to be viewed as strange.

Bad Behavior

One of keys to your child’s social success is proper behavior. If your ADHD or ODD child frequently misbehaves, it is your obligation as a parent to teach your child how to improve his behavior.

If your child is aggressive or defiant, if he does not accept authority of adults, or if he conducts himself in a such a way that children his age will view him as a behavior problem, then your child will have a difficult time making and maintaining friendships. The friends he will attract are other aggressive problem children, type of child with whom which you would rather your child not associate.

All children need friends. Behavior problem children have trouble making friends with others, so these children tend to congregate together. They reinforce each other’s bad behavior. If you are an aware parent and you have control of your child you can put a stop to friendships with these children. However, you must have control of your child’s behavior in order to help him to avoid trap of bad friends.

Conclusion

Helping children with ADHD build close peer relationships is an important goal to focus on, and is one that often may be over looked. You, as a parent, have ability to help your child accomplish this important social goal. You should make every effort to help your child in this area. His psychological health and his happiness, both now and in future, are very much dependent upon how successful he is at making and maintaining childhood friendships.

Anthony Kane, MD

ADD ADHD Advances

Anthony Kane, MD is a physician and international lecturer. Get ADD ADHD Child Behavior and Treatment Help for your ADHD child, including child behavior advice and information on latest ADHD treatment. Sign up for free ADD ADHD Advances online journal Add your insights to ADD ADHD Blog

If your child has ODD it is important to know there are other co-existing problems. These other problems usually must be addressed before you can begin to help your child with ODD.

Prognosis

So what happens to these children? There are four possible paths.

1.Some will grow out of it. Half of preschoolers that are labeled ODD are normal by age of 8. However, in older ODD children, 75% will still fulfill diagnostic criteria later in life.

2.The ODD may turn into something else. 5-10 % of preschoolers with ODD have their diagnosis changed from ODD to ADHD. In some children, defiant behavior gets worse and these children eventually are diagnosed with Conduct Disorder. This progression usually happens fairly early. If a child has ODD for 3-4 years and he hasn't developed Conduct Disorder, then he won’t ever develop it.

3.The child may continue to have ODD without any thing else. This is unusual. By time preschoolers with ODD are 8 years old, only 5% have ODD and nothing else.

4.The child develops other disorders in addition to ODD. This is very common.

Treatment

Most of these children have some other disorder along with their ODD. Treating this other disorder is key to proper ODD management. This frequently means giving medication. Although this type of medical intervention does not make children "normal", it can make a big difference. It often allows other non-medical interventions to work much better.

For example, if a child has both ODD and ADHD, then giving child Ritalin may have a significant effect on his ODD, also. This positive effect does not seem to be related to severity of ADHD. That means even if child has mild ADHD and could do without Ritalin, if he is treated medically, you might see an improvement in his ODD.

Once other problems are under control, best treatment for ODD is parent training. In a study published in 1998, eighty-two research studies were evaluated were examined for efficacy. Approaches focusing on parent training were most affective techniques.

The main point is that some parent-training program is essential in addressing ODD. This is not going to work for everyone, but it is best treatment that we have available for ODD.

Advice to Parents

That is with regard to your child. If your child has ODD you need to take care of yourself, also. No child needs a martyr as a parent.

Here are some of things you can do:

·Maintain interests other than your child with ODD. You have to be a person.

·Try to work with and obtain support from other adults (teachers, coaches, and spouse) dealing with your child.

·Take time to work on your relationship with your spouse. Raising these children is very difficult and can put a strain on best of marriages.

·Manage your own stress with exercise and relaxation.

·Take frequent vacations. This is a must.

Conclusion

It is tough to live with children who have ODD. What is worse is that there does not seem to be any cure. However, if you make sure that your child has his other problems addressed and you improve your parenting skills by enrolling in a parent training program, you can do a great deal to improve your child’s condition and your own.

Anthony Kane, MD

ADD ADHD Advances