Autism and OCD - how help?

[usernamebore]

Hi,

12 year old ASC boy. He has always had some OCD tendencies, and I know there can be an overlap between how ASC manifests and OCD, but over the last couple of months we are seeing more and more fear of germs and dirt etc. He has started washing his hands a lot more - particularly before and after eating and before going into his bedroom (his main safe space). The query I had was I know with normal OCD you dont want to accommodate the behaviors because it exacerbates things, but obviously with ASC when it is sensory issues (and I do think some of this is about a feeling of "dirt" on his skin etc), you do.
Any advice? I feel like we are in the early stages but I see it getting worse and worry if I get it wrong we could end up with serious OCD problems...

Thanks

In a similar boat with my 12 year old daughter. Always had suspicion of slight neurodivergence, but never investigated further. Hygiene OCD started a couple months back, is getting worse by the day and I'm not sure how to parent that. How are you and your son getting on?
Also bumping the thread in the hope that someone with more experience would shed some wisdom.

Thanks - yes it is hard isn’t it?
things have not worsened, which is good, but he is still washing his hands much more than I would like. He also has all sorts of weird things about dirt - e.g if we go on the bus he has to put his rucksack on his lap as it can’t go on the floor because that is dirty. But the main one for me still remains his strange thing at bedtime about his stuffed animals. His ritual/rule is that the last thing before bed is he has to wash his hands so that he has not touched anything else before getting in bed and holding his stuffed animals. This means after washing them he has to turn off the light with his elbow and can’t touch any of his books or his clock etc. He told me yesterday when I asked that, if he wakes up in the night and has a glass of water, he has to wash his hands afterwards before touching his teddies.
This feels like something very much a blend of ASC and OCD. It is like he has a “rule” that is he has to wash his hands before touching them as they are his most special things, and all this is just the logical ASC consequence of those rules…
We are monitoring and just trying to keep it from spreading at present…
so hard to know what to do!

Hello,

A psychiatrist had recommended 1-1 CBT for my daughter’s ASC and OCD. She is waiting to start however he was really positive that it will be beneficial for her.
Maybe have a look to see if a CBT therapist locally for your son?