The Role of School Personnel: Importance of Effective Communication
The Importance of Effective Communication with Parents
When a student is observed to have symptoms that are indicative of OCD, early intervention is essential. Ignoring the problem can give OCD more time to take hold, making a child’s or adolescent’s struggle with the disorder all the more difficult.
Enlisting the help of parents is key. But how school personnel approach and discuss the subject with parents is critical to gaining parental support and action. Communication with parents requires preparation and careful dialogue.
Planning Ahead for Various Scenarios
When school personnel speak with a student’s parents, it’s likely that they will encounter one of the following scenarios:
- The parents are already aware of their child’s difficulties and have taken steps to address them by having the student evaluated by a mental health professional. The best scenario is that OCD has already been diagnosed, and the student is undergoing treatment (for example, Exposure and Response Prevention therapy) to learn to manage obsessions and compulsions.
- The parents have observed some behavior at home that is consistent with the observations of school personnel. The parents may also provide additional information about other behaviors of concern at home. The parents are worried about these difficulties, but no action has been taken. They are open to discussion and to formulating a plan for helping the child. They may or may not be highly stressed because of the child’s problems, depending on the severity of the child’s symptoms.
- The parents have observed some behavior at home that is unusual, but they had no idea their child was having difficulties in school obvious enough to cause school personnel to become concerned. They, too, are concerned about these difficulties and may be open to discussion and suggestions that school personnel may have.
- The parents are accommodating the child’s behavior at home by participating in OCD rituals (such as doing excessive amounts of laundry for a child who has contamination fears) or may be allowing avoidance behaviors. They are likely to have a stressful situation at home. They may or may not be open to listening to information provided by school personnel.
- The parents have not observed any behavior at home that might indicate problems, or are ignoring symptoms. They are defensive about their child and may even resent “interference” by school personnel.
When school personnel are prepared for any of these situations, communication with parents will be enhanced. This is essential, because how educators express their concerns can make the difference between whether a child receives needed help or is left to struggle unaided with a potentially serious mental disorder.
As described in the Intervention section of this web site, learning about OCD is the first step toward understanding the disorder and recognizing OCD symptoms. If a teacher suspects OCD may be causing a student to have learning or social difficulties, observation of the student and documentation of specific examples of behavior indicating possible OCD are essential. Providing details about the child's behavior will go a long way to facilitate communication with parents.
Dialogue with Parents
A face-to-face meeting with parents is an excellent way to discuss specific difficulties the student is having. A phone conversation may be more convenient, but especially the first time the subject is raised, school personnel will be better able to show their concern and empathy when discussing the situation in person.
The purpose of a conference with the parents is to establish a two-way information exchange. During the conference, it will be important to share with parents information that has been documented about the behavior of their child. It is also very important to listen carefully to parents as they discuss their perspective about their child’s behavior and any concerns they may have. Keep in mind that parents can be emotional when discussing their child’s behavior. Whatever school personnel can do to reassure parents that everyone is working to help the student (and not criticize or blame) will likely lead to more productive conversations and greater cooperation.
In addition, when conferring with parents, be sure to use language that avoids educational jargon and communicate in a way that is respectful of the parents, their child, and their culture. Various cultures have different ways of interpreting and responding to mental health issues, and sensitivity to cultural differences is very important.
Ongoing Communication With Students and Parents
When a student is being treated for OCD, behavioral improvements can occur within a few weeks but may not be immediate. If the student is being treated by a cognitive behavior therapist, he or she will be seeing the therapist at regular intervals, and will be assigned “homework,” consisting of Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) exercises to do at home between therapy visits. If the student's obsessions and compulsions are triggered by events, people, places, or other situations in the school environment, the therapist may need to conduct some of the ERP exercises at school.
The student will be working hard to overcome his or her obsessive fears, doubts and worries, but until these disturbing thoughts, impulses, and images are conquered, they will be present and can still interfere with classroom work, attention during class and homework assignments. Establishing rapport with the student and letting him or her know that you are a “listening ear” and are willing to provide support will be especially important. Keep in mind, however, that some students will be reticent to share their OCD symptoms and experiences. Therefore, communication with the student may be limited. However, teachers and other school personnel should have open and frequent communication with parents to discuss the progress of the student and identify particularly troublesome activities or situations.
Home-school notes, faxes, phone calls, and emails can be effective ways to communicate with parents and keep them informed about how their child is faring during the school week. In-person meetings can be planned if both school personnel and parents prefer face-to-face meetings. In any case, teachers should not only let parents know how the student is coping with OCD at school, but also take the opportunity to identify strengths and talents in the student, and praise particularly good work. This can have a dramatic effect on a student’s self esteem. And, considering the stress parents may be experiencing because of the negative impact of OCD on the family, a little praise can give parents a much-needed “boost,” too.