The Educational Needs of Students with ODD

The Educational Needs of Students with ODD Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is one of two pediatric behavioral disorders defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual V (DSM V) that are included as qualifying disabilities in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). While not as serious as Conduct Disorder, whose symptoms include  aggression and property destruction, ODD still compromises a students ability to succeed academically and develop meaningful relationships with peers and teachers. Students diagnosed with ODD may be found in general education settings if it is determined that the disorder does not prevent them  from participating fully in the general education classroom. It is also possible that some students with ODD in programs for Emotional Disturbances can manage their own behavior well enough that they can successfully be integrated into general education classrooms. Symptoms of ODD Students with Oppositional Defiant Disorder exhibit the following symptoms: Anger and resentmentTendency to argueShort temperUnwillingness to comply with adults requests or rulesTendency to annoy peopleSpite and vindictiveness A mental health professional would only make an ODD  diagnosis if the above symptoms occurred more frequently than they do in a comparable age or developmental group.  Fifteen-year-olds often argue with adults, and they can be touchy or easily annoyed, but a 15-year-old diagnosed with ODD would be significantly more argumentative or touchy in a way that affected their day-to-day functioning. Co-Morbidity with Other Behavioral Challenges or Disabilities The DSM V notes that a significant number of children seen in a clinical setting for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are also diagnosed as having ODD. The manual  also notes that many children with impulse control problems are also frequently diagnosed with ODD. Best Practices for Students with ODD All students benefit from classroom settings with structure and clear expectations. It is critical in both general education settings where students with ODD are included, and in  self-contained settings,  that the expectations are clear, explicit, and above all consistent. The most important elements of a successful classroom are: A Structured Environment: Some assumptions about how a classroom should be organized may be inappropriate for students with ODD. Seating arrangements that put children into clusters of four may be fine in settings where children are raised with high expectations but may create too many opportunities for disruptive behavior among children with ODD. Students with ODD often use seating arrangements as occasions for high drama that are much more about work avoidance than interpersonal dynamics. Remember, your role is to be a teacher, not a therapist. Seating students in rows or pairs is often the best way to start the school year. Routines:  Unlike strict rules, routines make expectations clear in a way that is value-neutral. Instead of creating a rule that says Never get out of line, create a routine where students get used to standing in line, walking without touching or bothering their neighbors, and getting quickly and quietly to their destination at school. Establishing routines means being pro-active, and planning thoroughly what your classroom expectations will be. Where will students place their backpacks? Will they be able to access them during the day? Only before lunch? How does one get the teachers attention? Do you raise your hand, place a red cup on top of your desk, or hang a red flag from  your desk? Any one of these options could help create a routine that works well in a structured class. A Reinforcement-Rich Environment: Pay attention to the things your students like or think are important. Most boys (the majority of children with ODD) love free time on the computer, and most schools block access to  objectionable sites. Let students earn their time on the computer by completing academic tasks, by earning points for appropriate behavior, or by reaching behavioral or academic goals. A Calm and Collected Teacher: The function of the behavior associated with Oppositional Defiant Disorder is often to engage people in authority in a tug of war or power play. As a teacher, the most important thing is not to engage in a battle that no one will win.

5 Simple Marketing Strategies for First-Time Authors

5 Simple Marketing Strategies for First-Time Authors 5 Simple Marketing Strategies for First-Time Authors Brent Jones recently  gave up his freelance career as a social media manager to pursue creative writing full-time. At the end of this past February, he published his debut novel,  The Fifteenth of June, and in  the following month, Brent has been focused on what he knows to be an equally important part of an author's job: marketing.  In this article, he  shares 5 simple marketing strategies that all first-time authors can (and should!) try, and how his efforts have already started to pay off. I had the good  fortune of hiring  Laura Mae Isaacman  to edit my book through Reedsy - she worked tirelessly to make my debut release,  The Fifteenth of June, as powerful as it could be. But no matter how great a book is, publishing it is only  half the battle. For new authors such as myself, it takes a lot of work to  market a novel and find our first readers. To quote Amy Collins, author of  The Write Way:â€Å"Writing a great book is a basic requirement for simply being allowed a chance to succeed in the marketplace.†I will be outlining in this post some of the launch strategies I used  to market my debut novel.This list is not intended to be exhaustive, and I am not an expert marketer of literary fiction. But there's a lot we can learn from  one another, and I hope to start a productive discussion in the comments below.Ready? "Publishing a book is only half the battle. The other half is marketing it." @AuthorBrentJ 1. Run a free Kindle promotion 685 people entered my giveaway, but more importantly,  300+ users added my book  to their  to-read  shelf. And when a user adds a book to one of his or her shelves, it appears as an update in their feed, meaning their friends on Goodreads  can see that they have added my book!Most of those 10 print copies have been delivered, so it will be interesting to see in the coming weeks how many of those winners read the book, write a review, or recommend it to a friend. One recipient, Denise Levendoski, has already written a glowing review of The Fifteenth of June on Goodreads.The bottom line?It's been about a month since I published my book, and  I've sold close to 100 copies of my book at regular price, not including revenue generated through the Kindle Unlimited Lending Library.As far as I'm concerned, I’m off to a great start, considering  some of my marketing initiatives, such as reaching out to book bloggers, haven't even begun to pay off. Not to mention that many who  downloaded  The Fifteenth of June  haven't read it yet.In the meantime, I'm focused on my next novel, which I intend to publish by  August. I've heard from other  self-published authors that it generally takes four titles to gain  some traction. Not true in every case, I suppose, but  a fair guideline nonetheless. "Writing and marketing is a tough balancing act, but must be maneuvered to succeed." @AuthorBrentJ It's a tough balancing act - writing and marketing - but both aspects of the job have to be maneuvered in equal measure if we, as writers, hope to be successful author-entrepreneurs.The Fifteenth of June is available in paperback from Amazon and on Amazon Kindle!Head to Brent's website  to subscribe to his newsletter, or follow him on Twitter for more!Have you tried any of Brent's marketing tips? How did they work for you? Or do you have marketing ideas for first-time authors that weren't included in the list?  Leave any thoughts, experiences, or questions for Brent  in the comments below.