Re: Educating teachers about OCD

[Guest guest]

HI Gail:

Wow, sounds like you went in there really prepared and are a wonderful

resource for 's teachers. How did respond to your talking with

her teachers?

Thanks for your kind words about Steve. He is getting along pretty well

right now, except for social problems. His closest friend has not been

returning his calls and only gives grunts and other mono-syllabic responses

to Steve's calls. This is so hard to watch as nothing we can do can

counteract the hurt of this rejection. I am proud of how well he is taking

this.

Take care, aloha, Kathy (Ha)

kathyh@...

At 12:47 AM 09/06/1999 EDT, you wrote:

>From: GPesses@...

>

>Dear Friends,

> The other day I spent a very enlightening 45 minutes educating

's 5

>teachers, the learning specialist, the school social worker and the

principal

>on 's OCD. I took relevant info off the web, duplicated it,

highlighted

>the areas most pertinent for her and gave it as a hand out. THEN I wrote up

>a 2 and 1/2 page handout on 's particular triggers, what compulsions

she

>has, what they should do if she has a problem, and included numerous ways to

>contact my husband and me as well as 's therapist. I then went over

all

>the material with them, emphasizing that usually hides her OCD at

>school and that she has little control over what her brain tells her and

that

>this makes her less able to trust what her brain says even about things that

>are perceived correctly. We discussed ways all this may impact her school

>work, such as needing more time to complete inclass and homework

assignments.

> I even included a bit of OCD humor - 's joke about my Mom's perfume -

>Obsession! The response was so positive!!! The teachers were very

>interested and a few mentioned that they probably had come across OCd at

>other times but did not know it. I highly recommend doing this if you feel

>comfortable as the teachers feel so much more prepared and confident about

>teaching now. And I feel better about their ability to understand

what

>she goes through.

> Kathy - congrats on the great communication with Steve! Sounds like he

>has made some real progress! Tell him we are all so proud of him.

> BTW - has been doing well so far. I know we all hold our breath

at

>the beginning of school...so far I've been able to breathe regularly! I'm

>very proud of her ability to verbalize her feelings now.

>

>Gail in N'awlins

>

[Guest guest]

Kathy, Hope Steve is finding lots of things he likes

to do this fall. It sure hurts when the social issues

are front and center. My son was just commenting to me

the other day that his social life is suffering. He

said that he needed to get together with some friends.

Funny he had all summer and didn't initiate much. Now

he is wanting the contact but there is little time

with school and all. He said his tennis double

discounts him and blames him when things go wrong,

even when he is running all over the court trying to

make up for his partners inadiqucies! He said that he

wants to just let in to him, but that he wants to be

the better person, (!) so he is keeping a lid on

it.:)I hope he talks to the coach and can get a

different partner.! Hang in there.......and I hope

Steve is doing well. Vivian in wa. st.

[Guest guest]

Kathy, Hope Steve is finding lots of things he likes

to do this fall. It sure hurts when the social issues

are front and center. My son was just commenting to me

the other day that his social life is suffering. He

said that he needed to get together with some friends.

Funny he had all summer and didn't initiate much. Now

he is wanting the contact but there is little time

with school and all. He said his tennis double

discounts him and blames him when things go wrong,

even when he is running all over the court trying to

make up for his partners inadiqucies! He said that he

wants to just let in to him, but that he wants to be

the better person, (!) so he is keeping a lid on

it.:)I hope he talks to the coach and can get a

different partner.! Hang in there.......and I hope

Steve is doing well. Vivian in wa. st.

[Guest guest]

Hi Vivian:

Thanks for the good wishes for Steve. He is doing very well. Last night

we went to his school Open House and found out that his friend was not

interacting with him because he has been grounded for two months! This was

for playing hooky from summer school and going to Tilt. Well we just told

Steve that perhaps he is too ashamed of his behavior to even talk to you

about his grounding!

Sounds like it is time for your son to find a new doubles partner. All

that blaming is not good for the game, nor the soul and takes the fun out

of tennis. He certainly is learning a lot of patience and understanding

dealing with this in such a turn-the-other-cheek way. This should be very

helpful to him in the future.

Hang in there too Vivian, aloha, Kathy (Ha)

kathyh@...

At 03:50 PM 09/09/1999 -0700, you wrote:

>From: ruth porter <ruth2b4@...>

>

>Kathy, Hope Steve is finding lots of things he likes

>to do this fall. It sure hurts when the social issues

>are front and center. My son was just commenting to me

>the other day that his social life is suffering. He

>said that he needed to get together with some friends.

>Funny he had all summer and didn't initiate much. Now

>he is wanting the contact but there is little time

>with school and all. He said his tennis double

>discounts him and blames him when things go wrong,

>even when he is running all over the court trying to

>make up for his partners inadiqucies! He said that he

>wants to just let in to him, but that he wants to be

>the better person, (!) so he is keeping a lid on

>it.:)I hope he talks to the coach and can get a

>different partner.! Hang in there.......and I hope

>Steve is doing well. Vivian in wa. st.

>

[Guest guest]

Hi, This is Terry in WI.

We also had a very positive experience with Kelsey's teachers. we chose to

do a video presentation along with hand outs and discussion afterwards.

Kelsey's therapist was there for open discussion. The principle had the

entire staff there including the aides and secretaries. We have received

numerous letters of appreciation for the teachers thanking us for the info

and they all can remember kids they had in the past that might have had

OCD and slipped though the cracks because they didn't know what they were

dealing with. The only person that wasn't there was the school psychologist.

She was much to busy to include this into her busy schedule. More negative

points for her with the staff. This was a very enlightening experience for

us. The teachers really want the information and want to help!

Terry

Educating teachers about OCD

>From: GPesses@...

>

>Dear Friends,

> The other day I spent a very enlightening 45 minutes educating 's

5

>teachers, the learning specialist, the school social worker and the

principal

>on 's OCD. I took relevant info off the web, duplicated it,

highlighted

>the areas most pertinent for her and gave it as a hand out. THEN I wrote

up

>a 2 and 1/2 page handout on 's particular triggers, what compulsions

she

>has, what they should do if she has a problem, and included numerous ways

to

>contact my husband and me as well as 's therapist. I then went over

all

>the material with them, emphasizing that usually hides her OCD at

>school and that she has little control over what her brain tells her and

that

>this makes her less able to trust what her brain says even about things

that

>are perceived correctly. We discussed ways all this may impact her school

>work, such as needing more time to complete inclass and homework

assignments.

> I even included a bit of OCD humor - 's joke about my Mom's perfume -

>Obsession! The response was so positive!!! The teachers were very

>interested and a few mentioned that they probably had come across OCd at

>other times but did not know it. I highly recommend doing this if you feel

>comfortable as the teachers feel so much more prepared and confident about

>teaching now. And I feel better about their ability to understand

what

>she goes through.

> Kathy - congrats on the great communication with Steve! Sounds like he

>has made some real progress! Tell him we are all so proud of him.

> BTW - has been doing well so far. I know we all hold our breath

at

>the beginning of school...so far I've been able to breathe regularly! I'm

>very proud of her ability to verbalize her feelings now.

>

>Gail in N'awlins

>

>---------------------------

[Guest guest]

HI Terry:

What a wonderful success, such great advocacy. Now you know where you can

find help and support for Kelsey. Her school sounds like a really

wonderful one with professionals with a great attitude and desire to help

and understand.

Steve chose not to participate in his 504 meeting at school this time. His

CBT therapist came with us and met the teachers, counselor and VP. She is

a personal friend of the new VP. Those personal connections are very

important in small communities here in our state. The teachers had some

very good questions about some of the activities Steve has to do.

He has to bake a pig in a pit in the ground with his classmates. He is a

vegetarian and dedicated animal lover. We told them not to expect him to

eat any but that he should be encouraged to participate in preparing the

pit and the pig. The PE teacher asked about whether he could sit on the

floor or not and several of the other teachers had very good questions. It

was a very positive meeting.

Steve felt very embarrassed about having a meeting and he is determined to

try to get out of the 504 program. He also wants to work towards going off

the dog tag system this year. So far so good, he has been very

conscientious about his homework (OCD perfectionism at work?). LOL

Take care, aloha, Kathy (Ha)

kathyh@...

At 09:02 AM 09/10/1999 -0400, you wrote:

>From: " kelbro " <kelbro@...>

>

>Hi, This is Terry in WI.

>

>We also had a very positive experience with Kelsey's teachers. we chose to

>do a video presentation along with hand outs and discussion afterwards.

>Kelsey's therapist was there for open discussion. The principle had the

>entire staff there including the aides and secretaries. We have received

>numerous letters of appreciation for the teachers thanking us for the info

>and they all can remember kids they had in the past that might have had

>OCD and slipped though the cracks because they didn't know what they were

>dealing with. The only person that wasn't there was the school psychologist.

>She was much to busy to include this into her busy schedule. More negative

>points for her with the staff. This was a very enlightening experience for

>us. The teachers really want the information and want to help!

>

>Terry

> Educating teachers about OCD

>

>

>>From: GPesses@...

>>

>>Dear Friends,

>> The other day I spent a very enlightening 45 minutes educating 's

>5

>>teachers, the learning specialist, the school social worker and the

>principal

>>on 's OCD. I took relevant info off the web, duplicated it,

>highlighted

>>the areas most pertinent for her and gave it as a hand out. THEN I wrote

>up

>>a 2 and 1/2 page handout on 's particular triggers, what compulsions

>she

>>has, what they should do if she has a problem, and included numerous ways

>to

>>contact my husband and me as well as 's therapist. I then went over

>all

>>the material with them, emphasizing that usually hides her OCD at

>>school and that she has little control over what her brain tells her and

>that

>>this makes her less able to trust what her brain says even about things

>that

>>are perceived correctly. We discussed ways all this may impact her school

>>work, such as needing more time to complete inclass and homework

>assignments.

>> I even included a bit of OCD humor - 's joke about my Mom's perfume -

>>Obsession! The response was so positive!!! The teachers were very

>>interested and a few mentioned that they probably had come across OCd at

>>other times but did not know it. I highly recommend doing this if you feel

>>comfortable as the teachers feel so much more prepared and confident about

>>teaching now. And I feel better about their ability to understand

>what

>>she goes through.

>> Kathy - congrats on the great communication with Steve! Sounds like he

>>has made some real progress! Tell him we are all so proud of him.

>> BTW - has been doing well so far. I know we all hold our breath

>at

>>the beginning of school...so far I've been able to breathe regularly! I'm

>>very proud of her ability to verbalize her feelings now.

>>

>>Gail in N'awlins

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Kathy,

Yes we are lucky to have a school district that is supportive. We do have

some problems with the school Psychologist. She's a pain and very full of

herself. Kelsey's therapist is well aquainted with the lady and has no

respect for her at all. So we keep working around her. Great to here that

Steve is trying so hard. It's always great to here about the kids that are

fighting and winning. Tell him to keep up the good work and we're all proud

of him.

Terry In WI.

Educating teachers about OCD

>>

>>

>>>From: GPesses@...

>>>

>>>Dear Friends,

>>> The other day I spent a very enlightening 45 minutes educating

's

>>5

>>>teachers, the learning specialist, the school social worker and the

>>principal

>>>on 's OCD. I took relevant info off the web, duplicated it,

>>highlighted

>>>the areas most pertinent for her and gave it as a hand out. THEN I wrote

>>up

>>>a 2 and 1/2 page handout on 's particular triggers, what compulsions

>>she

>>>has, what they should do if she has a problem, and included numerous ways

>>to

>>>contact my husband and me as well as 's therapist. I then went over

>>all

>>>the material with them, emphasizing that usually hides her OCD at

>>>school and that she has little control over what her brain tells her and

>>that

>>>this makes her less able to trust what her brain says even about things

>>that

>>>are perceived correctly. We discussed ways all this may impact her

school

>>>work, such as needing more time to complete inclass and homework

>>assignments.

>>> I even included a bit of OCD humor - 's joke about my Mom's

perfume -

>>>Obsession! The response was so positive!!! The teachers were very

>>>interested and a few mentioned that they probably had come across OCd at

>>>other times but did not know it. I highly recommend doing this if you

feel

>>>comfortable as the teachers feel so much more prepared and confident

about

>>>teaching now. And I feel better about their ability to understand

>>what

>>>she goes through.

>>> Kathy - congrats on the great communication with Steve! Sounds like

he

>>>has made some real progress! Tell him we are all so proud of him.

>>> BTW - has been doing well so far. I know we all hold our

breath

>>at

>>>the beginning of school...so far I've been able to breathe regularly!

I'm

>>>very proud of her ability to verbalize her feelings now.

>>>

>>>Gail in N'awlins

>>

>

>

>---------------------------