OCD and toddlers

[minna]

Hi everyone,
I'm new to this... I have a toddler (not even two yet) who has been diagnosed with OCD. . . her dad, grandfather, aunt, and uncle are all also OCD... Does anyone have any information to share on possible interventions that we can start now to help her in the future...
Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

 

[ThatLady]

This is an interesting link with a good amount of information on children with OCD. Hope it's helpful to you. )

The International OCD Foundation

Here's another that has some dos and don'ts:

http://www.healthyplace.com/Communities/ocd/sandra/family_friends.htm

 

[lammers1980]

You could also try www.ocdonline.com , it is a good place too.

Welcome to the boards! I am an adult living with OCD and I am always willing to discuss OCD issues with others. It does seem like OCD starts in childhood, as I think as far back as I can remember, I had OCD tendencies. Keep posting! This seems like a somewhat less used area of the site, and would like to see it liven up a little, so to speak.

 

[minna]

thanks...

Thanks for the info from those who replied... i guess my issue is that my little girl is still so little and as far back as we can remember she has had self-stimulatory behaviors which at nine months a neurologist said was OCD ... it has only gotten worse from there... does anyone else know about OCD and self stimulatory behavior?

 

[David Baxter PhD]

What sort of "self-stimulatory behaviors"?

I have to say that I find it difficult to understand how one can diagnose OCD at 9 months of age...

 

[mamato1]

When you say she self stimulates, do you mean she (for lack of a better way to describe it), humps the floor?
My daughter (21 months)has done this for about a year+.
It stopped for a while when she started to walk, but now she does it again, although not as much. My neice also did this a lot when she was a toddler. (Now she's a pretty normal 23 year old)

When we were at the park 2 days ago, she acted wierd.
She would walk up the stairs, bang on the X's and O's wall pannel twice, bang on the center wheel twice, then pull hard on the wall wheel twice, sit down at the slide, count to 3, say WEEEE, then go down the slide.
She did this about 8 or 9 times.

My dad is a psychiatrist, but I would never dare to ask him what he thinks--he makes mountains out of mole hills. And he would never let it go.
But he often said that HIS mother had it. (not sue if it's true of not)
He told me once she would clean the cracks of her wood floor with a bobby pin 3-4 times a year. She transferred her obsession with cleaning to him too, then he tried transfer it to me and in many ways, I can become obsessive about things.
AAARGH, I don't know what to think.
Sandy

 

[mamato1]

When you say she self stimulates, do you mean she (for lack of a better way to describe it), humps the floor?
My daughter (21 months)has done this for about a year+.
It stopped for a while when she started to walk, but now she does it again, although not as much. My neice also did this a lot when she was a toddler. (Now she's a pretty normal 23 year old)

When we were at the park 2 days ago, she acted wierd.
She would walk up the stairs, bang on the X's and O's wall pannel twice, bang on the center wheel twice, then pull hard on the wall wheel twice, sit down at the slide, count to 3, say WEEEE, then go down the slide.
She did this about 8 or 9 times.

My dad is a psychiatrist, but I would never dare to ask him what he thinks--he makes mountains out of mole hills. And he would never let it go.
But he often said that HIS mother had it. (not sue if it's true of not)
He told me once she would clean the cracks of her wood floor with a bobby pin 3-4 times a year. She transferred her obsession with cleaning to him too, then he tried transfer it to me and in many ways, I can become obsessive about things.
AAARGH, I don't know what to think.
Sandy

 

[rick]

In My opinion: get a second and perhaps a third opinion. i asked my Psychologist late in 2004(I shoulhd note I at that time was a patient for 3 years) if I had OCD and she responded that I demonstarted obvious traits and perhaps I had OCD. At that time, today and tomorrow I feel that (and know ) she would not provide a written diagnoses of OCD as that would provide a (crutch) for me to lean on.

Should your toddler have OCD so be it, I as a parent would absolutly require several opinions and at very minimum 2 concisive diagnosis from professionals which I am comfortable with.

Perhaps my personal opion is tainted to some degree as I have encountered Psychiatrists and social workers which would be better suited selling ballonns and flowers on a street corner. I also continue to see a Psychologist of which I have been a paitent for 3.5 years and a psychiatrtrist for 4 months. I trust and depend on both of them.

I believe the point I am trying to make is find someone who, answers your questions, approaches your toddler, and acts in a matter which meets 'YOUR COMFORT LEVEL', at that time, a diagnosis may be feasiable once your toddler begins grade one.

Proceed with caution

Rick

 

[rick]

In My opinion: get a second and perhaps a third opinion. i asked my Psychologist late in 2004(I shoulhd note I at that time was a patient for 3 years) if I had OCD and she responded that I demonstarted obvious traits and perhaps I had OCD. At that time, today and tomorrow I feel that (and know ) she would not provide a written diagnoses of OCD as that would provide a (crutch) for me to lean on.

Should your toddler have OCD so be it, I as a parent would absolutly require several opinions and at very minimum 2 concisive diagnosis from professionals which I am comfortable with.

Perhaps my personal opion is tainted to some degree as I have encountered Psychiatrists and social workers which would be better suited selling ballonns and flowers on a street corner. I also continue to see a Psychologist of which I have been a paitent for 3.5 years and a psychiatrtrist for 4 months. I trust and depend on both of them.

I believe the point I am trying to make is find someone who, answers your questions, approaches your toddler, and acts in a matter which meets 'YOUR COMFORT LEVEL', at that time, a diagnosis may be feasiable once your toddler begins grade one.

Proceed with caution

Rick