Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Definition:
"Obsessions are persistent thoughts, impulses or images that cause significant distress. Compulsions are repetitive behaviours or mental acts that a person feels compelled to do to prevent or reduce distress. Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric condition in which obsessions or compulsions are severe enough to be time consuming, cause marked distress or interfere with everyday functioning. Treatment for OCD ranges from therapy to self-help and medication. The onset of OCD usually occurs during adolescence or young adulthood. In young children other disorders, such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Autism and Tourette syndrome also can look like obsessive compulsive disorder." (Learn Alberta) Code 42 |
Characteristics/Behaviours:
Obsessive Thoughts
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What can I do in the classroom?
- Extended time for tests and papers. If writing is a problem for a child who needs to find the perfect way to say something, he's going to need more time to finish those essay questions or papers.
- Laptops for writing: If writing and rewriting/erasing is really problematic for a child, consider letting her use a laptop for taking notes, and having all assignments be typed instead of handwritten.
- A buddy system: A buddy is like a peer coach who sits next to the child and prompts him to keep up with note-taking and staying on task. It can be great for the buddy, to foster a sense of confidence and pride, to be able to help someone in need, and great for fostering friendship.
- Private testing rooms: Research is quite clear that kids with OCD and OC spectrum disorders do better, are less overwhelmed, and are more in control of their thoughts and of their reactions if they're in a quiet place away from the other kids.
- Plan an escape route: Try working out a communication system so that if the student feels symptoms coming on, she can signal to you and leave the classroom, or go to a protected place in the classroom, without interrupting the class. It can prevent an embarrassing and disruptive blowup of symptoms in the classroom, and the other kids picking on or bullying her about it.
- Be aware of triggering events. It's very important for teachers to know what kind of things might trigger the symptoms. Fatigue is a huge piece of OCD, and it can be exacerbated by medication. So it's important to know that if a child is drowsy in class, and maybe he's putting his head down, it's not because he's being oppositional or disrespectful, but overwhelmed with fatigue.
- Advance notice: Irritability and frustration are two of the longer-lasting things that kids with OCD are feeling on a daily basis. Changes in schedule can be very disruptive for a child with OCD, so it can be helpful for teachers to give advance notice of things. Kids who know what to expect are less likely to be thrown by the change.
- Seating arrangement: If the school has noisy hallways, you might not want to have a child with OCD sit by the door. You might have them sit in the front, where they're less able to hear the noise, and stay more focused on their work. On the other hand, a child who has very observable symptoms, and doesn't want other kids to see them fidgeting with their hands, or rocking, or getting up a lot, might be better off closer to the door, toward the back of the room.
Resources/Links:
http://www.ementalhealth.ca/Alberta/Obsessive-Compulsive-Disorder-OCD-in-Children-and-Youth-Information-for-Parents-and-Caregivers/index.php?m=article&ID=8876
https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/Pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=hw169097
http://www.macanxiety.com/specialist-treatment-services-in-canada/alberta/
http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/inmdict/html/obsessive_compulsive.html
https://lethbridge.cmha.ca/mental_health/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/
http://www.ocdeducationstation.org/recognizing-ocd-at-school/
http://www.ocdeducationstation.org/role-of-school-personnel/managing-ocd-in-the-classroom/-
http://www.helpguide.org/articles/anxiety/obssessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd.htm
http://www.childmind.org/en/posts/articles/2011-11-28-teachers-guide-helping-kids-ocd
http://www.ementalhealth.ca/Alberta/Obsessive-Compulsive-Disorder-OCD-in-Children-and-Youth-Information-for-Parents-and-Caregivers/index.php?m=article&ID=8876
https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/Pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=hw169097
http://www.macanxiety.com/specialist-treatment-services-in-canada/alberta/
http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/inmdict/html/obsessive_compulsive.html
https://lethbridge.cmha.ca/mental_health/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/
http://www.ocdeducationstation.org/recognizing-ocd-at-school/
http://www.ocdeducationstation.org/role-of-school-personnel/managing-ocd-in-the-classroom/-
http://www.helpguide.org/articles/anxiety/obssessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd.htm
http://www.childmind.org/en/posts/articles/2011-11-28-teachers-guide-helping-kids-ocd