OCD--I suspect a child has it. What do I do now? cross-post

[Harriet Vane]

Asking for a friend (and will delete later for privacy):

 

My friends suspects her little one (6yo) has OCD or tics or some such. She has a need to smell her hands and/or touch her nose a LOT. Sometimes it's only every ten minutes or so, but other times (particularly later in the day when tired) she will touch her nose every 30-60 seconds.

 

Friend has tried gently holding her hands, but she will pull her hands away in order to touch her nose.

 

When playing a chasing game in which she had to run to the car, get in to safety, and shut the door, she paused while opening the door (in the heat of the chase with the lava monster bearing down on her) to touch her nose.

 

For a while friend thought the child was picking her nose a lot or wiping a lot due to allergies. However, child is currently doing pretty well with minimal congestion, but still touching her nose a ton.

 

Previously friend observed child looking up a lot in a characteristic, recognizable pattern. Child would flip her eyes up and back without seeming to realize she was doing it. Lasted only a second, but happened often. Child was fitted for glasses because she also has strabismus with mild nearsightedness, and child will have surgery several weeks from now. Repetitive behavior was assumed to be part of her strabismus, but now friend is wondering if it was a tic or OCD behavior.

 

Child is in foster care. There is no way to know if similar behaviors were ongoing or if this is out of a clear blue sky.

 

What type of evaluations/doctors should my friend pursue?  Any resources for reading and research?

 

Thanks.

[maize]

Book recs:

 

What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck

 

Freeing Your Child From Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

[Storygirl]

I don't know about OCD, but for tics, our pediatrician referred us to a neurologist at the children's hospital. I assume she has a pediatrician to consult, so I would start there.

[PeterPan]

Get the ped to do referrals for evals. If the dc is already on meds, they may need to be adjusted. 

 

There will be a waiting list for the evals, so I would just take the plunge. Is this dc in ps or homeschooled? It would be interesting to know how they're doing and whether the behaviors are showing up in more settings. The dc may need an IEP.