Children diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) are at a higher risk to develop other serious problems based on reoccurring symptoms such as; aggression, hostility, and lack of empathy for others. Based on the emotional intelligence theory, it may be possible that understanding emotional intelligence in children with ODD could help reduce future psychological and social problems. This quantitative study addresses the problem of poor or low Emotional Intelligence (EI) in children diagnosed with ODD. A correlation between parenting style, as defined by Baumrind's parenting style theory, and the development of emotional intelligence has been found in current research. However, there is limited research which addresses the potential moderating effect of socioeconomic status (SES) on the relationship between parenting style and level of emotional intelligence in young children (4-8 years) diagnosed with ODD. Parents of children aged 4-8 years old, with a diagnosis of ODD, were sampled and asked to complete three surveys: Kuppuswamy's Socioeconomic Scale, Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire, and The Parenting Rating Sclae from Childrens Emotional Intellignce (4-8). There were 85 surevys completed. A multiple regression analysis with a moderator was used and the results did not show statistically significant impacts of SES on the relationship between parenting styles and level of emotional intelligence in young children diagnosed with ODD. Social change impacts may include: access to behavioral/mental health resources for families in low income neighborhoods and parent education/training.