Power to the Parents.pptx - Obsessive Compulsive Foundation

Parenting Strategies...What can parents do to help?Parents are the most important adults in their child'slife and have the greatest influence over their child'sbehaviorHow do we define behavior?• Behavior is functional• Can be seen, observed, measured• Stranger test• Dead person testA child's reaction to anxiety can be understoodbased on the laws of human behavior and can bechanged Speaking of which... what is behavioranyway?Which of these are behavior?• Washing hands• Having a bad attitude• Being disrespectful• Asking, “Was that a sin?”• Delays responding when told to do something• Being good• Checking locks• Being spoiled• Doing “OCD”So how do we help kids changetheir OCD-related behavior?• Remove unintentional rewards for behaviors intended toescape or avoid anxiety or discomfort• Reward brave behavior• Model brave behavior

Identify OCD-Related Behavior andPositive AlternativesOCD-­‐Related Behavior Changing clothes mulGple Gmes in the morning to get the “right” ou`it Refusing to eat sandwich without reassurance that it hasn't been contaminated Washing hands for 10 minutes after usingthe restroomTurning light switch on and off multipletimes when leaving a roomErasing and re-­‐wriGng words mulGple Gmes when doing homework Posi4ve Alterna4ve Wearing the first ou`it that you put on in the morning EaGng 5 bites of sandwich Washing hands for 20 seconds after usingthe restroomTurning light switch off once when leavinga roomCompleGng a page of homework without erasing Hierarchy of feared stimuli10- SUPER SCARY!!!!9- Very, very scary8- Very scary7- Scary6- Even harder to face5- Hard to face4- Bothering me3- Sort of uncomfortable2- A little uneasy1- Calm. No problem!How are behaviors reinforced?Reinforcement= anything that increases the frequency orintensity of a behaviorReward Brave Behavior• Resisting the pull to give into OCD urges is hard work foryour child!Behaviors can be reinforced in two ways:1) You are on your child's team, not OCD's team.2) Reward your child's bravery, not OCD!• The OCD trap is inviting and seductive• Just like adults are rewarded for going to work, kids shouldbe rewarded for their bravery in standing up to OCD

Setting up effective reward chartsSetting up effective reward chartscontinued...Give your child two or three OCD-specific behaviors youwould like them to work on• Develop a rewards menu with your child• Keep it simple!Choosing rewards• If a reward does not result in the increase of analternative behavior, it is not a reinforcer.Setting up effective reward chartscontinued...• Give the reinforcer (attention, points, tangible item)immediately after the behavior occurs• Choose a different reward!Reward with:• Variety is the spice of a reward system!• Consistency is important.• Give the reinforcer every time you observe the behavior.• Your child should be earning rewards every day

A word about “bribes”...• Are you telling me to bribe my child to be good?• Shouldn't they do what I ask just because it's thehealthy thing to do?• Shouldn't they be internally motivated to get better?• Am I going to have to give them rewards to fightOCD forever?Active Ignoring• Removing the unintentional rewards for your child'sanxious behavior• Attention from parents is incredibly reinforcing to mostkids... even negative attention!• Attention validates the fear• Called active ignoring because it is not easy!Extinction BurstsWhen a typical reward does not occur, we intensifyour behavior to try to get the desired outcomeTake Home Message• Reduce accommodation and unintentional reinforcement ofyour child's OCD• Weather extinction bursts.• They are called “extinction bursts” because the behavioreventually extinguishes if reinforcement is withheld!• REWARD positive alternatives to OCDcompulsions.• REWARD approach rather than avoidance!