Son showing serious OCD symptoms in first few weeks at school

[firemansam]

I'm very worried about my little boy (4yrs 10mths) who has just started school, but has developed some elaborate touching/symmetry rituals in the last 2 weeks. He has to kiss me goodbye the same number of times that I've kissed him, and in the same places as I have. He has to touch everything he touches with this left hand, then his right, then both feet. If pressing a button he needs to use both hands and freaks out if he can't. Trying to get him dressed is a nightmare as he's constantly touching things with different parts of his body. When watching TV he's touching the sofa with his head, his left cheek, his right cheek, one elbow then the other, then one knee and the other etc etc. He'll actively seek me out in order to touch me with all parts of his body in order. It is constant.

It's really upsetting me. He doesn't seem anxious, and seems excited about school, and school say it doesn't happen there. It's just at home and in the car.

I'm desperately worried. Does anyone have any advice?

How very upsetting, I have no experience but this is increasingly common and he may grow out of it. I would suggest going to your GP.

I'd see GP too but really wanted to say that DH remembers very well being similar to this. He wanted to feel secure and it helped. He's very outgoing and not at all like this now.

P.S. There was no serious issue with DH which meant he needed to feel secure. His family was very happy. Just a kid growing up thing.

I used to do a less extreme version of this when I was about that age, up until I was maybe 8 or 9. I used to touch the back of my teeth with my tongue a certain number of times (number depended on my age, doubled plus one!). I also used to like to tap my fingers off things in a certain way and liked symmetry. I was also very into maths and numbers. I grew out of it and don't do anything like that now.

The difference with your DS is that what he's doing is very noticable - which could reassure you in a way as he isn't embarassed for you to see what he's doing (I wouldn't have told my mum about my counting etc). I would talk to him about it, and perhaps try to work out with him if there is something else he could do while getting dressed and at other times where you need to get on quickly? I'm not sure that the GP would be necessary unless you think it is a sign he is unhappy/unsettled, or it gets unmanageable. But obv you know your DS best.

Thanks ladies. Maybe it will die off. I'm just not sure whether leaving it will make it worse or better.

I have talked to him about it, and he says he HAS to do it. When I ask why, he says 'just because'.

I've had anxiety issues in the past, and I'm terrified of having 'passed it on' (although I know that's not true) - but maybe he can have this now and it doesn't actually mean he will be dreadfully afflicted for life... I do hope so. It's so distressing.

You sound like you could do with a professional opinion on this.