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bradysmnd

New Member
Hello,

I'm new to the site. My son is in preschool and has recently been recommended to be screened for hearing comprehension and attention. At school he's a bar or two behind the class when singing, and often doesn't respond to instruction. I know his hearing is fine, and he's been speaking clearly since he could walk (around 12 months). I'm thankful that this is the only behavior the teacher sees. At home he is a terror to both my husband and I. He blatantly ignores direction, breaks out in terrible tantrums, abuses our pet cat, is very rambunctious and destructive, uses name calling a profanity when angry, destroys toys and other items around the house. When told not to do something because it is unsafe, he does it just to defy us. He is a loving and happy boy when he is doing what he wants, but try and get him to do something, or set limits on him, and he changes into a different kid. This is putting severe stresses on our marriage and family life. I need to start acting now. We are going for the screening on Jan. 7th, but I need advice sooner. I think he shows signs of Opposisional Defiance Disorder. Please let me know if there's anything I can start doing at home.
Thank you!
 

smallworld

Moderator
Welcome! I'm glad you found us.

Over the years, many of us have found that our children present as if they have ODD, but that is just a symptom rather than a diagnosis unto itself. When the underlying cause behind the ODD bheaviors is identified and treated, the behaviors generally subside.

What kind of professional is doing the screening on January 7?

One book you should definitely get your hands on is The Explosive Child by Ross Greene. It has helped many of us parent our extra-challenging children.

Again, welcome.
 

SRL

Active Member
Hi bradysmnd, welcome aboard.

Don't assume because his hearing is fine in the home environment that everything is normal in the auditory sense. There's an area called auditory processing which some children struggle with which can be very much dependent on environment. Kids with auditory processing problems may do fine at home listening to familiar voices but can wipe out in the classroom with a new adult voice, many children's voices, different background noises, etc.

If this were my child I'd be talking to my pediatrician about getting a multidisciplinary evaluation including a developmental pediatrician and not just screenings done for attention and listening comprehension. When a child has been raised in a stable, loving, consistent family, ODD is often of a sign that there are underlying nuerological things happening and the sooner you get a full picture of that, the better for all.
 
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