OCD in young children

[Belle0101]

A bunch of moms where I was at today, sort of a mom's group, were talking and during the course of the conversations one mentioned that her child had previously been diagnosed with OCD. The child had been diagnosed as a toddler, between 2 & 3.

I readily admit that I have a few idiosyncrasies.
*When I get out of the car I lock the doors but I still try the handle to make sure I did. I've done this forever. I can't not check.
*Everything in the kitchen cupboards have to face forwards, like in a store. It makes me buggy to have someone just shove something in the cupboard.

But OCD as a toddler? I so wanted to ask what the child did at age 2 that a doctor could give an official diagnosis of OCD. I didn't though and the conversation turned to other topics.

So I'll ask here. My kids are older and for the life of me, I can barely remember when they were that age. (It's really sad when the mind starts to go. ) What might have been a clue to OCD?

Thanks, I'm off to check my kitchen cupboards now. J/K! I did that on Sunday.

 

[JessicaR]

So many degrees of OCD. I have it too. When my son was 3 he didn't want to open things. Like a match box car in a package - just saved it that way. He had rituals that had to be completed the same way every time. Like when someone visited and then went to leave he had to run to the window and wave good-bye. He also had some sensory issues. He hated tags in his shirts and preferred very soft comfortable clothing.

His Preschool teacher brought it to our attention and suggested an evaluation.

We did it and he told us nothing to worry about.

He is about to turn 18 and is just fine. Like his Mommy that passed the genes on. Apparently my moms side of the family all had similar OCD traits but nothing that is debilitating.

 

[tasha99]

My oldest son had a seizure when he was 4 and the neurologist referred him to a child psychiatrist because he noticed he was turning and licking his shoulder now and then (DS licked his own shoulder, not the neurologist's.) The psych. did an eval and did NOT diagnose him with OCD, but many years later he was diagnosed for having a few tic like routines and over-washing his hands. I think the OCD was there when he was very young, but not in such an obvious way that the doctor would give it a label. Also, in preschool he would cry if his shoes got dirty, and he refused to do art projects at school (but not at home) because they might not come out right. He took medication for a while but now does not and handles his OCD very well without it.

 

[Belle0101]

So many degrees of OCD. I have it too. When my son was 3 he didn't want to open things. Like a match box car in a package - just saved it that way. He had rituals that had to be completed the same way every time. Like when someone visited and then went to leave he had to run to the window and wave good-bye. He also had some sensory issues. He hated tags in his shirts and preferred very soft comfortable clothing.

His Preschool teacher brought it to our attention and suggested an evaluation.

We did it and he told us nothing to worry about.

He is about to turn 18 and is just fine. Like his Mommy that passed the genes on. Apparently my moms side of the family all had similar OCD traits but nothing that is debilitating.

My oldest son had a seizure when he was 4 and the neurologist referred him to a child psychiatrist because he noticed he was turning and licking his shoulder now and then (DS licked his own shoulder, not the neurologist's.) The psych. did an eval and did NOT diagnose him with OCD, but many years later he was diagnosed for having a few tic like routines and over-washing his hands. I think the OCD was there when he was very young, but not in such an obvious way that the doctor would give it a label. Also, in preschool he would cry if his shoes got dirty, and he refused to do art projects at school (but not at home) because they might not come out right. He took medication for a while but now does not and handles his OCD very well without it.

Thanks, all that makes sense. The only other things I could think of was like on "Monk" and how he had to touch each pole.

tasha99 - too funny to even imagine that your DS would be licking the shoulder of the neurologist.

 

[*JoGo*]

i have a cousin with OCD.
at 2yrs old, he would obsessively open doors. Not to go out, or to close anyone out or in. Just to open and shut. For hours.

we've also had children in the preschool i work at that we've suspected had OCD. or sensory issues at the least.

i think some has to do w/ anxiety and depression. i had terrible anxiety when my brother was in iraq and had several OCD issues i had never before experienced.

so with some children, it may be some anxiety. others, it may be a sensory issue, and it may also be a quirk! but at toddler/preschool age, unless it is extreme (or they've experienced trauma), i wouldn't worry about it.

 

[katesorad]

When I was 3 or 4, my mom would turn the light on in my closet, and crack the closet door, so that I could have a "night light" from that. I used to get out of bed and make sure that the door was closed the PERFECT amount, or I just couldn't sleep.

Around 5 or 6, I used to have to touch my bedroom doorknob a total of 6 times before going to sleep. Between each time touching it, I would get back in bed, covers and all.

I was a weird child. Now I just like things excessively clean, even though I'd say about 50% of the time they aren't..

 

[MomRN]

My little boy was diagnosed with OCD tendencies at 3. He has went through stages, but what prompted this whole thing was when he was evaluated by our special education program as part of entering Head Start. They actually said he was autistic, or on the spectrum, and I called BS. So I journaled his behavior, researched it myself, and took it to his ped.

We've had tics expressed as a form of anxiety. Times when he wouldn't eat with a spoon because he doesn't want to get messy. Hates water on the head. And his new favorite... groups of 10's. Lines up cars into 10's, wants his food in 10's...wants to be 10. I'm trying to think of what other OCD stages he's went through, but I'm drawing a blank right now.

Anyway, we work through it. He's not doing himself any harm. If there is a problem we can usually talk him out of them.

Besides, like the OP mentioned, we all have our own little OCD tendencies...

 

[Tinijocaro]

I've never considered myself OCD in any way, maybe the opposite but after reading some of your habits, maybe I had a touch of it when I was younger or maybe kids just have little rituals they like to do.

I used to count stairs. I knew how many stairs were in every staircase at home, school and other places I frequented.

I also favored my right side. Always putting on the right shoe, glove, sock...first.

I really think most kids have some sort of ritual. Many outgrow them, some go on to have many more.

 

[Tinkh]

My son was diagnosed with this at 3. Went through about 3 doctors before we found one that wanted us to do behavioral therapy rather than medicine. My son had to have everything even. If his hands touched something they had to tough the same spot other side. I thought it was just being like me because I have many OCD tendencies, but when he split his little toes at the tip of big toes one day in the car trying to even the feeling up then I knew we needed some help. Well, he still has OCD. You would never know unless we told you. After many books and different strategies he channels his rituals into ones you would not notice. Sometimes he is able to do no rituals at all, but he says the "noises" (term he and doctor have used since he was little) are too loud. If he has none then he builds up too much stress and says he has too many repetitive thoughts of dying etc. His thing for the last few years is that he does a throat noise, but it sounds like he is beatboxing to cover it. So, that is how he is at 16. When the thoughts are too intrusive his doctor taught him a trick to use his mind to shut them in a door and close them. Seems to work. I have noticed in high stress times his is worse and after infections.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I've never considered myself OCD in any way, maybe the opposite but after reading some of your habits, maybe I had a touch of it when I was younger or maybe kids just have little rituals they like to do.

I used to count stairs. I knew how many stairs were in every staircase at home, school and other places I frequented.

I also favored my right side. Always putting on the right shoe, glove, sock...first.

I really think most kids have some sort of ritual. Many outgrow them, some go on to have many more.

Yes the difference between a ritual habit and OCD is that you will have sometimes severe anxiety until you can repeat the ritual correctly.

OCD by definition is an anxiety disorder.

 

[Belle0101]

Thanks everyone for sharing. Like I mentioned in a PP, all I really could think of was the character "Monk" and I couldn't apply that to a small child.

Mystery Machine - that was a good way to explain OCD. Under that definition I think my having to check if the car door is locked and having things in the cupboard face forward are ritual habits then. I imagine most people probably have something that is a ritual. It's the way they've always done things but anxiety doesn't factor in.

 

[scottishduffy]

i have a cousin with OCD.
at 2yrs old, he would obsessively open doors. Not to go out, or to close anyone out or in. Just to open and shut. For hours.
.

My nephew does the same exact thing. Myself, DH, and my parents think he may get diagnosed with something when he is a bit older. My older brother is most likely an Aspie (if that diagnosis had existed 30 yrs ago when he went to school) and my SIL also has some tendencies. We haven't mentioned anything to them because it isn't very severe but it is noticable with nephew. He is almost 3 yrs old now.

I know kids go through phases and get obsessed with things, but he has been obsessed with the same things since he was 6 months old. Wheels and Doors. As a baby he would flip his stroller or any toy car upside down and just spin that wheel for hours. He still is obsessed with wheels and rolling things.

With doors he stands at any door for a very long time and just opens/closes the door repeatedly. Not to go anywhere or lock people out. He just wants to open/close the door over and over again. Nothing else can hold his attention for more than 5 minutes and removal of either of those items results in a large tantrum.

He does not play with any other toys except things that can roll or can open/close (loves the little daily pill boxes that he can snap open and close). He does not do any pretend play either, just sort of plays with those two concepts of rolling and open/close. I suppose that may be what an obsessive toddler looks like because he plays so very different from every other kid his age I have seen.

 

[sparklynails23]

Diagnosing OCD in a toddler? You've got to be kidding. Is that some way to justify IEP funding in preschool or headstart? It must be the diagnosis of the day. In the old days, the parents would have said, "Stop doing that." What a novel solution.

When my son was young, he got on a few kicks-- wouldn't step on cracks, etc. I fixed it with exposure therapy. I'd step on all the cracks or nudge him so he did and say, "See, nothing happened."

Therapy for a 3 year old with "OCD?" Now I've heard it all.

 

[pilesoflaundry]

I'm surprised they diagnosed a kid that young. My dd shows a lot of signs and we have the family history but even at 4 and 5 years old when she saw a developmental ped they said yeah it looks that way but it's a bit young to make that call. Every child can look that way as a toddler.

 

[tink20]

I don't know if my nephew, really has OCD, but my sister sometimes, jokes that he has it.

These are some things he does:

He is 5 now. He cleans his room, can't stand if it is messy. He puts toys and blocks back in the proper bin. (like you can't put train set toy in with blocks). He sorts things by color. He looks at instructions, before playing with a new toy. He got excited when she bought some new storage containers for his closet (he ran out of his room all excited, and said "thank you mommy, I love my new containers). One Easter (he was about 3) we had glitter eggs and reg colored eggs, he was collecting the glitter ones, well we were helping him find eggs, we put eggs in his basket, well if they weren't the glitter ones, he took them out, and left them on the ground.

He is a very sweet, smart boy, is he truly OCD? I don't know.

 

[Liberty Belle]

My oldest son had a seizure when he was 4 and the neurologist referred him to a child psychiatrist because he noticed he was turning and licking his shoulder now and then (DS licked his own shoulder, not the neurologist's.) The psych. did an eval and did NOT diagnose him with OCD, but many years later he was diagnosed for having a few tic like routines and over-washing his hands. I think the OCD was there when he was very young, but not in such an obvious way that the doctor would give it a label. Also, in preschool he would cry if his shoes got dirty, and he refused to do art projects at school (but not at home) because they might not come out right. He took medication for a while but now does not and handles his OCD very well without it.

Sorry, but that was funny.

My son has officially been diagnosed with Anxiety, ADHD, and SID, so I know it'a not all a laughing matter. Oh, and my son licks his hands. He can't stand them feeling dry.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Diagnosing OCD in a toddler? You've got to be kidding. Is that some way to justify IEP funding in preschool or headstart? It must be the diagnosis of the day. In the old days, the parents would have said, "Stop doing that." What a novel solution.

When my son was young, he got on a few kicks-- wouldn't step on cracks, etc. I fixed it with exposure therapy. I'd step on all the cracks or nudge him so he did and say, "See, nothing happened."

Therapy for a 3 year old with "OCD?" Now I've heard it all.

Trying to make it a no points year.

 

[kirstenb1]

Diagnosing OCD in a toddler? You've got to be kidding. Is that some way to justify IEP funding in preschool or headstart? It must be the diagnosis of the day. In the old days, the parents would have said, "Stop doing that." What a novel solution.

When my son was young, he got on a few kicks-- wouldn't step on cracks, etc. I fixed it with exposure therapy. I'd step on all the cracks or nudge him so he did and say, "See, nothing happened."

Therapy for a 3 year old with "OCD?" Now I've heard it all.

Unfortunately OCD sometimes occurs with other conditions in children. Our younger dd has autism, and has some OCD behaviors too. Some of them she's outgrown, some she is still doing. One behavior that has stuck is a need to close every door in the house. Everytime someone opens one, there she is, closing it. It doesn't bother me that much because frankly we have bigger fish to fry with her.

 

[bumbershoot]

Thanks everyone for sharing. Like I mentioned in a PP, all I really could think of was the character "Monk" and I couldn't apply that to a small child.

See, I disagree. I think that most small children (that I've known and seen) are very much like Monk. Kids like rituals, they like things being even, they have a hard time with change...totally like Monk.

I think it's as kids grow into adults and don't change from that...that's when we can start thinking "hmm, that's not usual".


Remembering video of my friend's extremely typical daughter, when she was 2 going on 3 and was in a wedding as a tiny flower girl. She had a basket with flower petals, and as she stood there during the vows, she was meticulously dropping the petals around her, admiring them, then carefully picking them all up and putting them in the basket. Then she'd do it again. And again. My mom saw the video, and cracked up. My mom was *this close* to being a certified Montessori teacher and had taken all the needed child development classes, and this was just so classic for that age, needing some sort of order and cleanliness (as defined by each child on their own for themselves) but also enjoying making a mess. Someone might say OCD, I say normal for a small child. If she were still doing it now at 14, could be a problem. But not then.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I don't know if my nephew, really has OCD, but my sister sometimes, jokes that he has it.

These are some things he does:

He is 5 now. He cleans his room, can't stand if it is messy. He puts toys and blocks back in the proper bin. (like you can't put train set toy in with blocks). He sorts things by color. He looks at instructions, before playing with a new toy. He got excited when she bought some new storage containers for his closet (he ran out of his room all excited, and said "thank you mommy, I love my new containers). One Easter (he was about 3) we had glitter eggs and reg colored eggs, he was collecting the glitter ones, well we were helping him find eggs, we put eggs in his basket, well if they weren't the glitter ones, he took them out, and left them on the ground.

He is a very sweet, smart boy, is he truly OCD? I don't know.

Since you posted so nicely I will address this as posters here are not seeming to get the "part 2" to the OCD. It is an anxiety disorder afterall.

If for example something was "out of place" in his room, let's say he had to leave quickly before completing his rituals, will he become sick with anxiety away from home to the point of total distraction or not being able to function normally or lashing out because all he can think about is that thing out of place in his room.

Don't forget many jobs require someone to have a certain amount of OCD to do them. You need to be precise in some fields that goes beyond "normal".

It is really about if the anxiety part of the OCD impacts your life away from home or at home in a significant way. Yes your son has some cleaning OCD but the degree of it is something that decides whether you need help or not.

If he was a hoarder saving garbage in his room you would be saying something else. Easier to get away with a cleaning OCD than a hoarding OCD.