Joe:
Welcome to our discussion here with Dr. James Sutton. As an educator, he has taught everything from grade school to graduate school. His interest in working with emotionally troubled youngsters motivated him to earn a doctorate in psychology. Today, Dr. Sutton addresses the needs of young people as a consulting psychologist, an author, and an accomplished speaker. His years of service to young people, and those who serve them, have included consultation with public and private schools and school districts, educational service centers, hospitals, residential treatment and group home facilities, juvenile probation authorities, special education cooperatives, and child service agencies.

Joe:
Thank you Dr. Sutton for taking the time out of your busy schedule to be here. How did you come to become interested in ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder) and what caused you to focus on the aspect of ODD you call "The Good Kid" Disorder?

Dr. Sutton:
Thank you, Joe for inviting me. I became interested as a classroom teacher, noticing that some youngsters had all the personality and ability in the world, but were doing squat. I wondered why, and begin to look into it. I guess "The Good Kid Disorder" really isn't ODD at all, but a milder (but incredibly more persistent, and affecting many more youngsters) form of oppositional and defiant behavior. These kids are "normal" in most every other regard except compliance and achievement. They have friends and other social relationships, a sense of family, and they are not aggressive or violent. Their behaviors take the form of oppositionality and defiance.

Joe:
What kind of behaviors are we talking about?

Dr. Sutton:
Usually those behaviors that annoy and irritate others, such as refusal to complete schoolwork or appropriately handle responsibilities at home. More specifically, behaviors to watch for include psychological distress (irritability, fear, anger and depression), inefficiency (forgetting, poor skills of concentration and organization, procrastination, and poor performance in school), and manifestations of anger (pouting, stubbornness, blaming, arguing, spitefulness, and noncompliance).

Joe:
Many kids who "act up" are often diagnosed as ADD. How would you differentiate ADD from ODD?