How and I learn different strategies to deal with a Child who has ODD...?

Question

(Oppositional Defiant Disorder) How can I learn different strategies to deal with him in school and help him do better with his work. I am a teacher's aide and I only have to monitor one child because the rest of the class does well and don't have a 504 like he does. He has ODD & ADHD. How can I get him to do his work without having to fight with him or have him be so defiant or so disruptive to his classmates? I am studying to be a teacher and I would like to know I have helped this child is some way or another. I have tried so many things with him, I have not yet found anything that works and I'm starting to get very fustrated with myself for not being able to to control or lessen his behaviors for the Teacher's sake. I want him to do well and I want him to make an effort into trying and know that he his able to do anything anyone else can in his class if he just tries. He makes no effort with himself and I feel bad that I can't get him to do it for himself and for his future.

Answer 1

Hi! I was a therapist w/troubled adolescents--15 yrs with young women in a locked long-term psych treatment facility and then took a job that ended up with a special Sp Ed. class of 8 guys with severe behavior disorders! I understand what you walked into! I had to learn a totally new way of working with these guys, as talking was like whistling into the wind! I love Piaget and his Cognitive Stages! One step below verbal communication (Concrete Cog stage) is DIAGRAMMING (pre-Concrete Cognitive stage). This is in all high tech now, and is called "IT"--Information Tech! It's getting impossible to read so many volumes of info, that technology is now diagramming the info! Much more accurate than verbal content. SOO, I began diagramming the guys' behavior patterns. They were fascinated and were volunteering to diagram some group disturbance that had just happened!! They got so good at it, that they then started drawing their Family of Origin system, where they had developed their behavioral pattern!! I applied Wm. Glasser's Basic Emotional Needs (Belonging, Power, Freedom and Fun) and the guys really responded!! These are EMOTIONAL NEEDS that need gratification daily! Then, I used Berne's term from Games People Play, to describe the vehicle (pattern) with which they obtain their emotional Needs! I stressed with them that ALL PEOPLE MUST GET THESE NEEDS MET DAILY! And that in some families, the toddler cannot get some Needs met directly. such as illness of the mother; baby-sitters, etc., etc. THEREFORE, the toddler HAS to develop his own COVERT method of getting those needs met!! This gave them validation that their behavior was PURPOSEFUL and that they weren't "crazy" as their bhv had often been called. This is a long story--and I'm starting on my book soon!! But one example was an absolutely HUGE guy, 16 yrs. old, had held off peers with a shot gun, and was very threatening with adults as well as peers. After almost a year, he ended up helping me give a workshop in KCMO at a Midwestern Symposium on B Disorders! He had developed a marvelous sense of humor; was making A's and about to transfer back to the reg HS. I wish we'd taped that!! I do have a tape of a 15 yr-old Dx'd with Asperger's. He not only diagrammed his classroom behavior, but analyzed his Family of Origin and why he'd develped his Pattern for survival!! If this intrigues you, I'd suggest talking it over with the classroom teacher and ask if you could try just a little of this. I'd sure to happy to email with you if you wanted to--and if the student were even remotely interested in trying it. I LOVED teaching--the 5 yrs prior to getting my MA in Guidance and Counseling. I got my CA teaching certificate at grad school at UC Berkeley. They always urged us to look beyond the surface bhv! The term/philosophy of Kaisen is basically, there is always a better way!! I'm retired now--but sure miss mixing-it-up w/the kids!!! AND watching them GROW!!!

Answer 2

How old is the student?

As the poster stated above, incentives and frequent breaks are key for kids with these disabilities.

I would go further, though, and make sure that you are prompting him with something other than words. That is, instead of telling him that he gets a break in 5 minutes, give him a timer set to 5 minutes so he can see and hear it. Or, if it's five problems he has to do, don't give him a sheet with all 20 problems, that's overwhelming. Get the work ahead from the teacher and cut it up into 5 problems, paste each set onto a separate sheet, and give him one sheet at a time.

Make sure the rewards are rewarding. That is, if stickers don't motivate, find something else. And rewards get old. Let him pick what he wants to work towards. (computer time, drawing, taking a walk outside, small edible rewards, getting to drink a soda at lunch)

Keep data. You should have been instructed on how to do this and given the forms to use. This means more than just jotting down notes. Contact me if you need more information.

Keep track of what times of day, what settings, and what requests seem to set him off.

Make sure you intersperse a lot of gross motor-such as walking, swinging arms, throughout the day. Don't make it a punishment.

Speak in positive terms and don't let anyone put him down by saying things like he's hard-headed, stubborn, etc. He is not. He has a disorder. you have to have an attitude that conveys to the student that he is expected to work hard and behave and that doesn't excuse bad behavior but at the same time conveys that you know it's hard sometimes.

Take care of yourself and have a battle plan for when you become stressed and overwhelmed. (Curling your toes inside your shoes is good. So is, taking a deep breath)

It will get much worse before it gets better. First he'll seem to go along, than he'll enter a testing phase and the behavior will get much, much worse, than at some point you'll see improvements. It usually takes 6-8 weeks to see real improvement in his behavior. It might take a whole semester. It might take longer but never, never, never give up.

Answer 3

There is a great book I read when I had my first ODD student "I won't learn from you" by Herbert Kohl. But the best advise I can give is not to push but also not to give in. The harder you push the harder he will push back. Set up everything that he likes about school to be privileges that must be earned by doing what he needs to do to succeed. Then the hardest step is to get that achievement to be reward enough but the behavior comes first.

Good Luck

Answer 4

Sometimes your job can be hard b/c ODD & ADHD are best treated with medication, something you can not choose to give.

Have you tried to find out what motivates him? Have him work in short intervals, say 15-20 minutes and when that time interval is up, he gets the reward.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

First, you have to gain control. Consistency, Consistency, Consistency!!! She has to learn that YOU are the adult, and you have to gain respect, and be the boss, do not be afraid of your daughter. Staying on top of her constantly is the way to go. I know it sounds mean, but you HAVE to be overbearing. You HAVE to make her your TOP priority when she is in your presence. Stay consistent, and stay on top of her at all times. You have to hold her acountable for her actions!! Eventually she will learn, and automatically do the right thing, and you will not have to stay on top of her as much. I tried so many different forms of discipline on my boys, and found that making them stand in the corner works well. But, all kids are different. I set a timer for 10 minutes, if they start to whine, the timer get's restarted, b/c I want them to know that throwing a fit, and crying DOES NOT allow them to have it their way. I have a chart, at the end of each day they either get a sad face or a smiley face. If they get 7 smiley faces in a row, they get an allowance to go buy whatever they want. It's not a calender chart, they just have to get 7 smiley faces in a row. They don't get that allowance very often. We are averaging about once a month. it's hard to be really good 7 days in a row. But, they're getting better. It's very time consuming, and I have to put off a lot of stuff in order to work with them. But, it's worth it, and every day I see positive changes in them, and I know that they'll appreciate all I do when they're older, and the way they were raised helped make them responsible adults.. Hope this helps. And Good Luck. Memo from your Child ~Author Unknown~ 1. Don't spoil me. I know quit well that I ought not have all that I ask for, I'm only testing you. 2. Don't be afraid to be firm with me, I prefer it. It makes me feel more secure. 3. Don't let me form bad habits, I have to rely on you to detect them in the early stages. 4. Don't make me feel smaller than I am, It only makes me behave stupidly big. 5. Don't correct me in front of people if you can help it. 6. Don't make me feel that my mistakes are sins, it upsets my set of values. 7. Don't be upset when I say "I hate you", it's not you I hate, but your power to hinder. 8. Don't protect me from consequences, I need to learn the painful way sometimes. 9. Don't nag, if you do I will need to protect myself by appearing deaf. 10. Don't make rash promises, remember I feel badly let down when promises are broken. 11. Don't tax my honesty too much, I am easily frightened into telling lies. 12. Don't be inconsistent, that completely confuses me and makes me lose faith in you. 13. Don't tell me my fears are silly, they are terribly real to me and you can do much to reassure me if you try to understand. 14. Don't ever suggest that you are perfect or infallible. It gives me to great a shock when I discover that you are neither. 15. Don't forget that I can't thrive without lots of love and understanding, but I don't need to tell you that, do I?

Answer 7

A child with symptoms of ODD needs a comprehensive evaluation by a psychiatrist or other qualified mental health professional. Medication is not usually used to treat ODD; however, medication may be prescribed when ODD is accompanied by one or more additional disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), depression or anxiety. Other possible coexisting disorders are:

Emotional Disturbance
Learning Disability
Tourette Syndrome
Bipolar Disorder
Conduct Disorder (CD)
CD is considered to be a more severe form of ODD, but a child with mild ODD usually does not develop CD. If a student has a CD diagnosis there are often safety concerns such as fire-setting, vandalism or other criminal behaviors.

The cause of ODD is unknown.Some researchers have speculated that ODD results from incomplete child development. These children do not seem to learn the coping skills that most children absorb early in life. The disorder may be related to a child's temperament and the family's reaction to it. Poor parenting skills, loss of a family member to death, divorce or incarceration, or other family adversity may also play a role in children developing ODD.

Intervention and treatment of these children should begin as early as possible. Treatment can include individual, family and peer group therapy. The goals of individual therapy are to improve the child's problem solving, communication, and anger management skills. Family therapy involves parental training that accentuates ways to manage the child`s behavior and an emphasis on communication skills to improve the parent-child relationship. Peer group therapy helps children with ODD develop social and interpersonal skills.

Thoughts for Teachers of Students Identified As Having ODD
1. When dealing with a child with ODD, it is important to remember that behavior management techniques that work well with other students may be ineffective with him/her. The child will frequently misbehave and annoy adults to elicit a reaction.

2. Have clear expectations and firm rules and boundaries.

3. Post classroom rules and a daily schedule so that the child knows what to expect.

4. Realize that any sort of change in the classroom routine may be upsetting to a child with ODD.

5. Work hard to establish trust with the student by being fair and consistent.

6. Believe in the child`s ability to manage his/her behavior in an appropriate way.

7. Understand that you are not the cause of the defiance, only an outlet for it.

8. Discover what the child truly enjoys doing such as participating in a sport or hobby.

9. Identify skills or attributes that you can reinforce.

10. Focus on only a few problem behaviors at a time. Decide what behavior you will ignore and what you will not accept. Communicate the consequences for those you cannot tolerate.

11. When problems arise, questions you could ask the child are: “Is what you are doing working for you?” “What would work better?” “What could you have done differently to avoid the problem?” “How may I help you?” (see Helping Children Cope with Anger).

12. Meet privately with the student about specific concerns, but first establish that you will be respectful toward each other. Be calm as you discuss his/her actions.You could say something like, “Tell me what you think the problem is that keeps you from being successful in school.” Listen to the child without interrupting. Decide together on a behavior plan that can be copied and shared with the student.

13. When necessary, meet with the parents and other adults who interact with the child so that everyone can present a united front. Since these children are adept at convincing others that someone else caused their behavior, they usually are not included in this meeting. After stating the problem, brainstorm ideas on ways to assist the student in improving his/her behavior. Agree on a behavior plan or contract for the behaviors necessary for the child to be successful in school. Examples are, “Keep my body in my own personal space,” or “Follow directions with no more than one reminder.” The group decides on the details and on the positive consequences for the student`s compliance. Those involved with the student outside of school need to come up with a plan also. They need to follow through with a mix of appropriate positive and negative consequences.

14. State your directions in simple, straightforward language. Be as clear, immediate and as consistent as possible.

15. If deemed helpful, devise a way to show the child that he or she is making progress. For example, use stickers, tokens, or marks on a chart that could be traded for privileges that are reinforcing to the student. The following are a few ideas: extra computer time, eating lunch with a friend, additional free time, helping a favorite teacher or doing a classroom task.

16. Provide recognition when the child exhibits appropriate behavior. However, be aware that since many children with ODD feel compelled to do the opposite of what you want, avoid direct, lavish praise. For example, following a commendation, the student might retaliate by tearing up his/her work or by hitting someone.

17. Acknowledge small steps toward improvement by whispering a positive comment to the child. Avoid expressing your feelings like, “I am so proud of you!” Instead say something like, “This is A+ work.” Or, you could write a note to give to the student or to mail to him/her.

18. Avoid arguing, lecturing, or threatening a child with ODD because he/she will most likely view your words as rewarding rather than as punishment.

19. Avoid raising your voice or exhibiting any emotion. Be neutral and calmly say something like: “Since you broke the rule this is what you will do.” Be like a referee who simply states the consequence and holds the player accountable. Do not allow the child to argue. Just restate what happens when a rule is broken.

20. When possible concede control to an object such as a clock or the bell. You could say, “Be ready to go when the bell rings,” rather than, “I want you to get ready to go!”

21. Furnish a place for the child to regroup and release negative emotions in a time-out area. You could say to the child, “Would time in the rest area be helpful?” or "Your time will begin when you go to the rest area." If regarded appropriate at your school, provide clay to squeeze, a pillow to punch, or old magazines to tear as a way for the student to release some of his or her hostility.

22. Provide some closely supervised cooperative learning activities to assist the student in learning constructive ways to interact with peers.

23. Ask the school counselor to work with the student individually or in a small group to help the child develop anger management and social relationship skills.

24. Realize that teaching a child with ODD is difficult, stressful, and exhausting; so take care of yourself (see, Coping with Stress - Tips for Educators and Ten Keys to Educator`s Survival).

25. Seek assistance from the school administrator, counselor, psychologist, special education teacher, or other school professional when you feel overwhelmed or when you feel you or the children in your classroom are unsafe due to the behavior of a student with ODD.

The future of these children is uncertain. Some of them will outgrow ODD. Others will develop coexisting disorders that will need further treatment. Still other children will be diagnosed with CD and their problem behaviors will become more severe. Managing a child with ODD in a school setting is challenging. It requires a team effort of school professionals plus parental involvement. However, if assistance is provided early in a child`s life, a positive outcome is more likely to occur.