Oppositional Behaviour Disorder

Hi, I have to support a child in KS3 with OBD, this is very different from a child that is unwilling to work or just being 'naughty'. It can cause a real clash between everyone in the classroom and a breakdown in learning. It is very unsettling for other children who see the misbehaviour (in their view) not being dealt with fairly as obviously they don't know all the facts, the school has a behaviour policy. What I am finding is that the child with OBD is becoming more manipulative - or am I imagining this. I don't want to see this child isolated and spending time in detentions, isolated learning etc - I don't think they would understand this.

Any experience on strategies to support not only this child but others in the classroom including the adults would be very much appreciated.

So far the mass evacuation of the children to another classroom has been used and I have advised all the teachers on the timetable to always have in mind an alternative classroom to move to, in this way it stops the other children becoming upset and keeps them safe. However, it does interrupt the learning and I don't know how Ofsted may view this. My primary concern is the safety of everyone.

Safety is paramount and it is easier to remove all the other kids and leave the disruptive one there. I understand what you mean about disruption to teaching and no isolation is not the best move. However short spells in isolation discussing appropriate behaviour and setting small targets to meet does help.

Daniel you have any comments on this?

I agree that when the proverbial hits the fan, you have to make a decision that ensures the safety of the child, yourself and the other children. For a child that doesn't frequently display unsafe behaviour this is the most practical measure. If a child is regularly displaying this behaviour and you're evacuating the class more frequently than you have fire drills, then a new plan of action is required. From the view of Ofsted, if you remove a class due to behaviour, you cannot get above satisfactory as the behaviour has impacted on children's learning.

Without knowing the child, it's difficult, but I think that planned withdrawal could be extremely useful. Older children, especially teenagers, absolutely hate the thought of being different and away from their friends. Perhaps brokering a deal with him where if things go wrong he works 1:1 with yourself and earns his way back into the classroom. It may seem a little unfair as he has oppositional defiant disorder, but he needs a boundary if only to push against! Children with ODD and other behavioural disorders can be very manipulative, so you just need to take a step back every so often and just think about the reasons you do things. I've lost count of the number of times when I've walked away and though "hmmm.... I've been had!!"

Daniel