Need suggestions for ODD interventions for elementary school child

[kchesterma]

I need suggestions for oppositional defiant disorder for a elementary school child. Any suggestions would be helpful.

 

[BusynMember]

Who gave him the diagnosis? Most of here believe ODD is kind of a useless diagnosis and co-exists with other, bigger diagnosis. Perhaps he needs to see a neuropsychologist to get a total evaluation. We really need to know more about him. How were his early years? His development? His social behavior? Any delays?

 

[DaisyFace]

Hello and welcome!

Your question is a little vague...

What specifically is happening in school? Does he has an IEP? Are the behaviors only a problem at school? Do you have any recommendations from the doctor who made the diagnosis? How are those working/not working? Where do you need help?

 

[kchesterma]

Hello and welcome!

Your question is a little vague...

What specifically is happening in school? Does he has an IEP? Are the behaviors only a problem at school? Do you have any recommendations from the doctor who made the diagnosis? How are those working/not working? Where do you need help?

The diagnosis is legit. The problem is both at home and at school. His tx plan goal calls for him to decrease fighting when being directed or redirected. Mom is currently being educated about how important clear and consistent boundaries with follow through of both rewards and consequences. I work with child once a week for an hour and need interventions that can teach him to follow directions and to follow redirection. Hope this helps.

 

[HaoZi]

Chances are ODD is an expression of other underlying disorders. Watch him for signs that his frustration level is building and help him before he reaches the blow up point. My daughter was the same, it seemed that whatever set her off was something trivial, but after observing her I learned the signs that the "boiler pressure was building" and once she reached a certain point she had to rage it out and nothing could be done to get her coherent thought back until she was done. Now I can often redirect her early on, help her figure out what's causing her frustration (after she calms a little, if I push her on why it just makes her worse) and see if we can figure out a way to solve the issue together by guiding her to her own conclusions.

 

[timer lady]

Who are you in the treatment/school team? There is magical intervention as each of our difficult children are so very different while having many of the same diagnosis's.

Saying that, no matter the diagnosis, redirection was one of our stronger interventions with the tweedles. That along with natural consequences.

Good luck.

 

[kchesterma]

I am work for a mental health provider who provides services in the home. I am a CSI i.e. consumer support individual, worker and I only work with him for one hour a week on tx plan goals. Within that hour I am to use interventions to facilitate him to improve on accepting direction and redirection. I need suggestions on activities that can facilitate his goal of following directions and redirection. I have used Simon Says, Red light Green light, and various board games, but these types of interventions are not being successful as he was suspended from school for trying to kick his first grade teacher after he refused to put a toy in his desk. Open to new or unique interventions.

 

[DaisyFace]

Not to be a "negative nelly" or anything...but I can't imagine a game that you could do once a week at home that will translate into the de-escalation of an outburst at school.

If he has trouble following directions - why is that? Does he have trouble transitioning from one activity to another? Does he mis-understand the directions? Does he have some sort of processing delay issue that makes it difficult to remember what is being asked of him from one moment to the next?

It is the skills that are lacking that need to be addressed or "practiced".

It would also help if the teacher had something she could use in class to prevent him from reaching such a point of frustration that he lashes out.

Perhaps he needs more warning before the next activity is going to start? Maybe the instructions need to be broken down into much smaller steps? Or the teacher needs to speak more slowly? Or use visual cues instead of verbal - or vice versa?

 

[smallworld]

A book that we wholeheartedly recommend here for parents and teachers alike is The Explosive Child by Ross Greene. You might want the whole team serving this child to check it out.

 

[kchesterma]

Thanks to all for the help. And yes it is difficult to believe that an activity for just one hour a week will help but that's all I have and some help is better than no help. His outburst are not really related to switching activities they are more related to not following simple instructions. For example he brought a toy from home and was playing with it during class. Teacher asked him to put it in his desk. He said he would put it in his pockett. While putting it in his pockett it dropped on the floor. Another student grabbed it and at this point the teacher went over to take it while trying to take it he began to fight and I do mean fight for this toy. He threw is desk and attempted to kick the teacher. If he had just put the toy in his desk i.e. followed directions none of this would have happened. It's directions like this that I am talking about.
I am new to this forum so I just again want to say thanks to all who have responded. I apologize for not posting a couple of my responses to right people. I think I have the hang of it now. Thanks everyone.

 

[TeDo]

This sounds so much like my difficult child. I have learned to pick my battles and it sounds like this may be the case. In my difficult child's case, he asserts his control by following the directions but in his own way. I have learned to let him do it because the end result is the same, the toy gets put away and is no longer a distraction. It is obvious that this toy was important to your difficult child. My son was also diagnosed with ODD but it is beginning to look more like something else that is causing the defiance. I would highly recommend you have your difficult child evaluated by a neuropsychologist. Most people here, including me now (a new believer), that ODD is not a diagnosis as much as it is a symptom of something else. The correct way for the teacher to have handled this is to pick up the toy and hand it to your son and stand by him until it was in his pocket. It would have been a win-win for everyone.

Many others will be along to give "experience" - based advice. Most of us have been there done that. Welcome to the board. You will love it here.

 

[Allan-Matlem]

Hi,

check http://www.lostatschool.org/ . I have also shared here info on the CPS approach at school

Allan