Explosive children, or explosive kids, are children and adolescents described by Dr. Ross W. Greene in his books The Explosive Child and Lost at School as being compromised in the skills of flexibility/adaptability, frustration tolerance, and problem solving, resulting in frequent and sometimes severe temper outbursts and noncompliance. In his books, Dr. Greene delineates a treatment model (now called Collaborative & Proactive Solutions) for helping such youth in families, schools, and restrictive therapeutic facilities.
Contents
Classification
The term is used in popular culture, and is partially captured in the diagnosis of Intermittent explosive disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Children identified as being explosive child may meet diagnostic criteria for a variety of additional psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, Tourette syndrome, Asperger's syndrome, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, or obsessive compulsive disorder.
Treatment
Studies have shown that Dr. Greene's Collaborative & Proactive Solutions model is an empirically supported, well-established treatment for these children.