Oppositional Defiant Disorder · Ages 5 and up
Defiance usually means a child is struggling with something they can't yet name.
When a child or teen is frequently defiant, angry, or argumentative, it wears on everyone. With the right support, families can find their footing again.
What it looks like
What ODD can look like
Beyond typical developmental pushback, ODD often shows up as some mix of the following.
- Persistent patterns of defiance toward adults
- Frequent arguing and refusing to follow rules
- Easily losing their temper
- Blaming others rather than taking responsibility
- Acting resentful or vindictive
- Conflict that wears on the whole family
Practical strategies that reduce conflict and reinforce cooperation
Our clinicians use evidence-based behavioral approaches and, crucially, coach parents and caregivers with practical strategies that reduce conflict and reinforce cooperation. Change happens fastest when the whole family is part of the work.
Oppositional behavior often overlaps with ADHD, anxiety, or learning differences. We look at the whole picture rather than treating the behavior in isolation.
We work with children and teens, and we partner closely with parents and caregivers throughout.
Our approach
How ODD therapy works at LodeStone
A whole-picture, coordinated path, not a one-size-fits-all plan.
Understand the whole picture
We look at what's underneath the behavior, since oppositional patterns often overlap with ADHD, anxiety, or learning differences.
Use evidence-based behavioral approaches
Structured, proven strategies that reduce conflict and reinforce cooperation, shaped around your child and your family.
Coach parents and caregivers
We coach parents with practical tools, because change happens fastest when the whole family is part of the work.
Not sure where to start? Get answers and we will match your family with the right clinician.
We provide this care in person at our Hinsdale and Woodstock offices, and by telehealth across Illinois. We are in-network with BCBS PPO, Blue Choice, Aetna, Medicare, and United Behavioral Health, and we verify your benefits before your first visit.
A closer look
Understanding ODD, beyond the label of a difficult kid
Oppositional defiant disorder describes a pattern, lasting six months or more, of angry moods, argumentative and defiant behavior, and sometimes vindictiveness that goes well beyond ordinary developmental pushback. It is not proof of bad parenting or a bad child. It's a stuck loop between a child who hasn't yet built certain skills and a household that has been pulled, understandably, into the fight.
What's usually underneath
Defiance is rarely the whole story. ADHD travels with ODD remarkably often, and anxiety, learning differences that turn school into a daily defeat, and family stress can all feed the pattern. That's why we assess the whole picture first; treating hidden ADHD or a reading struggle sometimes deflates battles that looked like pure willfulness.
Why parents are half the treatment
The strongest evidence in ODD treatment belongs to behavioral parent training: concrete shifts in attention, praise, commands, and consequences that break the escalation cycle. That's not because parents caused the problem. It's because parents have the most leverage over the loop, and small, consistent changes at home move faster than an hour a week in any office.
Your first steps
What to expect when you start
By the time families call us, they're exhausted. The first steps are designed to start lifting weight, not add homework.
Before your first visit
Start with the get-answers form or a phone call and tell us the real picture, worst moments included. We'll match your family with the right clinician and verify your insurance benefits before the first visit.
The first sessions
Your clinician meets the child and the parents, maps when the battles happen and what keeps them going, and screens for what may be hiding underneath, like ADHD or anxiety. Then everyone agrees on the first targets.
The work at home
You'll get specific, practical strategies, what to praise, what to ignore, how to give commands that get followed, while your child builds frustration and problem-solving skills in session. Wins at home come first.
Good to know
ODD treatment: frequently asked questions
Isn't this just a phase, or normal strong will?+
Strong-willed kids argue; a phase passes. ODD is a pattern that holds for six months or more, shows up across situations, and keeps escalating despite consequences that used to work. If the household has reorganized itself around avoiding the next blowup, it's worth an assessment.
Did we cause this as parents?+
No. ODD grows out of temperament, skills gaps, and often unrecognized ADHD or anxiety, and every family slides naturally into the escalation cycle it creates. The encouraging flip side: because the cycle runs on interactions, parents are also the most powerful lever for changing it.
Should my child be evaluated for ADHD too?+
Quite possibly; ADHD is ODD's most frequent companion, and impulsivity can look a lot like willful defiance. Our doctoral-level clinicians provide ADHD testing, and treating what's found often softens the oppositional pattern noticeably.
My child refuses to go to therapy. Now what?+
Start without them. Parent-focused work is the best-evidenced part of ODD treatment anyway, and changes at home often shift a child's behavior before they've ever met the clinician. Most kids join in once therapy stops sounding like a punishment.
Will my insurance cover ODD treatment?+
We are in-network with BCBS PPO, Blue Choice, Aetna, Medicare, and United Behavioral Health, and we verify your benefits before your first visit so you know exactly what to expect.
Does this work over telehealth?+
Parent coaching translates to video especially well, which busy family schedules appreciate. Child sessions can go either way, and we'll recommend honestly. We offer telehealth across Illinois and in-person care in Hinsdale and Woodstock.