Strategies to Help Kids With OCD Tendencies

Ticks, repetitive motions, rocking, counting and constant checking are some of the more common manifestations of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), a condition that can strike as early as preschool. Behavioral strategies, coupled with talk therapy, can offer some relief. Observant parents can often help a child find other coping strategies, once they see their child begin to practice their compulsion.

Description of OCD

• Nearly everyone has some compulsion--the extra check of the locks when you leave the house or the occasional worry that an iron was left on--but in some people those intrusive and frightening thoughts can get caught in a whirling vortex from which there is no escape unless a particular act is accomplished. Compulsions can include anything from constant worrying to hand washing to complex rituals that, once completed, keep the OCD sufferer "safe." Ultimately, OCD is a coping strategy gone awry.

Recognizing OCD in Children

• OCD often starts in childhood, kicking off a lifetime of compulsions that can interfere with daily activities. Recognizing the disorder early on allows parents or professionals to teach a child different coping strategies.

  It is in the disruption of normal living that parents can often gauge the severity of the problem. For instance a child who needs to wash his hands after every activity is very different from a child who must wash hands using first hot, then cold, then hot water, followed by turning the faucet off with only the left hand. A child who hums herself to sleep is very different from a child who must sleep only on her left side with three stuffed animals placed in particular spots on the bed and in pajamas that contain no red.

  If your child is experiencing compulsions that keep them from enjoying family gatherings, interfere with the completion of schoolwork or cause the child to be the recipient of ridicule, it's time for parents to take professional action.

  The National Alliance on Mental Illness can offer support to your family while you are helping your child deal with OCD.

Teaching Coping Skills

• If your child is showing OCD tendencies that are not interfering with his daily life, parents can often teach coping skills to help the child feel more comfortable in her surroundings.

  If you notice your child beginning to rock or to count steps or to wash hands in a specific pattern, ask the child what he or she is thinking about. Listen carefully to the answer without judgement. If your child tells you that he is having a worrisome thought (death of parents, a bad grade in school) offer comfort and stop the ritual. However, if your child tells you that nothing is wrong, try redirecting the ritual while simultaneously offering comfort.

  Another strategy is to note the time when your child performs rituals. Keep a journal that shows when the ritual happens, the duration of the ritual and what, if anything, intervenes to stop the ritual.
  You can use your journal to note if the compulsions are changing or increasing, and determine if it's time to bring in a professional.

  If your child's compulsions are still in the mild range, you can use the journal to see if they happen at certain times of the day, or are related to other activities. This will allow you to offer comfort to your child before the rituals begin. For instance, if your child starts to perform rituals on vacation or before exam time at school you'll have an idea of what may be bothering the child without him having to vocalize it. This allows the parents to give voice to the issues the child may be having and to offer other coping strategies.

Seek Professional Help

• If your child does have OCD, she may need professional help to cope with the disorder. There are some medications that can help, but behavioral strategies are especially helpful in children. Seek professional help if your child's tendencies are getting worse, if your comfort and talk-it-out strategies aren't working, or if your child's compulsions begin to seriously interfere with her daily living.