I have often thought that ODD is the children’s version of what borderline personality disorder was in the 90’s: a cruel, lazy diagnosis that authoritarian types slapped on to (mainly woman) those who’d been previously traumatized by unreasonable authoritarian types who didn’t blindly do their bidding, or were otherwise uncooperative and non-compliant.

It seems now, practitioners recognize the link to trauma and practice trauma-informed care, but old-school types really love punishment and cruelty in response to the behaviors outlined in the essay. I’m glad things are changing.