OCD - Obsessive

Compulsive Disorder
By Georgia Duncan | 1102030636
Activity

Brainstorm some ideas as to what OCD is for children and create a definition that best
describes what OCD means for you.
Play video from start to 1 minute 29 seconds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8Jofzx_8p4
What is OCD?
It is a mental health disorder that affects all ages (Leininger et al. 2010, p. 221)

Cycle of obsessive behaviour and compulsive behaviour

Obsessive behaviour
- Unwanted thoughts,
- Disturbance of routine
- Distress

Compulsive Behaviour
- Repetitive behaviours
- Mental acts

Affects 1 of every 200 school-aged people.

What is OCD?
Readings
● There are several definitions as to what a disability is within Australia.
● It is twice as likely for boys to be referred for special behaviour than girls (Cumming
2012, p. 56).
● There are a number of students with OCD or behavioural difficulties that are not
being offered any disability label (Cumming 2012, p. 56).
The Topics Relevance to the theory of Inclusion
Potential Learning Difficulties
● Listening and participating – not concentrating, misunderstanding, avoiding class
activities
● Work completion – getting stuck, can skip a question, needs to be perfect
● Exams/quizzes/tests – cannot prepare, cannot do multiple choice, time pressure
● Reading – distracted about other thoughts, rituals, re-reading
● Mathematics – avoid certain numbers, cannot memorise, re-checking
● Writing – erasing words, rewriting words, hand writing difficulty
Teaching Strategies
● Understand what OCD is
● Work in conjunction with the child’s mental health therapist and parents. 
● Develop an individual learning plan - have short term goals
● Do not allow the child to engage you in their rituals. 
● Praise the child immediately when they refrain from a compulsive behaviour.
● Make adjustments within the room and routine to accommodate for their learning.
Teaching Strategies
Example of areas of concern: Help alleviate stress during anxiety provoking situations
(Leininger et al. 2010, p. 225)

How to help: To do this some of the teaching strategies include reducing the chance of
failure, modelling to the student that it is okay to make mistakes and making a list of all
trustworthy classmates and teachers that will be able to help.
Teaching Strategies
Example of areas of concern: Ignore reassurance requests (Leininger et al. 2010, p. 225)

How to help: praising the student and their accomplishments when they are not expecting
it.
Teaching Strategies
Example of areas of concern: Help students get unstuck (Leininger et al. 2010, p. 225)

How to help: If the student is feeling stuck on an assignment and stress is starting to build
then help the student/s get unstuck. Give them another task to complete and encourage
them thoroughly.
Teaching Strategies
Example of areas of concern: Help students with written assignments (Leininger et al.
2010, p. 225)

How to help: Help students with written assignments through providing them with an
outline for them to follow, can complete the task orally through describing to limit the
anxiety.
Teaching Strategies
Example of areas of concern: Help students stay focused and complete assignments
(Leininger et al. 2010, p. 225)

How to help: Help students stay focused and complete assignments by breaking down the
required task.
Teaching Strategies
Example of areas of concern: Provide adequate support for testing (Leininger et al. 2010,
p. 225)

How to help: Provide adequate support for testing through allowing the student to have
more time to complete the task, can complete the assessment in a different way altering it
to their capabilities and comfort.
How to Accomodate for OCD in the Classroom
Seat arrangements -

Educating the classmates and parents on what OCD is – if parents approve

Structured classroom activities

Private area that is quiet for testing and for alone time

Break homework into chunks

What Resources can be Used in the Classroom
What Services are Available to Students
psychological treatments will generally be the first line of treatment. In some severe cases, medication can
also be effective.

Therapy sessions

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/anxiety/obssessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd.htm
What Services are Available to Teachers
To effectively collaborate with other individuals providing appropriate support to students
with OCD, teachers need to understand this disorder, particularly its manifestations in
school settings.
What Services are Available to Parents
Parents spend the most time with their children, so it is essential for family to be involved in treatment. You should expect your child’s clinician to

work closely with you, explaining how treatment works and giving you and your child homework to practice the skills your child is learning in

therapy.

Because children often come to parents looking for reassurance or to help with an obsession or compulsion, it is also important for parents to learn

the best way to respond to their child without reinforcing her OCD. When a parent gives reassurance, it makes the child feel better in the moment,

but that relief is fleeting and can actually reinforce the child’s anxiety in the long run. It also doesn’t help her learn any coping skills to help herself —

only that asking mom or dad will help.

Similarly, if your child has an aversion to a certain word, your family might have learned to avoid saying that word and apologize if someone

accidentally uses it. However inadvertent, this also reinforces the OCD because it doesn’t give the child a chance to overcome her anxiety. Your child’s

clinician should work with you on finding ways to respond to requests for reassurance that are supportive without reinforcing OCD symptoms.
References
5 references needed

Australian Curriculum

Course textbook