In order to take a holistic view of your child's education, you must keep abreast of all aspects of his school day, including academic progress, physical safety, and social and emotional needs. The process of developing and executing an IEP or 504 plan with school personnel will represent a major commitment of time, self-education, and follow-through on your part. In this process, many parents also find themselves drawn into community initiatives and advocacy efforts to support increased funding for school-based mental health services.

Local Compliance with Federal Laws

According to the U.S. Department of Education, a full 90 percent of school districts are not in full compliance with the relevant laws covering services to students in need of special education services. In the same federal survey, over half of schools surveyed (55 percent) used contracts or other formal agreements with community-based individuals and/or organizations to provide mental health services to students. The most frequently reported outside resource was the school district's county mental health agency.

Funding for these school-based services comes from IDEA grants, state special education funds, and local government allocations. State Medicaid funding is the most common source of financial support for a school's mental health services. However, one-third of school districts reported that funding for these services had decreased since the 2000–2001 school year, while two-thirds reported that demand for services had increased in the same period.

Protecting Your Child from Peers

Depending on your child's age, you will need to find ways to monitor his social and academic progress without acting like an overly protective parent. This can be a tricky balance when your child has OCD. As your child matures, you will naturally have more concerns about peer influences, and you may worry that his OCD may make him more susceptible to teasing and bullying. Parental initiatives for “Zero Tolerance for Bullying” in public schools are an increasingly common solution to teasing and bullying as more awareness is spreading on this difficult issue.

The single most important resource for parents dealing with OCD in a child is a formal or informal network of other parents who are also dealing with OCD or other mental health issues in their school-age children. The support, information, and advice of other parents can be invaluable. More information on parent support groups and resource networks can be found in Chapter 16.