Contact information University of Houston – Clear Lake Psychological Services Clinic Offers Psychological, Marriage and Family, and School services Specialty services include Anxiety/OC-spectrum treatment NSTITUTES/PSYC_SC NSTITUTES/PSYC_SC Sliding Fee scale clinic (no insurance) Fees range $15-$50 per session (can be reduced if needed) Intake is free Hours M-Th: 9-9, Fri: 9-5 All ages welcome Chad Wetterneck –

OC-spectrum in Children and Adolescents Chad T. Wetterneck, Ph.D. University of Houston – Clear Lake

Objectives Provide a brief overview of OCD and related spectrum conditions Discuss presentation and difficulties in school Review Treatment and provide options Questions?

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Diagnostic criteria includes: Presence of obsessions AND/OR compulsions Obsessions or Compulsions are present for one or more hours per day Significant interference in daily life functioning Symptoms not related to medications or another medical condition

Epidemiology Prevalence 1% to 2% of the general population meet diagnostic criteria at any given time 2% to 3% lifetime prevalence 4 th most common psychiatric disorder 50% to 65% have at least one other mental disorder Affects males and females equally Male onset (6-15 years of age) Females (20-29 years of age) Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococcal infection (PANDAS)

Symptom Dimensions Contamination Symmetry / “Just Right” Sometimes appears as perfectionist tendencies Harming Blasphemous Sexual Violent Superstitious Hoarding

What Might You See in School… Contamination Opening doors, lockers, desks, or books with elbows or with tissue in hand, holding hands in the air to avoid physical contact, refusal to shake hands or share pencils or other supplies Frequent trips to the bathroom, either to use the toilet or wash hands Getting upset if others touch his or her belongings, wanting to clean or wipe them off Sore, chapped or bleeding hands

Symptoms in school Symmetry/Just Right Over-focus on neatness. Lining up, ordering or arranging items on desks, in backpacks or lockers repeatedly Wanting to complete assignments “perfectly,” checking and re- doing it Sloppiness or carelessness in completing assignments, which is not typical for the child Erasing repeatedly until the paper has holes in it, the ink is smudged and the writing or drawing is illegible Reading letters, words or sentences repeatedly, repeating syllables until they sound right Filling in scantron sheets very carefully; getting upset if they are not perfectly filled in

Symptoms in school Symmetry (Cont.) Very slow and deliberate work, resulting in incomplete assignments. Incomplete assignments or homework, although the child is capable of doing them Checking homework, backpack, lockers, pockets, or under the desk and chair repeatedly, ensuring that locks and zippers are fastened. Frustration or anger when things are disorganized, when interrupted, or when routines change unexpectedly. Asking the teacher or other students the same questions repeatedly, even though the child knows the answer

Symptoms in school Superstitious Counting or focus on lucky and unlucky numbers Sudden avoidance of familiar things or reluctance to try new things Odd behaviors such as walking in specific patterns through doorways, counting tiles or syllables, touching or tapping in symmetry or sitting and standing repeatedly Secretive or unusual behaviors for which there is no obvious explanation

Symptoms in school Harming thoughts may be associated with things that look like symmetry concerns Depends on the function Feeling Just Right or Belief that an action can prevent harm Taboo thoughts (i.e., sexual, scrupulous, violent) are often harder to spot and less likely to be shared due to stigma and shame

Tourette’s Syndrome Diagnostic criteria includes: Presence of multiple motor AND one or more vocal tics Symptoms occur nearly every day or intermittently for a period of one year Impairs functioning Childhood onset Symptoms not related to medications or another medical condition

Prevalence Occurs 3 to 4 more times in boys than girls Affects 1 in 1,000 or.10% of the population of the United States Symptoms first noticed in childhood Occurs in all populations and all ethnic groups

Examples of Simple Tics Motor Eye blinking Sticking tongue out Head-turning Muscle-tensing Flexing fingers Kicking Twitching Vocal Throat-clearing Sniffing Barking Coughing Yelling Hiccupping Belching Animal sounds

Examples of Complex Tics Motor Adjusting/picking at clothing Flapping arms Facial grimacing Jumping Shaking feet Pinching Poking Kissing Spitting Vocal Talking to self Different intonations Echolalia Coprolalia Repeating parts of words or phrases

Trichotillomania/Chronic Skin- Picking Diagnostic criteria includes: Recurrent pulling of one’s hair resulting in noticeable hair loss An increasing sense of tension immediately before pulling out the hair or when attempting to resist pulling Pleasure, gratification, or relief when pulling out the hair Pulling causes significant impairment in an important area of functioning

Phenomenology.06-1% of population Typical onset between ages 9-13 More common in females (TTM – more equal in CSP) Results in a variety of physical and psychological effects --avoidance of social/pleasurable activities, intimate relationships, shame, etc.

Detecting TTM/CSP at school Most obvious are missing entire sections of hair (or bleeding areas/scabs in CSP) Students may cover areas of pulling/picking Often twirl hair or touch areas affected May be very embarrassing to point out even individually

How we identify/diagnose OC-spectrum issues? Diagnosis is made through observations and interviews with the patient and caregiver(s), examination of family history, and ruling out other secondary causes of disorders Comorbid conditions are also examined Comorbidity may be the norm

Factors influencing OC-spectrum conditions Parenting style will impact symptoms Reassuring, punishment, attention, etc. Family support tremendously important Families must also be their child’s advocate Are there school factors that may cause behaviors to intensify? YES! Anxiety, Stress, and Fatigue

Treatment Behaviorally-based treatments Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD Habit Reversal/Comprehensive Behavior Intervention for Tourette’s Syndrome for TS & TTM Key components Exposure Family Support Additional interventions Mindfulness and acceptance strategies Behavioral rewards/incentives Success of treatment

Where you can get more help - International Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Foundation. Resources for those who have OCD, caretakers/parents, and educational and mental health professionals – Tourette Syndrome Association, Inc. offers many resources (publications, videos, training sessions, etc. that are aimed at helping students, parents, families, and especially educators understand Tourette’s as well as tips to properly handle the symptoms – EXCELLENT resource – Trichotillomania Learning Center: Website for TTM and CSP for the whole age range and treatment providers