What is Behavioral Disabilities

Behavioral patterns that are unpleasant and negatively affect you and those around you
are categorized as behavioral disabilities. When these are not addressed, they can
have an impact on adult life and make it difficult to maintain healthy relationships, a
regular job, and other duties of a typical adult. These disabilities are typically detected
and treated in early childhood.

Children with behavioral disabilities engage in conduct that is disruptive to classroom

functioning and/or harmful to themselves and others.To be diagnosed with a behavioral
disability, the behaviors must not be attributable to one of the aforementioned
psychiatric disorders.

So, there are two categories of behavioral disabilities namely Oppositional Defiant
Disorder and Conduct Disorder.Let us know more about these categories and let us
start by knowing what is Oppositional Defiant Disorder.

What is Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is a type of behavior disorder. It is characterized by

extreme noncompliance, negativity, and an unwillingness to cooperate or follow
directions. It is mostly diagnosed in childhood. Children with ODD are uncooperative,
defiant, and hostile toward peers, parents, teachers, and other authority figures. They
are also frequently irritable, argumentative, and disobedient. ODD may be diagnosed if
this behavior lasts 6 months or longer. But, take note that children with this condition are
not violent or aggressive, they simply refuse to cooperate with adults or peers

What causes ODD in a child?

Researchers don’t know what causes ODD. But there are 2 main theories for why it
occurs:

Developmental theory. This theory suggests that the problems start when children are
toddlers. Children and teenagers with ODD may have had a difficult time separating
themselves from a parent or another important figure to whom they felt an emotional
attachment. Their actions could be the result of typical developmental problems that
continue past the toddler stage.

Learning theory. This theory suggests that the negative symptoms of ODD are learned
attitudes. They replicate the results of the negative reinforcement strategies utilized by
parents and other authoritative figures. The child's ODD behaviors get worse when
negative reinforcement is used. This is so that the youngster can gain the attention and
response they desire from their parents or other people.

They are also researchers who believe that the cause of oppositional defiant disorder is
a complex combination of genetic, biological and environmental factors:

Genetic Factors - Numerous children with ODD have family members who suffer from
mental health issues such as mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and personality
disorders. In addition, many children and teenagers with ODD also have other mental
health issues like ADHD, learning difficulties, or depression and anxiety disorders,
which raises the possibility that there is a hereditary connection between the disorders.

Biological Factors - ODD has also been connected to problems with specific
neurotransmitters, which facilitate communication between nerve cells in your brain.
Your brain may not receive messages effectively if these substances are out of balance
or not functioning properly, which could result in symptoms.
Environmental Factors - ODD development may also be influenced by peer rejection,
abnormal peer groups, poverty, neighborhood violence, and other fragile social or
economic conditions.

Signs and Symptoms

Oppositional defiant disorder typically shows up by the age of 8. Symptoms normally

remain steady between the ages of 5 and 10, and after that, but not always, they start to
progress.

Although the symptoms are frequently obvious in a variety of circumstances, they could
stand out more at home or at school.

Signs and symptoms of ODD can be grouped into three categories:

 Anger and irritability - Lose their temper easily.

 Have frequent outbursts of anger and resentment.
 Be touchy and/or easily annoyed by others.
 Be frequently angry and/or disrespectful.

 Argumentative and defiant behavior- Excessively argue with adults.

 Actively refuse to comply with requests and rules.
 Blame others for their own mistakes.
 Deliberately try to annoy or upset others.

 Vindictiveness- Being spiteful and seeking revenge.

 Saying mean and hateful things when angry or upset.

The majority of symptoms that are present in children and teens with ODD can
occasionally be found in people without the disorder. This is particularly true for kids
who are approximately 2 or 3 years old or who are in their teen years. Children
frequently ignore orders, argue with parents, or defy authority. When they are hungry,
exhausted, or agitated, they frequently exhibit this behavior. However, these symptoms
are revealed more frequently in children and teenagers with ODD. They hinder learning
and academic adjustment as well. Additionally, in some instances, they destroy the
child's social interactions.

How is oppositional defiant disorder diagnosed?

Mental health professionals diagnose oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) if the child
meets four or more of the symptom criteria as described in the Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) for at least six months. The DSM-5,
published by the American Psychiatric Association, is the standard reference book for
recognized mental illnesses. The symptoms must also be severe and disruptive to daily
life.

The child will likely need to see a child and adolescent psychologist or psychiatrist if
they’re showing signs of ODD. These mental health professionals use specially
designed interview and assessment tools to evaluate the child for a mental health
condition.

Psychiatrists and psychologists often rely on reports from the child’s parents, siblings,
friends and teachers to get a full understanding of their behavior. Then, the psychologist
or psychiatrist will carefully assess the child.

Treated

Treatment for ODD varies based on many factors, including:

  Child’s age.

 The severity of their symptoms.

 Child’s ability to take part in and tolerate specific therapies.

 If the child has other conditions, such as ADHD, learning differences and/or
OCD.

 Treatment of ODD should involve the child, family and their school.

Treatment usually consists of a combination of the following:

 Parent management training (PMT).

 Psychotherapy (talk therapy) – Cognitive behavioral therapy and family-

focused therapy

 School-based interventions.

 Medications for ODD.

 The primary method of treatment for oppositional behavior is parent management

therapy (PMT). It teaches parents how to use positive reinforcement to reduce
undesirable behaviors and promote good habits in their children at home.
Different training programs exist, and they often span a number of sessions over
several weeks. Parents have the ability to recognize both bad behaviors and
positive interactions during the sessions and to use punishment or reinforcement
as necessary. It has been demonstrated that PMT dramatically reduces
behavioral issues across a range of settings and family contexts.

 Psychotherapy (talk therapy) is a term for a variety of treatment techniques that

aim to help you identify and change troubling emotions, thoughts and behaviors.
Working with a mental health professional, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist,
can provide support, education and guidance to your child and your
family.Common types of psychotherapy that help treat ODD include:

 Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): This is a structured, goal-oriented

individual type of therapy. A therapist or psychologist helps the child take a close
look at their thoughts and emotions. The child will come to understand how their
thoughts affect their actions. Through CBT, the child can unlearn negative
thoughts and behaviors and learn to adopt healthier thinking patterns and habits.

 Family-focused therapy: This therapy is for children with ODD and their
caregivers. During this treatment, the child and family will join together in therapy
sessions of psychoeducation regarding ODD, communication improvement and
problem-solving skills. It can help identify factors in your home life that may
contribute to or worsen aggressive behaviors.
  School-based interventions for ODD
Supportive interventions to improve school performance, peer relationships and
problem-solving skills are very useful in the treatment of ODD.These interventions
may include:
 Education and tools for the child’s teacher(s) to improve classroom behavior.
 Techniques to prevent oppositional behavior or the worsening of such
behavior.
 Other methods that help the child follow classroom rules and acceptable
social interactions.
As a future educator, Be sensitive to self-esteem issues. Provide feedback to your
student with ODD in private, and avoid asking the student to perform difficult tasks in
front of classmates. It can be helpful to praise positive behaviors, such as staying
seated, not calling out, taking turns, and being respectful.
 Medications for ODD- Although there isn’t medication formally approved to treat
ODD, the child’s healthcare provider or psychiatrist might prescribe certain
medications to treat other conditions they may have, such as ADHD, OCD or
depression. If left untreated, these conditions can make the symptoms of ODD
worse.
If not diagnosed and treated at a young age, ODD can present itself in your later life as
feeling angry at the world, feeling misunderstood, disliking authority figures, especially
at work, becoming defensive when presented with opposition or feedback, and blaming
others for your actions.

Now, let us talk about Conduct Disorder

WHAT IS CONDUCT DISORDER - A group of mental and behavioral problems

characterized by a disregard for others are referred to as conduct disorders. This is
much more severe. This disorder is characterized by aggression, violence, and harm
inflicted on self and others. Students with conduct disorder typically need to be taught in
special education classrooms until their behavior has improved enough to allow contact
with the general education population

Children who suffer from conduct disorder struggle to follow rules and act in a way that
is acceptable to others. They occasionally engage in physical violence and exhibit angry
conduct. Early aggression may occur in the form of pushing, punching, and biting other
people. Conduct disorder in adolescents and teenagers can lead to more serious
actions like bullying, animal cruelty, brawling, stealing, vandalism, and arson. They
frequently also struggle with other mental health problems, which may increase the
emergence of conduct disorders.

CAUSES

Many factors seem to contribute to this disorder. Research has found that children and
teens with conduct disorder seem to have an impairment in the frontal lobe of the brain.
This interferes with their ability to plan, avoid harm, and learn from negative
experiences.

In addition, these factors seem to put children and teens at a higher risk to develop
conduct disorder:

 Having experienced abuse, parental rejection or neglect.

 Being diagnosed with other psychiatric disorders.
 Biological parents diagnosed with ADHD, alcohol use disorder, depression,
bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia.
 Poor nutrition.
 Living in poverty.
 Maternal psychopathology.
  Poor parenting / lack of parental involvement.
 Inconsistent, overly harsh, or otherwise ineffective discipline.
 Exposure to violence.
 Peer delinquency.
 Having been subjected to physical, sexual, and/or emotional abuse.
 Lack of adequate parental or other adult supervision.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

There are four basic types of behavior that characterize conduct disorder:
Physical aggression,Violating others’ rights,Lying or manipulation, and
Delinquent behaviors

Aggression toward others and a callous disregard for their needs and rights are
characteristics of conduct disorder. Adolescents and teenagers with conduct disorders
may find satisfaction in doing violent, dishonest, or coercive activities. If you observe
multiple of the following behaviors in a child, they may have conduct disorder:

• Bullying or threatening behavior

• Physical aggression
• Cruelty toward people or animals
• Fire-setting
• Breaking curfew
• Truancy from home or school
• Trespassing
• Lying
• Cheating
• Stealing
• Vandalism
• Emotionally or physically abusive behaviors (such as wielding a deadly weapon
or forcing sex)

• Many young people with conduct disorder will have trouble:

 Feeling and expressing empathy or remorse.
 Showing emotion toward others.
 Performing well in the school or community and blaming others for poor
performance.
• They often misinterpret the actions of others as being hostile or aggressive.

They respond by escalating the situation into verbal or physical conflict.

• In adolescents and teens, conduct disorder may be associated with other

difficulties, including:

 Substance use.
 Risk-taking behavior.
 School problems.
 Physical injury from accidents or fights.

In younger children, it can be more of a challenge to distinguish signs of conduct

disorder from more typical “acting out". At times, these same symptoms can be seen in
children without the disorder. The difference is frequency, intensity, and duration, as
well as to what extent it impacts their functioning. We must remember that in children
with conduct disorder, these behaviors happen much more frequently.

HOW IS CONDUCT DSIORDER DIAGNOSED

• A child psychiatrist, psychologist, or other qualified mental health professional

usually diagnoses conduct disorders in children and teens by completing:
 A detailed history of the child's behavior, as well as relevant biological,
psychological, social, and cultural factors, which are identified during a
clinical interview with the child and caregiver(s).
  A review of historical data such as school records, court/child welfare
records, past treatment records, and interviews with collaterals.
• Additional information can also be obtained via the following:
 Observations of the child's behavior.
 Psychological testing.

TREATMENT

Treatment can be complex and challenging. And it can last for several months. Children with
conduct disorder tend to be uncooperative with others. They often fear and distrust adults. And
adding to the complication is the fact that conduct disorder is often (but not always) diagnosed
along with a number of other psychological conditions.

Treatment for conduct disorder may include:

 Multisystemic therapy: Intensive, often home- or community-based interventions to

promote positive behavior change in the youth’s environment. Treatment relies heavily
on family and school involvement.
 Family therapy.
 Medication.

Conduct disorder can be difficult to overcome. But it is manageable. The earlier the
treatment is started after symptoms appear, the more successful it is likely to be.

As a future educators, Try to monitor your expressions, keep them as neutral as

possible, communicate a positive regard for the students, and give them the benefit of
the doubt whenever possible. Remember that students with conduct disorder like to
argue. Remain respectful, calm, and detached. Avoid power struggles and don't argue.

So, let us always remember that, early intervention is key. After knowing further about
behavioral disabilities, let us move to the next topic which is Autism and it will be
discussed by Miss Maria Kaeceline Getes.

https://www.greaterlowellpsychassoc.com/blog/5-most-common-behavioral-issues

https://www.educationcorner.com/behavioral-disorders-in-the-classroom.html

https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/conditions/conduct-disorders#:~:text=Conduct%20disorder
%20refers%20to%20a,hostile%20and%20sometimes%20physically%20violent.