OCD

[Guest guest]

The only thing I would add to the valuable insight has provided is

that you need to also look at the issue of control holistically:

1. Ensure you are providing the child control in his everyday life where it

is developmentally appropriate. Typical developing children look for

independence during the school age years and try to exert control over their

life and environments, so our kids will too.

2. Focus on building competency in skills that are relevant to the child.

Building relevant competencies will build his confidence and fundamentally

increase your value as instructor to the child. Ask the child what they

want to learn--you might get an interesting answer that reflects what's

important to them.

3. Give the child choices. Where possible, give the child as many choices

as possible. Make the choices real and emphasize the ability of making good

choices. There can be choice around which programs and the order during the

lesson. There can even be choice around which stimuli.

Finally, our experience with OCD-like behaviors (rigidity, motor and verbal

repetitions) was that stress plays a large part. Look at the environmental

demands and explore ways of easing stress. For lot's of children with

autism, the awareness brings about confusion. The behaviors are only a clue

as to what's happening on the inside.

Best of luck, Dina

[ ] Re: OCD

,

Thanks for your kind words,

To me OCD and other flexibility issues that develop in children with autism

are methods of asserting control. When control has been taken from the

child in other ways they begin to find very rigid and seemingly necessary

behaviors to help them gain some control back from you. The more these

behaviors are successful in regaining control over interactions the more

they are strengthened and the more severe they become. In my estimation you

are dealing with a child who very much wants to control your teaching

setting and is using the one technique that has found you willing to accept.

I would focus on instructional control. We recommend using a 7 step

procedure to help you control the environment leaving your child the ability

to make choices. Some choices get him what he wants and others do not. I

would make the use of all of these ritualistic behaviors as choices your

child can use if he wants but I would make sure that they never lead to more

or better things (extinction). In addition we will make the teaching setting

so much fun that he will choose to not use these behaviors in order to be

allowed to stay with our teaching (The seven steps explain how to do this

in the most efficient and comprehensive way).

Once the child knows that he wants to be taught and that he has to behave

appropriately for you to let him participate, he will begin foregoing his

OCD type behaviors and begin using his extinction burst to find behaviors

that you will reinforce. Eventually these behaviors will become better and

better learning choices.

I have sent out an article about my 7 steps to instructional control over

this group in the past and will have it available in a book later this year.

Maybe you can find it in the archives. It was only a few months ago. If

you have more questions let me know.

OCD

I read your reply on manding. It was great, do you

have any suggestions on stopping the OCD we created by

getting language thru constant manding? HELP.

Desperate parent.

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