1. Getting a Thought Stuck in Your Head (or Obsessive Thoughts) The Social Times, Volume 2; © 2010 AAPC – www.asperger.net

2. Obsessive Thoughts … Can be a sign of obsessive compulsive behavior but can also be a part of rigid thinking. Cause anxiety. Can become worse if we talk about them too much. Can be a good thing – great minds are often obsessive thinkers. The Social Times, Volume 2; © 2010 AAPC – www.asperger.net

3. Things Get Hard When … The obsessive thought is about fairness or justice. The thought is about wanting or “needing” to do something that is not permitted. The thought is about hurting someone. The thought is significantly interfering with the person’s learning. The Social Times, Volume 2; © 2010 AAPC – www.asperger.net

4. Things That Might Help Recognizing obsessive or stuck thinking as a problem involving anxiety. Relaxation: If the person is in a relaxed state, it is easier to think logically. Scheduling times for student to engage in his favorite thing (don’t make this contingent on anything – it is a given). The Social Times, Volume 2; © 2010 AAPC – www.asperger.net

5. Ideas for Helping Students to Relax When They Are Stuck Stop talking about the issue or obsessive thought. Engage the student is a task with you – errand to the library, message to the office, etc. Physical movement is good. Have the student keep a photo book in his desk of things he loves to do and talk about. Go through it with him or have him look through it on his own. The Social Times, Volume 2; © 2010 AAPC – www.asperger.net