I would like to point you in the direction of a fabulous group called NAMI and their website NAMI-HC.org
If your little one is diagnosed with OCD and you want an opportunity to find support for you as well as your son, that is a great place to start. Feel free to email me if you would like some additional insight into the organization.
My Husband has OCD, along with other issues, and the Family-to-Family group was immensely helpful to me. The biggest lesson is to learn to seperate 'symtomatic behavior' from just normal childhood behavior. It is hard to understand and easy (and natural) to become frustrated and upset but we also have to keep in mind that they too are often frustrated with their own symptoms as well.
I wish for you lots of patience and understanding...and the knowledge that you aren't alone...
It could be a sensory processing disorder called Hypersensitivity, instead of OCD. My daughter was recently diagnosed with the opposite Hyposensitivity. Think whether or not he has a problem with "anything" touching him. How does he react from hugs from strangers or pressure of a tooth brush. Lots of things really. Treatment for both is similar. Try giving him massages everynight before bed or anytime (wouldn't that be nice for us) Also a light soft brush (like a baby brush) used on the arms and legs daily might help to regulate the senses. It's always good to get professional advice of course but try these or look it up while you are waiting for the Dr appointment, it certainly couldn't hurt.
Has anyone mentioned Sensory Integration Dysfunction? It sure sounds more like that than OCD and isn't treated with drugs. Look for "the Out of Sync Child" by carol stock kranowitz, hopefully it can help. Good luck!
When you say he hasnt been diagnosed yet, OCD may not be the dx. I have a son who is 6 now who we also dealt with that issue with. He is not OCD. He actually has a sensory integration disorder and was diagnosed last year. He also has a zillion allergies to about every food out there so that tends to heighten the emotions.
The sensory disorder caused him to not want to wear clothes with tags (we cut them all out) or bought clothing without tags. There's lots of those out there now (Gymboree has some, Sonoma, Old Navy, etc). He also NEVER wanted to walk in the grass without his shoes. His emotions were heightened due to the allergic reactions and the sensory issue.
We have been having him treated for his allergy symptoms at Integrated Health at 93rd and Meridian. We swore off of having his pediatrician or allergist deal with the issues as all they wanted to do was fill him full of medications that didnt really seem to be helping.
He now has one preservative free natural injection weekly, takes a GREAT multi-vitamin without chemicals/preservatives and takes a probiotic and his personality has changed exponentially.
We are still working on some of the mood swings where he goes from majorly happy to really upset in record time, but alot of that goes to the maturity level, sleep, issue that he's upset about, being a six year old boy and lots of factors.
Be careful about allwowing anyone to put an OCD label on your child and filling them full of medications that have long lasting affects. Not trying to scare you, but think you need to be very cautious.
Good luck. There are some great resources out there to help you figure this out and we were lucky to find one of them at Integrative Health.
I can relate I have a 11 yr old son who has ocd and he was diagnosed when he was 4. I couldn't understand why he would cry over his food touching, if he wanted ketchup it could not touching anything either. It was so bad that I would have to go buy red siccors, red crayons, everything had to be red or he would just lose it and cry. The best advice I can give is get him in to the doctor and I was not a beliver in meds but I worked with him everyday and if work at it now they aren't to bad as they get older. He is 11 like I said and is alot better now the only thing that bothers him is if his pokemon cards are messed up but i have learned to sit him down and we talk through it. He was on medicne for alittle while but is hard as it can be because we get frustrated with them get down with him and let him chose, If he likes a specfic color get that color and gradually change those out with different items. I am not going to lie it is a long process but it does work.
my name is Alicia mother of 14yr stepdaughter,11yr son,8yr daughter
I don't know that would be considered OCD, but either way could it be that his skin is just really sensitive? my neice went through the same thing, turns out to be a serious skin allergy
Your son sounds just like my 6 year old daughter. We stopped leaving the house for anything we didn't have to do because she would flip out over clothes. I thought about OCD, but wasn't sure.
It turns out she has a condition called SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder). Specifically, she suffers from tactile defensiveness/hypersensitivity. The books and research I've done compare what she's feeling to you or me wearing clothes made of fiberglass.
She sees an Occupational Theapist once a week & she's on a "Sensory Diet" at home every day (it has nothing to do with food). This is where I'd start if I were you: http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/index.html
I started by asking our doctor about it, but he'd never heard of SPD. I had him refer us to an occupational therapist who's familar with SPD & she's doing wonderful things for us. The change in my daughter in the past months is fantastic!
If you want more info, please, feel free to ask.
Bless you!
You have a lot of good advice, one that I might suggest is that you take him to a Developmental Pediatrician, they are also quailified to tease out what is going on here. I am sure that he would bennefit from Occupational Therapy so you could start with that appointment, but I would also make an appointment with a psychiatrist or a developmental pediatricain (which may take a lot longer than an OT.) What ever the dx turns out to be, and you should know that in most cases it will turn out to be a combination of things that can change over the years; thes are very treatable and he can fell better, especially if you get him the intervention he needs now.
One counter "two cents" from me, I have kids with a "dx" and we have never, never had a problem with medical doctors thinking that "everything" that is wrong with them is caused by thier diagnosis. For pediatricians, I find myself having to explain the dx to them because most of them don't really deal with this on a daily basis (why you need to go to a specailist ASAP). As for educatators, the opposite can be true as well, you end up on quite the opposite side, seeing clearly that a behavior or a need is caused by the disability, and could be handled in a better way, but the educator would rather see it as outside the disability.
All the clincial evidence shows that when it comes to interventionl, early is better, and if you don't get the right intervention, you could be wasting his time and your money! Incidentally, a dx is the only way to get help through the schools too...
Have you ever had your son tested for Sensory Processing Disorder??? The things that you listed definately sound like a sensory issue. A great book to read is called Out Of Sync. I have a son that has SPD and ADHD..... you might find that he isnt OCD.... the sensory issues will cause him to have ocd issues...............GOOD luck :)
I worked for a psycho therapy office and know you are knocking yourself out for something that needs more help than you can provide, he really needs medication and therapy, my grandson has same disorder and was really bad but with meds and therapy he is getting much better. Seek help at once
Amanda, Hi. My son has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder as does my husband and his sister. My son also has Sensory Integration Disfunction., That is what it sounds like to me. SI kids have trouble with texture. They are sometimes very sensitve. My son actually craves touch but my daughter is sensitive to touch. A lot of SI kids have to wear their socks inside out. You should look up the 2 n the internet and see what you think. Good luck. By the way, I would be intersted to know if you took the medicine Terbutaline during your pregnancy. Thanks, Jenny J (Mom of 3)
I have a 1st grader, who just turned seven this past week, with what we think is a form of OCD. Before Christmas it was at its worst. We have not professional diagnosed her and have heard it is very hard to do at a young age. She has similar issues, socks, tights, anything with a waist band, heavy coats, etc. bother her. SHe is very tiny, so it is very hard to find clothes to fit her. Lucky for us, se wears a unform to school. I have bought every navy blue sock on the market and she only will wear one kind of white shirt to school. As I look back on her preschool years, she was always very organized. She would line up her toys are age two in a row when I asked her to clean up. I thought it was cute at the time. By four, she was nervous about going to preschool. IF I got her there late, it was always harder on her entering a room full of kids vs. being the first one there. She is always a perfectist. Likes everything to fall into place just right. She would cry alot and did not want me to leave. I just thought she was going through a phase. It wasn't until this year, when she started 1st grade that we noticed a big difference. I have always had a difficult time getting out the door in the morning. With three girls, she being the oldest, she would want to switch clothes and take forever. So I got her a ride to school. This put alot of pressure on her and she would not always be ready when they came, then we would fight over that she was taking so long. SHe would then tell me that I hate her, I don't love her and did not want to go to school I would have to take her out screaming or drive her late. I have two younger girls also, so this was a pain. I physically cold not handle it. ONe night my husband was giving baths and said she has OCD, kind of jokingly, I said why. HE said the bath toys had to be in the same exact place as when we started the bath. THe next day I started doing research on my own and found that she has symtoms. I called a few places, talked to my Ped. about it and her referred me to this place in Sidney. I went there and talked to them and they wanted to do this bio feed back on her. I thought we would get through the holidays and see what happens, again thinking this was a phase. I wasn't too hip on therapy at age 6 and putting things on her head to measure her brain waves.SO I have tried some new things in our routine to try to help her. I wake her up earlier in the morning and tell her I love her and try to hug her when she gets upset, I have stopped yelling at her about being slow. She is older and she understands she has issues. She told us that she would go to a DR. b/c she doesn't want to feel this way. She says her head tells her to say stuff she doens't mean and that she wants to wear skinny jeans and cool socks, etc. she just can't. She also startted telling us that she was dumb and we found eraser marks on her homework. She has 100s in Math and reading and is very bright. I just want her to be happy. I have spoken to several professionals about it and they all say there is no cure. We as parents have to find a way to make it work for the child. Patience for me is the biggest. I am getting better and trying to be more organized for her. Putting clothes out the night before, asking her to help me organize the pantry. She loves to cleant he garage with her dad. If anyone has any other advice I would love to hear it too. My goal is her to be happy and have a positive attitude towards herself and her family. She doens't act like this at school or with the grandparents, so when she gets home form school it is all bottled up and she explodes. Making sure she has a snack helps her to. I bring food to school at 3pm when I pick her up so by the time we get home she isn't as crabby. NOw some of these things are normal routine to us. Maybe this clothes problem is a phase for him, look at other things and see how he handles pressure, last minute decisions, crowds. HOpefully this will pass for you. I know it is annoying. Hang in there. I am in SIdney, if you have found anyone or websites, please let me know. Thanks, Anne W.
Hello Amanda, I noticed your questions about OCD. My suggestion is that is may be more than just that. I would suggest requesting a book from your local library entitled, "The Out of Sync Child". It talks about (I'm trying to remember how they word it...) Sensory Issues. It discusses 3 different senses, one of them being 'Tactile'. Many children have under or over stimulation to different things. It sounds like he is over sensitive tactiley (if you can say that?). I have a special needs 9 1/2 year old and 3 others below him. He is undersensitive and loves everythings really hot or cold or loud or rough. I think you could find help with that book, although don't be to overwhelmed by it. It lists alot of issues, of which your son may only have a small part. My son went to Sensory therapy with a Occupational Therapist trained in SID or Sensory Integration Dysfunction (thats what its called). Not all doc's believe it, but you have to see for yourself. Some OT's will know more than others. Hope this helps.
Amanda, I have a grandson who is adhd and ocd the only thing i can tell you is let him dress his self and pick his own clothes out i went through the same thing with dayne every day untill i let him do it his self i know this sounds crazy but it works, at least for him it did, I have a 5 yr old that cannot stand tags or anything on his skin, so until i get to the doctor i just let him ware his clothes the way he wants, he turns his socks inside out because the roughness is on the inside of the sock so i let him do it, it keeps him calm and everyone else is too,so i hope i have been some help, have a good day i will pray for you to have strenght, god dose help. sherry.
I have two sons, one with OCD. He is now 31 yrs. old. The biggest thing I can say to you is that this child needs to know that he is being heard. His crying is because he doesn't believe you are listening, especially if you are showing any signs of anger or frustration. Allow him to voice his "long winded" complaint and invite him to be part of the solution, even if the solution is not what you would believe is best. They need to know that their thoughts and ideas are important. He is teahing you patience and unconditional love. Do not expect him to be anything other than who he is and find the joy in that. He will emerge with smiles and hugs to greet you. It is worth it for both of you. It may not be easy but you are preparing him for the world... All the Best to Both of You. -- tlc
Be very sensative to his needs,but try not to give in to them it only worsens the symptoms.It may help him feel reasured for awhile but it will wear off and he will be back to feeling anxious again.I would research it as much as I could and get a good understanding of it.I suffer with ocd myself,and I know it can be difficult for my loved ones.There are therapist that can treat ocd be careful though make sure they have the knowledge to treat this anxiety disorder.It is ok to reasure your son every now and then but to do it permanetly can be damaging to him.He needs to start learning how to cope and manage these anxious feelings.Here is a site telling a little about it http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/emotion/ocd.html
Amanda,
You say that you are on your way to a diagnosis for OCD. I would like to offer another possiblity for what seems to be compulsive behavior. Compulsive behavior usally has a "I must do this thing or I can't move on to the next step" component. What your are describing sounds more like a tactile defensivness, which is a sensory processing disorder.
An Occupational therapy evaluation seems to be in order to rule out or to identify a sensory processing disorder. Sensory processing issues can manifest with a variety of mystifying behaviors that seem to have no reason for them to be present. But the person experiencing this problem a light touch can feel as if you have been burned or poked with a needle, because the sensory system is not processing the sensation correctly and therefore you get the poor behavior. You can go to www.aota.org to find a therapist in your area that specializes with children and sensory processing. Good Luck. Dotty
Just a ittle background to begin - I am a school psychologist and have worked for over 12 years with children ranging in age from 2 1/2 - 22 years in four different states. Right now I am a SAHM with 3 children ages 10, 7, and almost 4.
I am wondering why you are thinking your child is OCD. The reason I ask is because the behavior you are describing sounds more like a child with sensory integration issues rather than OCD. Children with sensory issues may have difficulties with certain textures (tactile sensitivity). Certain clothes, shoes or socks may bother them. Most can't stand the tags in the clothes. Many have difficulty eating certain foods and brushing their teeth. One particular child I worked with would only wear a certain kind of sweat pants, t-shirts with no tags and socks with no seams at the toes. It took his mother a long time to find the key, but once she did there were not longer fights every morning regarding clothes.
Kids with tactile sensitivity may also feel intimidated if they feel someone is in their space when in actuality that person may be far from them. Many do not like gentle touches but are more comfortable with firm touches. Others do not like to be touched at all.
Some children also experience sensitivity to sounds and visual stimuli.
I would urge you to read some information on Sensory Intergration and see if that sounds like your son. The Out-Of-Sync Child is a great book (I don't remember the author). I am sure there are many others as well.
There are many children with sensory integration issues and ways to accommodate their needs and strategies to help them cope better with sensory input. Best of luck to you.
I don't have the answers, but I have a daughter with similar issues. We went to our first psychologist appt today. I hope it helps. We struggle daily about clothes, baths, hair, and on and on. She can cry for over an hour because something is not the right shade of pink.