Practical Strategies for Today’s Difficult Child/Adolescent

This seminar will familiarize participants with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and other behavioral issues. It will equip participants with the knowledge and understanding needed to improve student and family life through proper diagnosis and treatment of this disorder, as well as strategies to be used in the classroom. The focus will be on practical strategies with up-to-date information regarding today’s issues, such as the impact of psychotropic medication on behavior. Specifically, discussions will focus on:

 

- The General Nature of ODD
- Distinguishing ODD from Other Behavioral Conditions
- Treatment Options and Classroom Interventions that create rapid and effective changes
- Working with Parents, Teachers and Other Care-givers; both cooperative and uncooperative ones
 

Who Should Attend:

This seminar is designed to benefit special education directors, principals, administrators,
superintendents teachers, board members, guidance counselors, social workers, and psychologists.

Seminar Sample Agenda
 

I. Introduction and Overview

II. Understanding ODD

A. General Nature of ODD
B. Recent Developments

III. Distinguishing ODD From

Other Behavioral Condition

IV. Treating and Managing ODD

Behaviors

A. Focusing on the Child
B. Involving Parents and Other

Care-Givers

C. Strategies that do not work

and why

D. Medication issues

E. Reducing the disruption to

other Children Adolescents

F. Helping to improve social

success

V. Helping Ourselves Remain

Effective and Reducing Burnout

VI. Questions and Answers

Identify oppositional behavior and understand causes for the escalation of the behavior

Write effective behavior plans/charts

Why regular strategies do not work and how to change them to succeed

Differentiate oppositional behaviors caused by Attention Deficit Disorder, Conduct Disorder, Learning Disabilities, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, Depression, and other important factors

Design and implement intervention strategies to reduce passive aggressive, disruptive and violent behaviors

Reduce the disruptive impact and risk to other children/adolescents in the classroom, family or group

Implement effective strategies with parents of these children including the cooperative and uncooperative ones

Avoid the anger and burnout of staff members often associated with those who work with these types of children., adolescents, and parents

Stop giving 95% of your time to the 5% or difficult children and/or parents

Understanding effective uses of medications and the potentially common side effects