Attending school presents students with opportunities to develop academic skills along with social skills that will follow a student throughout life. For a student who has OCD, symptoms can present barriers to social development.
When a student has OCD, the patterns of problems of the disorder may become more obvious and predictable. It’s unrealistic to expect disciplinary action to change what the student is unable to change, and it may actually create more stress for the already distressed student and exacerbate symptoms.
Students who have OCD may benefit from social support strategies at school.
Teachers, principals, school nurses, social workers, psychologists, counselors, and paraprofessionals can play a pivotal role in helping a student.
OCD is like an unwelcome guest with bad manners. It moves into a mind — and it doesn’t want to leave.
Students with OCD may appear to be daydreaming, distracted, disinterested, or even lazy. They may seem unfocused and unable to concentrate. But they are really very busy focusing on their nagging urges or confusing, stressful, and sometimes terrifying OCD thoughts and images. They may also be focused on completing rituals, either overtly or covertly, to relieve their distress.
The news of the latest terrorist attacks may trigger anxious thoughts and feelings in those who have experienced or witnessed life-threatening events.
For diagnostic criteria and codes, visit the Anxiety Disorders page of the DSM-5;requires subscription and login.
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The typical age of onset is 13 years old, but children younger than 8 or 9 can also suffer. Symptoms may be so extreme that they disrupt daily life. Children, adolescents, and teens with this disorder may have few or no friends. They may not participate in class or play at recess.
a world champion of trampoline gymnastics, and I have suffered from anxiety for many years. Having anxiety is like having diabetes or asthma: They are all illnesses. But in 20 years as a trampolinist, I have yet to see someone yelled at for having diabetes or asthma.