Does Your "Obsessive" Child on the Autism Spectrum Have OCD?
"My child (with HFA) does obsess about certain things, but how can I tell if he has full-blown obsessive compulsive disorder?" Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is described as a condition characterized by recurring, obsessive thoughts and compulsive actions. Obsessive thoughts are ideas, pictures of thoughts or impulses that repeatedly enter the mind, while compulsive actions and rituals are behaviors that are repeated over and over again. The obsessions seen in kids with Asperger’s (AS) and High-Functioning Autism (HFA) differ from the youngster with obsessive compulsive disorder. The youngster with AS or HFA does not have the ability to put things into perspective. Although terminology implies that certain behaviors in AS and HFA are similar to those seen in obsessive compulsive disorder, these behaviors fail to meet the definition of either obsessions or compulsions. They are not invasive, undesired or annoying, which is a prerequisite for a diagnosis of obse