Ask the Expert -- What to Do When ADHD and ODD Co-Occur

[KarenADHDWeekly]

ODD often co-occurs with ADHD. Do you know what to do when your child has this dual diagnosis? We talked with an expert about where to begin.

Read "What to Do When ADHD and ODD Co-Occur" at bit.ly/nrcADHDODD for his ideas on how to help your child.

[scrabble2018]

I am a mother of a 12 yo daughter with ADHD and ODD. She just started social skills group yesterday. She also sees a psychologist and psychiatrist. She has been on adderal and vyvanse without much improvement. She started strattera 5 days ago overlapping with vyvanse, since it will take 4-6 wks on strattera before an effect is seen.

1.Can she stay on stimulant and non-stimulant med.combo. and do children sometimes need both?

2.Her ODD is severe and first noted by us at age 3, but not diagnosed by a medical professional till this year. This is made worse by her impulsiveness, poor decision making, immaturity, and poor common sense, as detected on her testing by the psychologist. She has encopresis (stool incontinence from chronic constipation) and refuses to follow the physician's advise to go to the bathroom at regular intervals and sit for 5 minutes. We have tried everything (watches, points with rewards, etc.). She will have an accident, but refuses to acknowledge it and will not follow ours or the doctor's advice. Do you have any advice?

Thanks

[EJsMom in reply to scrabble2018]

Scrabble! Love the name.

I’ve heard from many parents that their kids take combinations of meds. Sometimes they need 2-3 different types.

Your only the second parent I’ve heard mention encopresis. The other one is my husband. My step son has adhd and encopresis. They’ve tried everything as well. My step son seems completely unfazed by his problem.

I’m sorry to say I don’t have good advice about this. I wish I did!

I wanted you to know there are others out here going through the same thing.

I am so worried he will go to school this year and other kids will start picking on him. (He’ll be in 7th grade)

Frankly, sometimes he smells bad. He doesn’t seem to notice or care.

I hope someone else responds to this and has good ideas.

[LONGNAILS219 in reply to scrabble2018]

Hi my son is 13 and he also has adhd, odd and he also has biopolar. He suffers from going to the bathroom regular. As I was reading your story. I was like I'm not alone. It's very difficult. Even at school his behavior is difficult.

[Tryingtohanginthere in reply to scrabble2018]

Our 12 year old is the exact same way. It's almost as though you described our daughter! Only sometimes she goes as far as blaming me for HER smell. She thinks arguing with me will convince me it's me. She lies so good sometimes it almost appears as though she truly believes them herself.

[Anonymousfriend]

Hello! I joined because I want to try and help my friend. Her son has adhd and odd. He's a compulsive lier, he will cry, scream and argue with his parents, he doesn't clean his room, he won't shower, he got up in the middle of the night to shave his head with clippers, they said he stays up refuses to eat dinner until he's told its bed time and then he wants to eat. I want to try and help but I'm clueless to an extent. I'm reading a lot of different articles and it's helping me understand a small bit but what can I do to help? He just started his 3rd med for the adhd and his mom is worried that pushing pills isn't going to help. I've seen there's no meds for it.. She's had him with counseling, police home visit, he dosent display this behavior at school, and he don't "perform" so to speak when he was going to see someone... He either dosent talk or lies to the councilor...