Has you friend read the Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults book? I would highly recommend it as it explains how gifted children can often have traits of many disorders but truly not meet the clinical criteria for diagnosis.
My own DS6 was recently havign major behavior issues and underwent a neuropyschological evaluation and it was recommended that I read this book prior to the appt...I would highly recommend it to all parents with gifted children. My DS6 does have a lot of characteristics of ODD but the neuropsychologist and I sat and looked at each of the diagnostic criteria--she told me that it would be almost impossible to diagnose a 6 year old with ODD due to the length of time these behaviors would have had to be persistent. The child would also have to exhibit these behavior in ALL circumstances...(home, school, sports, etc.). I hope your friend and her son find some answers...
