OCD and Autism | Autism PDD

Hi Carters Mommy:

My 10 yr old has OCD too and I have been giving him a supplement that helps alot, Inositol...Dr. Woeller from the Stillpoint Center in Temecula recommends this...here is his website http://www.stillpointhealth.com/InositolforAnxietyandOCD.htm l

The laughter may be a release of anxiety.  The National Autistic Society in the UK has a great article called "Obsessions, repetitive behaviors and routines".  It's rather long, so I'll just give you the link and the summary they wrote.  You might also want to check out the forum topic "Meltdown Resources" (the advice in those articles has been helpful, even life-changing, for several parents on this board).  Good luck with everything.

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1071&a=7103 &view=print

In summary

• Does the obsession, routine or repetitive behaviour restrict the person's opportunities, cause distress or discomfort or impact on the individual's learning? If not, is it really necessary to intervene?
• What function does the repetitive behaviour, routine or obsession have for the individual? (ie what does the person get out of the behaviour?).
• Intervene early by setting boundaries around repetitive behaviours and obsessions from a young age and as they emerge.
• Increase environmental structure by using visual cues (eg timetables, daily planners), social stories, and pre-planning strategies to prepare for stressful events or change.
• Provide skill development opportunities including social skills training, relaxation and emotions identification training and skills to assist the individual better cope with change.
• Increase social, recreational and vocational opportunities for the person.
• Set clear and consistent boundaries around the behaviour by rationing the object, the time or the place - remember to start small and go slowly.
• Explore alternative, more appropriate activities that have the same function as the repetitive behaviour.
• Use obsessions to motivate and reward, develop skills, increase social opportunities and improve self-esteem.

Thanks for the replies. Yes I think the 2 year old thing is a factor but if things do not go the way he wants it to than you can see the anxiety/stress come over his face. The sad thing is that it is for things like lights, certain routes to places, certain doors being open and some being closed. When things get bad we put him in the bike trailer and we go for a ride. It is the one thing that always calms him down. I think it is the wind in his face that he likes the most. You are right though Mamkat our peds neuro said it best when she said that Autism is a mix of alot of symptons..OCD, Anxiety, ADD, ADHD, ect....its all under the umbrella of Autism.

My son has OCD as well (he's 8) and I found that from ages 4-7 it was at it's worse but now he's way more relaxed. We put him in Play Therapy for about a year and a half which really helped out a lot. He had sessions one on one and then we also did it as a family. Given that Carter is 2.5, he's also as a normal stage of wanting things his way so I think you had the PDD traits as well as normal 2 yr old behaviour, kwim?

It's hard though when you know the meltdowns coming and you're in the middle of the parking lot with a child totally losing it. Been there done that in more parking lots than I could possibly count. ;)

Hang in there!

Yep. J is currently being treated for his OCD. It is known to very often go
hand in hand w/ a dx of autism. He's seeing a therapist who specializes in
treating OCD and anxiety in children. Easily half of her clients have an ASD.I was wondering if there are any parents out there that have a child that has OCD or rituals that get out of hand. Our son Carter is getting worse with his rituals meaning he makes us turn the basement lights on so he can look at them and than we have to keep the door open all day long. The playroom is down stairs. All the doors on the second floor have to be closed. If someone opens the door to the garage he needs to close it and I mean slam it. He laughs by the way after all this is completed.(there are way more but I would need another hour to write it all down) It is starting to scare me as he is getting more rigid with all his routines. We went to the mall the other day and we had to do it his way. I got sick of it so I made him do it my way and thank goodness my mother was with me because he kicked and screamed as I held him until we got to the car. We are still waiting on services. Any suggestions. I am getting scared as we had a few "safe zones" that I knew we could go with out the tantrums starting. My son Carter, 4yrs has an obsession with movies.  They are on his mind 24/7, and I believe it is the cause of his sleep problems.  We have also found a positive way through them to help with his communication and interaction with others.

Our psychiatrist explained it this way. MANY kids on the autism spectrum are obsessed with things, stim or have rituals.  This is unlike classic OCD, however.  Individuals plagued by TRUE OCD, HATE their obsessions and rituals. They are just compelled by their brains to participate in these things and tend to be miserable about it. But kids with ASD who have obsessions LOVE their obsessions. Their obsessions give them comfort. Their obsessions help them organize their thinking. So these things are actually helpful some extent. But if the obsessions and rituals TAKE OVER, they are harmful.  There is a fine line.

Very good explanation, tzoya.  I hadn't thought about that aspect.

Today I ran across this Child OCD Inventory checklist. 

http://www2.ncneuropsych.com/home/NCN_Patient_Forms/Child/Ch ild_OCD_Inventory.pdf

My son at 2 1/2 did a lot of the same things . A good ABA therapist can help
with it. My son had to have the doors closed. It took a while but we got it
under control. It reappeared last year and we put it on extinction at that
point. Couple of things that I learned from my sons behaviors.
1. When he was young, would take different roads to the same place.
2. I would vary a routine from time to time so he would not be so rigid
3. would not allow him to stim (like opening closing doors, lights on and off)
    because it got in the way of his learning and interaction with us.
4. We had to teach my son to be more flexible and this is an ongoing
process.

WWhen do you start services? What I found is that when language and play
skills emerged his behaviors did get better.

He has an OT eval on the 1st of OCt. We play with him all the time but w/ the other 2 needing alot of attention we are being pulled in so many different ways. He stopped with the lights and doors fo a while but when we went to see family it came back..he was very stressed. We have been paying for it since. We keep him off them as much as possible but he can reach them all so it makes it harder. I have alot to read and thank you to all of you with all of your advice. Services should start soon. We might have to go to our Area Education Services to get them quicker. ABA therapy is on a wait list of 1 yr here!

My son's obsessions are the way tzoya explained.  He loves them and they calm him.  They actually make our live easier as they make him happier. 

My daughter, 7 years old has just began (within the last year to really obsess). I was getting a little worried more recently until I found this board. Her obsessions really do bring her comfort and she is very much at peace with them. Hers range from dietary to movies to hand-washing. The latter is actually a blessing really. She's very careful to wash her hands after touching things and before we eat, but more recently it's all the time. After accidentally seeing some animal cruelty footage she's decided she will never eat meat again - and I believe her. She's also very firm about not eating ANY trans fat or hydrogenated oil. That may seem harmless to some, but every time we eat out, the staff of whatever restaurant get grilled over "what's in this food?" And she won't eat it unless she gets answers! Same things when the grandparents come for a visit and my mother-in-law brings food she's made. Maggie wants all the labels checked and insists on seeing the nutritional breakdown looking for trans fats. Now she's getting more concerned about saturated fats and I can see where it's headed. Again, for others this may seem good, but I'm concerned that she is winding herself up for tremendous limitations.

Any suggestions?

Oh, and she also thinks about movies constantly. She really lives in them all day. We homeschool her and although she is an easy and good student, she talks about movies to the point of distraction ALL DAY.

LukLafLrn -

I can definitely relate to you on the diet issue.  I've always encouraged healthy choices, but my 9 year old has gotten overly strict with himself, denying himself candy sometimes when the opportunity presents itself socially (I usually only let them have candy on Saturdays).

He has also started a compulsion to balance the unhealthy with something healthy.  As a result, he ate a pile of watermelon alongside his bowl of ice cream at a party this summer, and ended up barfing later. 

I may end up writing a social story on my son's healthy food obsession.

As far as washing hands goes, I'd just keep emphasizing that it's enough to wash hands before eating and after going to the bathroom.  The excess hand-washing could also be a way for your daughter to take a break, or get sensory input.  If so, you can teach her how to get those needs filled in a more direct way.

Good luck with everything.

 

My son who is six also likes certain lights on and doors open or closed. He
has PDD NOS, it also worries me.

Maggie has done that too - overeaten healthy (whatever) and then thrown it all up. I've worked with her on eating more slowly and a bit less and she seems to be getting better control over that.

I never thought about the sensory aspects of washing. She loves to play with her toys in water too. In the sink, pool or the bath, her hands love the water. That is such a helpful suggestion, thank you. I think the hand-washing part of it came from her father discussing germs with the kids and how they need to wash their hands before eating. We also watched the movie, Osmosis Jones, a short time later. That's all it took to give her a visual reality on the subject. One of her greatest fears is my death and watching that little girls father nearly pass was more than she could take.

My daughter is the same with candy. Especially ones that are particularly colorful. Because I also work in a "health food" environment these topics are already present in my home. Out of four children, she's the only one that really chooses the healthier path. But as I said, it's become obsessive, but such is her nature. I can't lie to her and tell her something is healthy when it's not. I'm sure you have that problem too NorwayMom. But there are some shades of gray in the world of nutrition, and "shades of gray" is not a part of her world.

Thanks again for your suggestions and encouragement. It is very helpful.

LuvLafLern39330.2078819444My 10 yr old has OCD too and I tried a supplement called Inositol (IP-6) and it helps alot...He has always had tendencies toward obsessing and when he was young it calmed him, but this summer he was overwhelming by his obsessions and couldn't feel satisfied, so the therapist recommended some medication (she does cognitive therapy)...and it sure made a difference!!!
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