OCD vs Autism

[Lisabeth]

What are the differences between the two? My son is being tested right now for OCD and they said they aren't running tests for Autism unless I think they need to run them. I don't know? I've researched OCD but don't know the differences to know if they need to do those tests or not?

[AngieW in Texas]

My oldest is Asperger's with ADHD. She may possibly also be OCD, but they think that she just has very strong perseverative tendencies rather than true OCD.

 

Reading through this list for Asperger's may help. Perseverative behaviors is further down the page, so you'll have to scroll to get to it.

http://www.specialed.us/autism/asper/asper12.html

[merry gardens]

People with autism have social problems, often along with language processing problems, sensory issues and perhaps obsessive/compulsive behavior. People with autism aren't neccesarily bothered by their compulsions and may think obsessive behavior is "normal". People who have OCD without autism likely recognize that their behavior and compulsions are "not normal". OCD can occur along with autism or separate from it.

 

My BIL had a diagnosis of OCD and numerous other things before they finally diagnosed him on the autism spectrum in his forties. The diagnostic criteria for autism has changed since he was younger. It's quite clear that he doesn't "click" normally with people in social settings and that he misses out on things going on around him.

[Misty]

My 8yr old daughter has both.. Asperger's Syndrome and OCD. It is extremely difficult to separate these two disorders within the same individual.. A good psychologist can do it.

 

Asperger's looks like this.. A very obsessive person who LOVES his obsessions.. He gets fixated on things and he loves it and wants to hyperfocus on these interests all the time.. An Aspie may also have repetitive motor movements that look like OCD.. Such as tapping or rubbing hands together, etc. etc. This is not necessarily OCD though.

 

OCD looks like this.. The person does the same rituals constantly, but he HATES doing them and wishes he could be free of them.. OCD tortures a person.. The brain is literally stuck.. Avoidance behaviors may be extreme (such as never touching public surfaces) and the OCD is truly debilitating and time-consuming.. The person does NOT enjoy OCD.

 

My daughter had both.. She had repetitive motor movements (tapping, spinning, etc.) with obsessional interests (dinosaurs every day, all day - for years) AND she had OCD rituals.. She had avoidance behaviors (she wouldn't sit on a toilet at all), washing rituals, and checking rituals. She would check the bottoms of her feet up to 50 times a day (in the house) to make sure there were no spiders or wasps on them.. Her brain was literally stuck on that thought. She also washed her hands CONSTANTLY. She also had tapping rituals that were very complex and triggered by just bumping into something.. so if she accidentally touched the wall as she walked by, she had to go back and tap the wall with both hands, then turn around and touch both feet to the wall, and then bump both elbows to the wall.. Everything had to feel perfectly symmetrical and the tap had to have even force on all points or else she would have to start all over again to make it all feel "just right". She had other rituals too, but this gives you a glimpse into what OCD would look like in a then 6yr old child (now 8 and doing well).

 

OCD can occur by itself without Asperger's/Autism.. But I would read up on Asperger's just to make sure.. You wouldn't want to have to go back later for ANOTHER eval.. Get it done now if you think it's a possibility.

 

ETA: The psychologist who diagnosed my daughter said she took all weekend to ponder whether or not to give my daughter both the Asperger's and the OCD diagnoses.. Because so many of her rituals could have fallen under the Asperger's category of "repetitive motor movements".. She knew my daughter had Asperger's, but she had to weed out what was Asperger's and what was OCD (she didn't have all of these checking rituals at the time of her diagnosis at age 5.. so it was a little harder to weed out at that time.. Many of the severe issues showed up in the following year after diagnosis).. But anyway, she decided that because she had the germ phobia and washed her hands constantly, that she definitely did have OCD along with Asperger's.

 

My 10yr old was diagnosed with Asperger's by the same psychologist and even though she had what looked like OCD at the time, she did not receive an OCD diagnosis because it wasn't debilitating and the psych was able to lump it in with the Asperger's diagnosis (as repetitive motor movements or fixations).. So our psych was very conservative with the OCD diagnosis, but my 8yr old still received it.

Edited May 18, 2011 by Misty

[Lisabeth]

Thank-you to those who answered. This hasn't been an easy journey.

[huntchaos]

My son is diagnosed with aspergers or high functioning autism - whichever you prefer.

 

However recently, he has developed some strange OCD behaviors that seem to be separate from typical aspergers. And it is the hand washing. So much that it looks like he has on red gloves. Despite constant lotions. And, he will open doors and cupboards with his feet only. If he touches his sisters hands, he has to instantly wash or he freaks out. This is on top of the aspergers behaviors.

 

So, given misty's post, is this common with aspergers kids?

[Misty]

So, given misty's post, is this common with aspergers kids?

 

I would say yes, OCD is very common in Aspies. Not all Aspies have OCD, but it is very common. And it does sound like your son is experiencing OCD symptoms.