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Although a respectable body of literature on childhood obsessive- compulsive disorder (OCD) has developed over the past two decades, scant information has been available regarding the impact of OCD on students in educational settings and what school personnel can do to facilitate their ability to function in school. Indeed, resources for educational professionals have been extremely limited. More recently, several texts on educating students with a variety of different disorders (e.g., AD/HD, Tourette's Syndrome, OCD) have emerged, but none has been devoted solely to children and adolescents with OCD.

Students with OCD: A Handbook for School Personnel was born out of a need to fill that void. Although the major audience for this book is school professionals, many individuals—including parents whose children struggle with OCD, health care providers with pediatric patients facing OCD- related challenges in school, and others—will find this handbook a valuable resource.

The OCD Handbook is divided into six parts:

• Part I
  Introduction to OCD in children and adolescents
• Part II
  Overview of the most commonly-reported obsessions and compulsions in young people with OCD; how they manifest in school; other characteristics of childhood OCD
• Part III
  Issues related to childhood obsessive-compulsive disorder: prevalence; age at onset; gender; causes; disorders/other difficulties that occur with OCD; clinical assessment and treatment
• Part IV
  Effects of OCD on school functioning; how school personnel can help identify and refer children and adolescents with OCD
• Part V
  Comprehensive coverage of school-based treatment for OCD, including:
  • School-based accommodations and support strategies for students with OCD
  • Special issues related to the school-based treatment of OCD
  • Laws pertaining to educational services for students with OCD
  • Categorizing students with OCD under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004
  • Functional behavioral assessment and positive behavior intervention plans for managing OCD-related behavior
  • School-based cognitive-behavioral therapy when an outside therapist is involved
  • School-based treatment when an outside therapist is not involved
• Part VI
  Conclusion: Some final thoughts on OCD in children and adolescents

Students with OCD: A Handbook for School Personnel provides educators, mental health professionals, and parents a comprehensive understanding of childhood obsessive-compulsive disorder. Written with careful attention to detail and organization, it is the definitive resource for helping create actionable change in the lives of children and adolescents who struggle with OCD. The OCD Handbook will empower the reader to help young people with OCD realize their educational potential, thereby enhancing the quality of their lives.

Testimonials

School children who have symptoms of OCD will have reason to rejoice if their educators have a copy of Students with OCD: A Handbook for School Personnel by Dr. Gail B. Adams. As adults who spend hours a day with children, educators are in a unique position to help identify a student’s OCD and guide the family in finding the right help. Early identification, along with a copy of Dr. Adams’ comprehensive handbook based on current research, can prevent years of needless suffering. With exquisite detail and organization, Dr. Adams presents guidelines for educators to help students and their families find relief from OCD.

—Ellen Sawyer
Executive Director OCD Chicago

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an oft misunderstood and overlooked challenge that affects millions of children and adolescents worldwide. Educational professionals need a comprehensive resource that establishes the critical link between OCD and schools, and provides guidance about how to understand and help these youth. In Students with OCD: A Handbook for School Personnel, Dr. Adams successfully accomplishes this goal in an easy-to-read, informative style that will make this text a must-have for school professionals. I'm so glad there will finally be a guide for school professionals and parents to turn to.

—Eric Storch, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, University of South Florida, Lead Editor of Handbook of Child and Adolescent Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

In her book Students with OCD: A Handbook for School Personnel, Dr. Gail Adams provides a comprehensive, clinically savvy, and evidence-based overview of OCD in children and adolescents. Uniquely, this timely book provides extensive information on how OCD affects students in the school setting and offers practicable advice for education professionals on a multitude of issues that are relevant to youth with OCD. Everyone interested in helping children with OCD navigate the educational system—school personnel, parents, and mental health professionals—will find the material in this book invaluable.

—John March, MD, MPH
Director, Division of Neurosciences Medicine, Duke Clinical Research Institute, Author of Talking Back to OCD