
King says. Some children are secretive about their behaviors, so parents may notice that bedtime rituals have become very prolonged or that, suddenly, there is a lot of extra laundry because a child is showering or changing clothes so often.


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Superstitions that bad things will happen if seemingly unrelated behaviors are performed or not performed (such as stepping on a crack in the sidewalk or tapping something a certain number of times)Īmong the compulsions that a child with OCD may develop are:.Anxiety about accidentally hurting a parent, sibling or friend.Preoccupation with presentation, appearance and organization-for example, the look of homework, or the symmetrical arrangement of objects, clothing or food.Doubts about household safety, including, for example, whether or not a door is locked, a window is shut or appliances have been turned off.Fear of dirt, germs and contamination from people fear of touching surfaces.King says.īehaviors that may suggest that a child has OCD include: OCD runs in families and can also be related to environmental factors, such as an overly strict upbringing, but, “We think that fundamentally it is probably biological and genetic in its origins,” Dr. If parents touch the wrong thing or don't collaborate in helping the child perform the compulsion, the child gets very upset.” “The family has to say things in exactly just the right way. “These children are always cleaning, always checking, always having to count,” says Dr. Rather, they are “unreasonable sorts of worries that keep nagging at you,” he says, adding that “no matter how much you keep trying to do whatever it is you think you need to do to neutralize it, you can’t.” The worries of a child with OCD have little in common with everyday anxieties about tests or sports or friends, Dr. These behaviors only become a “disorder” when obsessions and compulsions cause distress to the child and family. In his current research, Sukhodolsky leads clinical trials that test behavioral therapy interventions for children with anger outbursts, anxiety and autism.Habits (and sometimes even compulsions) are normal, says Robert King, MD, a Yale Medicine Child Study Center psychiatrist and medical director of the Tic Disorder & Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Program. “One of the most rewarding aspects of my job is helping children change how they interact with their social world by giving them the tools to understand and master their emotions,” Sukhodolsky says. Sukhodolsky uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a form of psychotherapy that focuses on helping patients change negative emotions and thinking patterns through practicing specific behavioral strategies.

“We discuss the importance of creating daily routines for patients and helping them transition between activities,” he says. Sukhodolsky works with children and their family members to develop strategies to face challenging situations when they happen. “But children who have trouble regulating their emotions can stay upset for prolonged periods of time or get into long arguments that ruin their day.” “For example, most children may be upset about not being able to play a video game, but get over it quickly,” Sukhodolsky says. Patients with these disorders often have frequent anger outbursts and chronic irritability, the type of symptoms that fall into the category of emotion dysregulation. He also sees patients with oppositional defiant and disruptive mood dysregulation disorders. Denis Sukhodolsky, PhD, is a clinical psychologist in the Yale Child Study Center who treats children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder, Tourette syndrome and OCD.
