One of the most difficult circumstances for parents is when their child has Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). ODD is defined as:
a psychiatric category listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders where it is described as an ongoing pattern of disobedient, hostile, and defiant behavior toward authority figures which goes beyond the bounds of normal childhood behavior.
ODD usually manifests itself in children who chronically lose their temper, argue with adults, refuse to comply with rules and requests, deliberately annoy people and blame other for their mistakes and misbehavior. Certainly, many children express these behaviors, but Oppositional Defiant Disorder means that this is the normal and constant behavior of the child, not something they do every now and then.
Fortunately, there is help, thanks to the resources created by Mark Hutten, M.A. Mark has created a parent education series called My Out-of-Control Child: Help for Parents with Oppositional Defiant Children. His series includes an online parent support group, audio recordings from his ongoing series, powerpoint presentations and videos, a bi-weekly newsletter and direct access to Mark if you have any questions.
You can learn more about his innovative program at http://www.myoutofcontrolteen.com.