Temper Tantrums in Children Diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) Combined

How to Cope with the Tantrums of Aspergers/ODD Children (Dual Diagnosis)


How to Handle Tantrums—

Oppositional Defiant Disorder or ODD, as it is more commonly known, often occurs with other behavioral and mental health conditions, such as Aspergers and ADHD. In fact, it has been estimated that over 50% of the kids suffering from ODD are also suffers of some other disorder. There are plenty of other conditions that are more common in kids suffering from ODD with the majority of these centering around pronounced learning difficulties.

When Is ODD Diagnosed?

ODD is often diagnosed when the Aspergers youngster is in his or her teenage years. The symptoms, which vary in severity, include the youngster being irritated and annoyed by authority figures, which, in turn leads to them becoming uncooperative and generally defiant.

Experts suggest that ODD affects around 10% of Aspergers kids. ODD will be diagnosed by a specialist when the youngster has displayed a persistent pattern of disobedience towards authority figures, such as moms & dads, grandmoms & dads and teachers.

Symptoms of ODD—

Diagnosing conditions like ODD is actually quite difficult. However, you can use the list of symptoms below as a starting point:

The Aspergers child:

• speaks to others in a hateful manner
• refuses to do anything when asked
• is argumentative with adults
• displays touchy, or irritable tendencies
• displays persistent and prolonged tantrums
• displays of defiance
• deliberately tries to upset kids
• blames other kids for their own mistakes
• appears to often be angry or irritable

Just because your Aspergers youngster is acting up doesn’t necessarily mean that he has ODD. It’s perfectly normal for Aspergers kids to test the boundaries, especially at the ages of 2 to 3, and during the teenage years. This is normally nothing to worry about as your Aspergers youngster will grow out of it eventually.

The Moms & Dads' Role in AS/ODD—

As a parent of an Aspergers child, you have an important job in his upbringing. As such you should be finding ways to overcome his/her ODD.

There are a number of things that you can do to successfully parent a youngster with AS/ODD:

• Be positive. When the youngster does something right praise, him or her and reinforce what he or she has done. Whenever your youngster does something for you, be sure to let him or her know that you are grateful
• Seek medical attention as early as possible

If you are particularly concerned about your youngster, then you might want to take him or her to see your family doctor. If he is concerned that your youngster is presenting significant symptoms of the disorder, then he will refer you to a psychiatrist who is familiar with dealing with kids with such behavioral problems.

You should be aware that bringing up a youngster with Aspergers – and - ODD will be difficult, and it is important that you get support from other members of the family.

Moreover, as a parent you have to show that you are in control. Although kids with this condition have a lack of respect for authority figures, you must try to retain control. You may want to try drawing up a "rules contract" to help you. This is a technique whereby you write down what you expect to happen on paper. Sometimes this works because it makes it a more formal system, which the youngster may respond to as it is similar to the way they are often managed in schools.

This contract will also make Aspergers kids realize that they are responsible for what they do; kids need to learn that there are consequences for their actions. Once the condition is diagnosed, at least you know the reason behind the errant behavior, you can also look into treatment options and therapy with your doctor’s advice.

Dealing With Your Youngster's Tantrums—

Many moms & dads do not have the necessary tools to deal with this condition. They will normally react when their youngster starts showing defiance by giving in, threatening, screaming or sometimes negotiating. This isn’t the ideal thing to do as, by doing so, you are showing your kids that they can get what they want by behaving in an unacceptable manner.

You no doubt know that Aspergers kids need structure. The problem is that it can be difficult to decide on the right type of structure. Regular parenting methods such as “time out” often don’t work with Asperger/ODD kids, as they will simply use the time to plot some sort of revenge!

You should talk over problems when your misbehaving youngster has calmed down. Most importantly, don’t give into temptation and join in with the shouting. Rewards are the best way of dealing with the condition, but never offer false rewards that are just intended to make your youngster feel better as this will have worse repercussions in the long run.

You should carefully pick your battles with your youngster, realize that you cannot possibly win every one. Make sure that you pick ones you can win, and then make sure that you do win them!

Working with Kids with AS/ODD—

ODD is a difficult condition that can affect both younger kids and teenagers alike, however, its precise diagnosis can be difficult and subjective. Nevertheless, there are a number of key coping mechanisms you, as a parent, can put in place to manage your youngster’s behavior and manage his or her tantrums.

Remember to always deal with your Aspergers youngster in a calm manner. Also, consider introducing rules, rewards and consequences to create wanted behaviors and reduce unwanted ones. A strongly defined structured environment will also go a long way to preventing this behavior, or managing it if it should appear.

Whilst there is no definitive cure for this condition, the implementation of the techniques in this article will go at least part of the way to assist you in parenting your kids successfully if they suffer from both Aspergers and ODD.

My Aspergers Child