Preschool twin boys with ODD & ADHD...HELP?

Question

I teach at a private school where there are twin boys in my class with ADHD & ODD. They are very sweet when they want to be. But when they are in their "zone", they are very uncontrollable. We have tried everything from ignoring them to sending them to time out with the Headmaster. Nothing is working. They are very hurtful of other people and each other, they bite, kick, hit, pinch, scratch and spit. Along with other things. Does anyone have any clue about how we could handle them. I love the boys a lot and would like to see them thrive in class...but the other teachers and myself are all at a lost. Please help us!!!

Answer 1

Children with ODD and ADHD need a lot of redirection. Is it by the parents request that they be in the same class? I am wondering if they were separated if their behaviors would be more manageable (i.e., only child's behavior for the teacher to redirect vs. times two). I have identical twin girls that are 2 and I wish now I would have split them up this year. They are giving their Parent's Morning Out teacher a time this year. They need a lot of redirection as well. Next year for preschool I am definately splitting them up. I am also in my senior year working on my BS in Early Childhood Education. Redirection is the key to these disorders as well as keeping activities from being to long. If they lose interest, you will notice that is when they will start in. Try involving them in passing out materials for the activities and keep them actively involved in each step of whatever it is you are doing so they don't get distracted. I hope this helps.

Answer 2

I teach special education preschool.  I encounter lots of students with adhd and a few here and there with ODD.  The best way to handle the ODD is to give no affect when you speak to the child.  If he is sitting nicely dont say Wow look at how nice you are sitting.  Simply state "sitting on the carpet."  It acknowledges the good behavior without giving them positive feedback that they are not "wired" to understand

Answer 3

Obviously they need to be in a special school and not in a regular class where they have access to other children and possibly hurt them. Biting, kicking, hitting, scratching and sppitting are not excusable, ODD/ADHD or not. It's not fair to the other children and they need to be removed and segregated ASAP before there is a serious accident.

Sounds more like they are terribly spoiled and get their own way; they may grow up to be monsters unless someone intervenes and takes them in hand.

There is no way for these boys to thrive anywhere except in a class by themselves or with other children who have behavioral problems. They should definitely not be in a regular school.

I had one boy just like that; he was sweet as he could be; then when we weren't looking he would grab one of the children and hug them tight, really really tight and squeeze them and smile the whole time.

We had another little boy who was seriously ill and had a tube in his stomach; he was very delicate and this other boy knew it somehow and he was the one he went after the most often. One day when I saw him doing this I got hold of him and sat down and hugged him as tight as I could and held him that way for about ten mintues until he calmed down. I told the director he needed watching and professional treatment but she never did anything because his mother was a big TV show writier and she didn't want to offend her and have her take her son out of the school. I gave up after that.

Answer 4

I work at a Preschool/Daycare with two and three year olds. We have had to come up with some creative strategies to handle several children who displayed aggressive behaviors including the things you are describing. One thing that works well with the three-year-olds when they get into that state of mind is putting them in the "Cloud Corner." It's a corner in the room that is filled with pillows and stuffed animals and is set apart from the other centers in the room. If a child gets out of control or starts to "lose their cool" we tell them they need to go take a few minutes and sit in the Cloud Corner. This often works well when a child is too worked up to think clearly and just needs some time by themselves.

Another strategy I have heard of educators using but I am not sure if I personally agree with is having the child repeat the action deemed inappropriate until it no longer becomes "fun" for them. This would only work with something the teacher has told a child not to do but does not harm another child. The way the strategy is explained, rather than telling the child not to perform a certain action, the teacher tries to get the child to "get it out of their system." For example, if a child is spitting, the teacher will hold out their hand and say 'Spit into my hand.' The child is encouraged to spit until it no longer becomes fun, which in theory keeps them from performing that action again.

A third strategy, much like the Cloud Corner, is one in which you can set up a chair in the classroom and place a colorful crown or hat next to it along with some type of toy with sand or oil inside it that you turn over to watch it drip to the other side. (Here is a link to an example of the kind of toy I am referring to : http://www.officeplayground.com/oozetrit... ). When a child becomes aggressive or out of control, they may go sit in the chair and watch the toy for a few minutes and wear the crown. This way, they don't feel the guilt of sitting in time out, but still recognize that they need to be away from their fellow students for a few minutes. It helps them to clear their head and reflect on their actions, much like the Cloud Corner.

As a last resort, oftentimes a teacher has been assigned to a specific child if they are uncontrollable and will sit with them, hold their hand when walking in the hall, etc. This helps ensure that the child is being monitored at all times. Also, the positive attention and affection from a caregiver can oftentimes help counteract the aggressive behaviors a child is displaying.

I hope any of this can be of assistance to you! I definitely understand how frustrating it can be when a child is harming his fellow classmates and it seems as if he is not responding to any technique. Hopefully as the boys mature and become more aware of their actions these aggressive behaviors will decrease. Good luck!