The following interview was conducted by The Balanced Mind Foundation Executive Director Martha Hellander:

The Balanced Mind Foundation: Dr. Greene, The Explosive Child has gained a huge following among parents of children with bipolar disorder. Have many parents in the audiences you've spoken to around the country told you their child has this diagnosis?

RG: Yes, I've found that bipolar disorder is an increasingly common diagnosis in children and adolescents who also fit the description of "explosive."

The Balanced Mind Foundation: You write that most children with what you call inflexible-explosive behavior are not the product of poor parenting, nor have they been abused nor neglected. What does cause this behavior, then?

RG: My own take on things is that these children are lacking in two critical skill areas: flexibility and frustration tolerance. A variety of factors stemming from poor self-regulation and poor emotional modulation may impair the development of these skills. Naturally, how adults respond to these children is also important.