1. CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT OF OPPOSITIONAL DEFIANT DISORDERED (odd) STUDENTS
Nancy Edwards

2. PART 1
BACKGROUND

3. What Is ODD?
A persistent pattern of behavior different from other children of the same developmental level
Behaviors occur frequently enough to affect child’s social, family, and academic life

4. SYMPTOMS Loses temper often Frequent arguing with adults
Actively defies requests and refuses to follow rules
Deliberately annoys people
Blames others for own mistakes and misbehaviors
Touchy and easily annoyed
Often angry and resentful
Spiteful and vindictive

5. ODD CHILDREN OFTEN SEEM PROUD OF THEIR MISBEHAVIORS

6. CAUSES Genetic Sometimes runs in families Nature Inborn temperament
Nurture
Sometimes precipitated by mental or physical trauma
Brain Chemistry
May be related to serotonin, cortisol, or other brain chemicals

7. DIAGNOSING Present in 5-15% of students Usually diagnosed by age 8
Many boys diagnosed by preschool
Many girls diagnosed in middle school
Occasionally develops into…
Conduct disorder
Passive Aggressive Personality Disorder
Antisocial Personality Disorder

8. COMORBID CONDITIONS Depression ADD/ADHD Learning Disabilities
Bipolar Disorder
Anxiety Disorder
Giftedness

9. TREATMENT Parent Training Programs Individual Psychotherapy
Family Counseling
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Social Skills Training
Medication used only for comorbid disorders

10. PART 2
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

11. TWO KEYS TO EFFECTIVE CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT FOR STUDENTS WITH ODD
Escape for the child
Affecting attitudes

12. THE TEACHER SHOULD NOT
Respond quickly
Try to “convince”
Threaten
Raise the stakes
Create an audience
Keep it going
Use sarcasm, anger, or bribes

13. THE TEACHER SHOULD Give simple, direct, real choices
Follow pre-determined behavior plan
Listen
Give brief, direct responses
Maintain privacy
Walk away from confrontation

14. AFFECTING ATTITUDES
Most ODD students reject obvious positive reinforcements
The trick is to sneak it in
Whisper it as you pass them
Leave a private note
Use emotion flash cards visible only to the individual child

15. TWO RULES FOR SUCCESS
When the ODD student is neutral or positive you should be positive and engaging, offering encouraging feedback and instruction
When the ODD student is negative you should be emotionless and business like and follow through on pre-determined plans and consequences

16. THINGS NOT TO DO WITH AN ANGRY ODD CHILD
Don’t touch the student
Don’t raise your voice
Don’t threaten consequences
Don’t point your finger
Don’t crowd the student
Don’t feed the rage
As long as the child is angry, it is NOT a “teachable moment.”

17. HOW TO DEAL WITH AN ANGRY ODD CHILD
Use the student’s name
Remove the audience
Use humor (but never sarcasm)
Double your physical distance
Attempt to distract
Minimize discussion

18. TIME OUT In order to work, time out MUST be creative
Must involve being
Reasonable
Respectful
Fair
Use child’s strengths to find a way to let him/her cool off
Example: If the child likes physical activity, send him to the gym to work it off.

19. RECOMMENDED BOOKS The Explosive Child Dr. Ross W. Green
The Defiant Child: A Parent’s Guide to ODD
Dr. Douglas Riley
Parenting With Love and Logic
Jim Faye and Foster Cline
The Difficult Child
Dr. Stanley Turecki

20. Nancy Edwards Thayer Central Schools Chester, NE 68327
RECOMMENDED LINKS
Conduct Disorders For Parents and Teachers
The Chandler Papers
Explosive Kids
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Internet Mental Health Site
Nancy Edwards Thayer Central Schools Chester, NE 68327