You are on page 1of 11

SCENARIO

Imagine if you will the person next to you has left one of their felt tip pens open.
Without warning you are overcome with the realization that that person will
shortly face a life or death situation in which they require the use of a penbut
theirs has dried out and now they will die. Thankfully they have 3 other pens
sitting in front of them all closed. Just to be safe you reach across the table and
close their pen cap saving them.
Now you realize their pen could have already been dry and you haven't solved the
problem at all so you open the pen test it out then close it.
What if you had just used the last bit of ink in their pen? Better test again, and
again, mater of fact better test all of these pens just in case they are the ones
that are required to save the dayover and over againthis person will take the
pen away from you and you will go home wondering if and when this life or death
situation will happenand it will be all your fault.
Thankfully Matt is still with us here today and the words written in red did not occur.
My name is Abra and with 12 years of once daily Clomipramine and years of therapy
I can happily say the red only occurs in my mind but is calmed in a matter of
seconds using several techniques and my mantra Serotonin imbalance .
E
I V E
S IV
E S S R
S U E L
B P D
O M R
O O
C IS
D
OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER
(OCD)
a common, chronic and long-lasting
disorder
a person has uncontrollable, reoccurring
thoughts (obsessions) and behaviors
(compulsions) that he or she feels the
urge to repeat over and over.

only 1-3% of the worlds population suffers from OCD


Reference #1
OCD AND ACADEMIA
have trouble concentrating on schoolwork, or enjoying
activities
feel and act irritable, upset, sad, or anxious
seem unsure of whether things are OK
have trouble deciding or choosing
take much too long to do everyday tasks,
get upset and lose their temper if they can't make
something perfect or if something is out of place
insist that a parent say or do something an exact way
hoarding
OBSESSIONS
germs or contamination
harm, illness, or death will fall on oneself or
others
fears, feelings, or urges related to numbers
fears, feelings, or urges related to items
fears of violating morals
fears related to symmetry
dread of uncertainty
needed to have something just right or perfect
COMPULSIONS
obsessions are typically only soothed by a
compulsion which effect their academic lives
in a variety of ways
compulsions are what distance the student
from their entire school environment

Resource #2 and #3
BEST PRACTICES
OCD is treated with medicine and therapy. For kids who need
medicines, doctors give SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitors), Zoloft, prozac etc.
Therapists treat OCD with cognitive behavioral therapy. During
this kind of talk-and-do therapy, kids learn about OCD and
begin to understand it better. They learn that doing rituals
keeps OCD going strong, and that not doing rituals helps to
weaken OCD. They learn ways to face fears, cope with them,
and resist doing rituals. Learning these skills helps stop the
cycle of OCD.
Part of treatment is coaching parents on how they can help kids
get better. Parents learn how to respond to OCD situations,
and how to support their child's progress without giving in to
rituals.

Resource #3
BEST PRACTICES CONTINUED
seating arrangements
extended test times and papers
laptops for writing
private testing room
skip reading out loud
books on tape
break homework into chunks
patience and clarity
BONUS POINTS
plan an escape route
be aware of triggering events
advance notice
peer understanding program (buddy system)

Resource #4
TREATMENT PROGRAM
UCLA Obsessive- Compulsive Disorder
Intensive Treatment Program
Integrates individual therapy, group therapy, medication
management with psychiatrists who specialize in OCD, and
family education and support. The program primarily utilizes
daily, individual exposure and response prevention (ERP)
therapy to help reduce OCD symptoms. ERP is a form of
cognitive-behavioral therapy that is based on the fact that
prolonged and direct contact with a fearful stimulus, without
engaging in compulsive behaviors or avoidance, can diminish
anxiety and other distressing emotions. There is considerable
research support for the effectiveness of ERP in significantly
reducing OCD symptoms.
Resource #5
RESOURCES
1. https
://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/obsessive-compulsive-dis
order-ocd/
index.shtml National Institute of Mental Health
2. https://www.adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/obsessive-compu
lsive-disorder/ocd-at-
school Anxiety and Depression Association of America at
school
3. http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/ocd.html Kids Health -
family resource
4. https://childmind.org/guide/a-teachers-guide-to-ocd-in-the-
classroom/behaviors-often-confused-with-another-disorder
/ Child Mind Institute teacher resource
5. https://www.semel.ucla.edu/adc/ocd_treatment UCLA
intensive treatment program

You might also like