Diagnosis

To determine whether your child has oppositional defiant disorder, the mental health professional will likely do a comprehensive psychological evaluation. Because ODD often occurs along with other behavioral or mental health problems, symptoms of ODD may be difficult to distinguish from those related to other problems.

Your child's evaluation will likely include an assessment of:

• Overall health
• Frequency and intensity of behaviors
• Emotions and behavior across multiple settings and relationships
• Family situations and interactions
• Strategies that have been helpful — or not helpful — in managing problem behaviors
• Presence of other mental health, learning or communication disorders