This week I explored some personal dialogue between families dealing with issues of ODD on the Mayo Clinic site. This site allows people to connect on various health issues and share information on what is affecting their life and seek advice from others who may have similar issues.
http://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussions/893-overcoming-odd
is the case of a 17 year old high school student with ODD who is having difficulty in unstructured areas such as on the bus, during school and in the locker room (without supervision). His ability to graduation high school is being questioned. In this case others commented based on their experience that he may need to go to a less restricted environment. Another person suggested a physical outlet for him like playing a noncompetitive sport. This would help take out some of his energy.
A second family in the following attachment reports a 5 year old that most days just needs time out and redirection, but every two weeks or so she goes crazy for 48 hours breaking rules like harming family members, lying and stealing, busting through locked doors and cabinets.
http://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussions/217-my-child-is-5-and-has-adhd-and-odd---suggestions-i-need-help
A response to this plea for help suggests that taking things away and making her earn them is a much better punishment than time out (they get use to it and it's no big deal to them) and even popping her on the butt or holding her when she is in a rage. Their son is currently in the hospital for a violent rage requiring Intensive In-home therapy as that is where most of his rages occur. I suppose this implies the writer has experience, but one might question the effectiveness of their wisdom.
A few others suggested tools for positive reinforcement. I can understand from these comments that it is important to understand a child's environment when they act out and look for patterns. It is important to communicate this to parents and school support so that it may be possible to change the environment that makes them feel out of control. Physical responses are believed to occur when they feel not in control. Having a physical outlet such as hitting pillows or tearing paper can help. Emotional responses from authority make things worse. Finding a therapist and supplements were also suggested in the conversation.
I wonder what role physical spanking can play in instilling discipline. One writer suggested that she saw a difference in the respect that was given to her husband who was known to spank her child. Her child made life more chaotic and difficult with her and did not hold back in loving his father. His father got respect because he spanked him. She was an advocate of rewarding positive behavior, but acknowledge that what is important is that everyone needs to search for what works for the child and family. With the mix of responses it is understood that there is no one solution, but many families hurting and trying to find a solution.
My relative says that maybe it is important to have a mix of the physical discipline and positive reinforcement. She thinks that the child need to understand boundaries and know that they can do things right. It seems like they are always getting into trouble and it probably feels worse emotionally to them particularly if they have siblings to compare themselves to.
If it is a child or adult, mental illness can significantly disrupt the lives of both the affected person and those who care about him or her, and it's normal - and healthy - to need help coping. After reading these conversations I can understand the role of a mental health provider in helping people with strategies to enjoy and succeed in their own life without guilt.
Teachers are not mental health providers, but I would like to explore how a teacher can support a child and family with ODD.
No comments:
Post a Comment