Students with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Multi-Faceted Support for OCD Students in NYC
Students experiencing the challenges of obsessive compulsive disorder—generally referred to simply as OCD–often struggle to find the support they need in school. Programs with therapeutic support often fall short when it comes to addressing the varied ways the disorder can interfere with learning. Meanwhile, specialized educational centers tend to lack sufficient therapeutic support at the level necessary for optimal learning for students with OCD.
Academics West excels among OCD schools in NYC because we are credentialed both therapeutically and academically, and we can tailor programs to the specific needs of each student. It is our goal to help students learn to overcome the hurdles they encounter on their educational journey so they can succeed in school and in life. That journey looks different for each student, and our responsive, tailored educational programming is designed to ensure that unique support needs are fully met every step of the way
The Challenges Can Be Many and Varied for Students with OCD
Obsessive-compulsive disorder often causes the brain to make surprising connections that can take a dominant role in a student’s mind. The connections can manifest in a wide variety of ways, often in behaviors viewed as compulsive.
OCD schools in NYC tend to focus on only a few of these behaviors while missing some of the connections and triggers that lead to the behaviors. Our team recognizes that there is no single way to address OCD that will produce optimal results for every student. Instead, a student’s plan needs to be individualized and developed only after thoughtful analysis.
Anxiety is often interwoven with the constant thought patterns, and the drive to alleviate the anxiety can lead to compulsive behaviors. It is important to address the anxiety as part of the educational plan so that a student can concentrate on the learning mission.
Students with OCD are often intellectually gifted and skilled at hiding the extent to which their unique thoughts are dominating their attention. For that reason, the full impact of OCD is not apparent to educators unless they have been thoroughly trained to recognize the different manifestations and overcome the interference.
Educators and parents may see a student who:
- Frequently rewrites or restarts assignments
- Spends more time than usual completing work
- Asks the same question repeatedly or seeks frequent reassurance
- Reorganizes belongings frequently
- Has trouble making choices and may decline to choose
- Cleans hands or items more often than usual
- Touches items in a pattern
- Refuses to enter certain environments or touch certain items
While it is important to acknowledge compulsive behaviors, it is crucial to understand that it is not the behaviors themselves but the thoughts behind them that pose the greatest impediment to a student’s ability to focus and learn. Obsessive-compulsive disorder stems from instinctive thought-behavior patterns that have expanded beyond their level of usefulness so that they become an encumbrance. The student’s self-preservation mechanisms are so heightened that it becomes difficult, if not impossible, to focus on academics.
Stress tends to intensify OCD thoughts and rituals, so when a school environment is not structured to manage stress appropriately, it can cause a student to shut down to the process of learning.
Providing the Right Environment for Successful Learning
Traditional schools often accommodate students with OCD by giving them extra time to complete assignments. School programs may try to control OCD symptoms in students by maintaining consistency. But a supportive environment requires much more than a first-aid approach.
Students with OCD may appear to be daydreaming, but the dreams may be close to nightmares. These students cannot focus on schoolwork because their minds are taken hostage by thoughts or images. They may fear harm from others or believe that they pose a risk to others. They may worry about germs or following rules, or maintaining an impossible degree of order.
OCD can be challenging to treat, which is why schools often focus on managing compulsions rather than addressing all the ways the disorder can disrupt the learning process. A therapeutic and academic approach is necessary to help students focus and realize their potential. The treatment and educational plan also need to address accompanying anxiety and other complicating factors.
For many students, it is essential to find the right balance of control. The process is always an individual one, and it takes time to achieve the optimal results. Diligence and continual assessment of strategy effectiveness frequently yield the most effective outcomes.
An Academic Environment Equipped to Prepare Students for Success
OCD does not need to define a student’s abilities or limit their potential. The right tailored education plan can unlock students’ full potential, enabling them to take the steps they need to succeed at all educational levels.
At Academics West, our proprietary Clinically Informed Academics® approach to education is designed to address the full range of every student’s needs. We are a high-support school that offers measures tailored to develop a student’s strengths and build bridges to overcome weaknesses. Our small size and intimate atmosphere, combined with a dedicated, highly trained staff, allow us to customize educational plans that few other OCD schools in NYC can match.
Students with OCD often live with levels of stress and anxiety that are impossible for the rest of us to imagine. They may hide the worst of their struggles and survive in a traditional school environment, but they deserve the freedom to thrive. Find out the difference our comprehensive approach can make for students with OCD. Call us or contact us online to learn more about the ways we can guide your student forward.