What happens to children with ODD?
With the right help, some of the signs of ODD can get better. Some children outgrow ODD completely, but that doesn’t happen very often. Doctors don’t know why this happens to some children, but not to others. In some children, a bad case of ODD can turn into conduct disorder as the child gets older. Conduct disorder is a serious problem. In some ways, conduct disorder is just a worse version of ODD. It usually starts a few years after ODD starts, if it’s going to happen at all. Signs of conduct disorder are: • Hurting other people and animals on purpose • Starting fights • Skipping school often, starting before age 13 • Running away from home more than once, without coming back for a long time • Stealing • Breaking the law • Abusing alcohol and drugs Normally, only the very worst cases of ODD turn into conduct disorder. Milder cases of ODD don’t. Most of the time, getting help for the ODD can prevent conduct disorder. You must let your child know that there are rules in your home and i
