Author: Debra Sale Wendler Copyright (c) 2008 Debra Sale Wendler If your child has ODD (oppositional defiant disorder) or bipolar, you're familiar with child behavior problems. If your child has signs of autism, ADHD or ADD (attention deficit disorder), Aspergers, or PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified), you may be seeing challenging behaviors. Five Warning Signs of Challenging Child Behavior: If you suspect that your child's difficult behavior is something more than just being a kid, these are the warning signs of a full-fledged challenging child. 1. Refuses to look up into your eyes. This is one of the early signs that your parent-child relationship is in trouble. He refuses to look up into your eyes because that gives you power. He doesn't trust you enough to give you that control. To test this, ask your child to sit beside you while you show him something, for example, a book or picture. Ask a friend or older child to ob

Author: Debra Sale Wendler Your child has ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). He is impulsive, hyperactive, and temperamental because he does not have the frontal lobe ability to monitor his behavior. He has low self-esteem because he is constantly being corrected by adults for his inappropriate behavior. He has ODD (oppositional defiant disorder) because he thinks he is never wrong. He does not trust or respect adults because he thinks he is smarter than they are. He is obnoxious, unhappy, rejected, and out of controlall the makings of a social outcast. It has been said that a child with ADHD operates like a speeding car without the brakes. Remember this metaphor by heart. There are several ways to stop a car without brakes. It is your job to help your child find those ways unique to him so that he can slow down, pay attention, make informed choices, and learn. Effect of ADHD on Your Child's Future Few parenting experts will tell you honestly how dim

Author: Debra Sale Wendler Copyright (c) 2008 Debra Sale Wendler Children with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), ODD (oppositional defiant disorder), bipolar, autism, Asperger's syndrome, and PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified), can be very difficult. If your child has one of these conditions, he may try to push your buttons so you lose control and he wins. The only way out of this gridlock is to develop some refusal tactics of your own. Adopt these winning tactics that soothe your child and elevate your parenting style: 1. Refuse to argue. Your child's first line of defense (and distraction from the real issue at hand) is to start an argument. Counter his defensive tactic with your calm logic. For example, if you child doesn't want to do the dishes, he may say, "I didn't eat any of that stupid dinner so I'm not doing the stupid dishes. " You can say, "I hear you. The chore chart shows clearly that you wash

Author: Debra Sale Wendler You will know your child is difficult before he is two years old, especially if you have other children. He exhausts you. He cannot sit still, does not listen to instructions, and gets in trouble constantly. A former foster mother of 36 children with severe ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) said, "These kids make your eyeballs tired. " If your child has behavior problems, it is hard to know what to do next. You may be reluctant to get him assessed right away because you still have questions. What if he just has a lot of energy? What is normal behavior anyway? Typical Milestones of Children without Child Behavior Problems At three years oldhe can initiate play activities and he enjoys playing with other kids. At four years oldhe talks and plays with his peers, takes turns when playing games, cooperates in groups, and helps adults when asked. At five years oldhe can follow established rules and routines. He ap

Author: Debra Sale Wendler ADHD alone is difficult to deal with, but ADHD comorbid (or combined) with ODD (oppositional defiant disorder) creates chaos. If your child periodically talks back defiantly, slams doors, acts stubborn, and blows up but has some control to calm himself down, feel remorse, and accept consoling and logical explanations, he does not have ODD. What is ODD? If your child is hot-headed, gets angry frequently, loses his temper, is spiteful and vindictive, deliberately annoys people around him (at home and school alike), argues with adults, defies you, and refuses to carry out rules and adults' requests, be forewarned. If he is easily annoyed by others and overreacts to remarks by others, but never owns up to his mistakes because they are always somebody's fault, this is a kid with full-fledged ODD. This is not a phase that will pass. He cannot control these behaviors. He does not feel remorse for causing the hurt feelings and chao