Symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Children
Please answer True or False for each of the following statements that may describe OCD symptoms in children:
1. _____ Child leaves the restroom a mess including toilet paper on the floor, wet sink surface and toilet not flushed.
2. _____ Child expresses need to conquer, defeat or have victory over a sibling.
3. _____ Child avoids looking at a sibling who is seeking parental attention.
4. _____ Child often lines up dolls, cars, or other objects during play.
5. _____ Child often craves white sugar treats such as cookies, candy, and cake.
6. _____ She often craves white flour carbohydrates including crackers, macaroni and cheese, and pizza.
7. _____ Child’s daily separation from a parent involves a ritual.
8. _____ Child’s preparations for bed involve a rigid ritual.
9. _____ Child reads well but has low comprehension.
10. _____ Child tends to get “stuck” more when sleep hours are reduced.
11. _____ Child must have a parent beside her to fall asleep.
12. _____ Child has difficulty knowing if she completed something or just thinks that she did.
13. _____ Child awakes during the night if the parent leaves the sleeping perimeter.
14. _____ Child often gets stuck on any minor interpersonal disagreement that is long over for others involved.
15. _____ Child fusses over clothing that “doesn’t feel right”.
16. _____ Child does not like to place trash in a public trash can.
17. _____ Child makes hateful statements such as “I hope you die” then follows with being loving soon thereafter.
18. _____ Child gets upset when an object goes out of sight i.e. airplane, toilet water, bath water, etc.
19. _____ Child requests that things be said a certain way i.e. baby doll vs. doll baby.
20. _____ Child repeats parts of prayer until they “feel” right.
21. _____ Child repeats certain movements such as touching and retouching a chair or light switch.
22. _____ Child repeatedly goes through a doorway until he passes through just right.
23. _____ Child does not want her room, clothes or toys touched or moved by others.
24. _____ Child asks, “Is it OK?” repeatedly.
25. _____ Child wants someone else to do things for her that she can easily do for herself.
26. _____ Child avoids certain numbers such as “6” and loves certain numbers like “4” or “7”.
27 _____ Child requires a certain comfort item such as her blanket and a substantial meltdown will occur if this item is misplaced.
28. _____ Child asks the name of a substance or the cause of every stain she sees.
29. _____ Child avoids touching items with stains on them.
30. _____ Child avoids touching public chairs, desks, bleachers etc. out of fear for the hygiene of the previous user.
31. _____ He asks “what if” questions that others would not, ie. “What if that dust falls off that fan onto my head?”
32 _____ She requires the exact same routines of others.
33. _____ Child limits food choices to less than 10.
34. _____ She has more “stuck” moments at home than at school or at a friend’s home.
35. _____ He has to fully explain minor situations thoroughly and believe that you have understood.
36. _____ Child requires that she be washed more than one time in shower/bath.
37. _____ She is very difficult to “move along” when she must get ready to leave.
38. _____ Child may use words like “kill”, “hate” or “die” inappropriately in an effort to “conquer” some thought.
39. _____ He uses cuss words when stuck, and this is not his normal daily language.
40. _____ Child picks skin irregularities, especially if a bite, bump or cut exists.
41. _____ She needs to do something much worse and often unreasonable to another who has slighted her.
42. _____ He has written parts of cuss words on expensive items.
43. _____ Child may state that brushing hair “hurts” and may resist this activity.
44. _____ Child often “retaliates” at a parent for saying “no” to something he is set on.
45. _____ Child requires that everything is done a certain way, yet personal belongings are preferred to be in disarray.
46. _____ She moves about the room with excessive energy, often making repetitive sounds.
47. _____ After the child understands death, she seeks reassurance of being heaven-bound.
48. _____ Child fears nearby use of products containing bleach or ammonia.
49. _____ Child may fear individuals whose hygiene appears compromised.
50. _____ Child is very quick to announce his feeling about smells, and is upset if the scent of the air isn’t desirable.
51. _____ She worries that someone may die if she does not do certain rituals.
52. ____ She may become disturbed by hair that looks greasy or dirty.
53. ____ He fears that his parents may die in a car accident.
54. ____ She fears contracting AIDS or some serious unknown illness from casual contact with a person, gum, or saliva.
55. ____ He excessively texts, calls or checks on a friend or loved one.
56. ____ She repeatedly asks questions about tornados, storms, tsunami’s, volcanoes or other news stories.
57. ____ Child is preoccupied with getting cancer when no known medical validation exists.
This completes the SLOCC Checklist, which is designed to help identify symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in children. Please take this with you to your pediatrician to discuss diagnosis and treatment of the concerns that you have identified in your young child.
Symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Children follow the general descriptions listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 4R, with essential modifications for the individual child’s developmental and chronological ages. The OCD symptoms in children checklist will assist you and your physician in diagnosing OCD in children. This list of 57 developmentally accommodated OCD Symptoms in Children provides a strong starting point for medical provider discussions.
It is necessary for a qualified therapist or physician to complete a comprehensive evaluation when diagnosing OCD in Children. This often includes an intake interview with the parents and the child, information on family history, school reports, a detailed history of the child’s development and some specific concerns that have been documented in detail. This Symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Children checklist would fulfill this last need and is a good starting point for knowing which manifestations may be OCD symptoms in children.
There are several different types of OCD, thus, OCD symptoms in children may vary from child to child. Some children who are diagnosed with OCD may have only part of the symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, while others may have most of them. Yet, one child may have a mild or moderate OCD diagnosis, while another is diagnosed with severe symptoms and with minimal insight. If your child has other behaviors that may seem OCD related, but are not listed, you may add them to the end of this OCD symptoms in children list.
Symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder in children change over time, seasonally, at certain developmental milestones and with hormonal changes. OCD symptoms in children also fluctuate in content and intensity based on schedule changes, nutrition, exercise frequency, sickness, sleep quality and quantity and solitude in the home and school life. So, symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder in children are variable, however with careful study, somewhat predictable. Because of these fluctuations, careful logging of OCD symptoms in children along with a diligent record of corresponding daily life events will help the therapist to design a targeted treatment program for OCD symptoms in children.