• Replies 13 replies
  • Subscribers 72 subscribers
  • Views 485 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Getting a child to engage with help for repetitive behaviours

Raitch

Hi all - I’m new here and hoping for some ideas. Our daughter is nearly 13 and was diagnosed in August. For nearly a year now she’s been developing ritualistic behaviours like tapping in 3s and switching devices on and off over again. Lately we can barely get in a room behind her because she’s tapping the door handle for ages on both sides.

CAMHS mental health finally got back to us with an appointment for her but we don’t know how to broach it with her, because it feels like the rituals are a lifeline to her. How can we bring up this appointment when she’s so nervous about talking to professionals and doesn’t seem to see this as an issue? She’s very shouty at the moment when she feels defensive.

All ideas gratefully received - thank you!

Parents

  • Hi, my son first started OCD ritual behaviours around 3 years old when starting nursery and going through autism assessments. It's definitely stress related, especially when they feel out of control. He's 19 now, but i'll tell you the full story as things aren't always what they seem and unfortunately everything is pushed towards it being psychological. His OCD was really bad around starting school aswell, a lot of things with switches, stairs and around queueing. They did get a lot better when settled though. Around starting high school facial tics started, these would worsen if mentioned. Also got really bad if he didn't get enough sleep. These came and went a few times. Just before he finished school he fainted at a hospital appointment due to his blood pressure dropping really fast so again he was referred to psychologist, who then witnessed it happen and said it was physiological. Had to push for further tests, had his heart checked, that was ok, then they did a tilt table test and he fainted almost immediately. Then diagnosed him with Dysautonomia which affects his blood pressure regulation. Everything has made perfect sense since that diagnosis. He's more in control because he knows what is going on in his body and he can also explain it to others. Apparently many with Dysautonomia present with high anxiety. I found psychologists generally say mothers knows them better so trust your instincts. They don't always have the answers.

Reply

  • Hi, my son first started OCD ritual behaviours around 3 years old when starting nursery and going through autism assessments. It's definitely stress related, especially when they feel out of control. He's 19 now, but i'll tell you the full story as things aren't always what they seem and unfortunately everything is pushed towards it being psychological. His OCD was really bad around starting school aswell, a lot of things with switches, stairs and around queueing. They did get a lot better when settled though. Around starting high school facial tics started, these would worsen if mentioned. Also got really bad if he didn't get enough sleep. These came and went a few times. Just before he finished school he fainted at a hospital appointment due to his blood pressure dropping really fast so again he was referred to psychologist, who then witnessed it happen and said it was physiological. Had to push for further tests, had his heart checked, that was ok, then they did a tilt table test and he fainted almost immediately. Then diagnosed him with Dysautonomia which affects his blood pressure regulation. Everything has made perfect sense since that diagnosis. He's more in control because he knows what is going on in his body and he can also explain it to others. Apparently many with Dysautonomia present with high anxiety. I found psychologists generally say mothers knows them better so trust your instincts. They don't always have the answers.

Children
  • in reply to Deedee

    Oh gosh, that must be a huge relief to have found the root cause. There's a lot of anxiety in my family so I knew there was a good chance she'd be an anxious child, but it feels beyond what I can help with right now. The trouble is that it needs navigating so carefully by someone who really knows their stuff, and I don't feel like we're able to say or do the right thing to get her help. And yet we're responsible for getting her there, otherwise there's no help. We feel so stuck.