I was just finished reading "Smart Boys" by Kerr & Cohn (I really need to make a little book report for the recommended resources.) � But they said "A study by Arcenaux (1990) shows that although underachieving gifted students do possess Antisocial Personality Disorder characteristics, these characteristics are uniquely combined with a need for understanding and knowledge. �Although they engage in behaviors that are not socially acceptable, they seem to have a longing to understand their own behavior and the world around them. �In contrast to the unthinking unfeeling sociopath, they usually feel the need for profound thought and for expressing intense feelings.". They go on to say in the chapter "Gifted Sociopaths, Redeemable Rebels, and how to tell the difference" that aggressive gifted boys are not actual psychopaths but have adopted a survival strategy similar to certain species of butterfly which mimic toxic species. �The boys take on the characteristics of sociopathic behavior to defend themselves against those who would humiliate or hurt them. �So the "American Psychiatric Association has not allowed the term Antisocial Personality Disorder to be used with children and instead has developed three other categories to describe them: oppositional defiant disorder, intermittent explosive disorder, and conduct disorder.". According to this book �the Antisocial Personality Disorder diagnosis (aka sociopath or psychopath) is like a brain damage that the neurotransmitters are forever ruined and does not respond to treatment. �

I just read about this in a book, now I'm reading about it in your post so I thought I'd let you know. �ODD is apparently a sub-category of sociopath, but more like they're faking it as an effective self-defense mechanism than any actual neurological disorder. �So with understanding and behavior training the ODD goes away. �Phew! �

Hope that helps and hope I don't sound too weird for reading about these things. �
My brother used ADD medicine and my stepmother said it really helped him accomplish more things in his life and in his day. �She told me to try to keep an open mind about it if they recommend it for my son when he is older. �She says your brain chemistry changes as you age so that it's a useful tool that helps that they eventually outgrow the need for.
I think it's great that the reward system seems to be working for you. �Putting aside the debate over internal vs. External motivation I think this might work because it's putting the executive functioning responsibility back on him. �And it's a positive reinforcement system which doesn't trigger the gifted ODD defenses.

Youth lives by personality, age lives by calculation. -- Aristotle on a calendar