Teaching+Strategies

There are several strategies a teacher can utilize in the classroom to help a student with Obsessive Compulsive behavior. The teacher needs to first understand the students compulsions and rituals that they might have. A teacher needs to set up a time to meet with the parents of the student and the student to further discuss any support that can be offered by the teacher and school. A child with OCD may need certain testing accommodations such as an oral test rather than a written test. This is due to the fact that the student may obsess over filling in the circle completely and perfectly on a Scantron form. A written test may also prove difficult if the student has a compulsive writing ritual, such as dotting the i's a certain way, counting the words written, or perfecting the work by writting it over and over again. Limiting hand written assignments will help considerably. If note taking seems to become an issue then the student may need to tape the lecture or if compulsions are not triggered by keyboarding they may use a notebook computer to record the lecture. For students with compulsive reading rituals the teacher may consider limiting the amount to be read or breaking the amount up. If the reading rituals are severe, the student may need to consider having the material read to them or having the material recorded for them to listen to. This may prove to be too demoralizing for older students, but should work well for younger students. If a student has perfectionistic traits, they may write and rework the assignment to it meets their level of perfection. The teacher may need to set a time limit on which the assignment must be turned in. This may mean the teacher will have to eliminate take home homework. If the student is required to have homework they may stay up all night perfecting the work. A peer education program will better prepare the other students in the classroom for the accommodations that need to be made for the student with OCD. The teacher needs to stay alert to peer problems, teasing, or harassment associated with the compulsive rituals the student may have. The teacher may need to conference with the student privately to give them a way to exit the class without calling attention to themselves during a time when they get "stuck" in a ritual or compulsion. Each situation will have to be handled on a case-by-case basis. The educational team in collaboration with the parents of the student and the student themselves to help better support the student and make accommodations for the student will prove to have a successful school year.