AS and OCD?

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The school psychologist (who has yet to actually meet my son) is suggesting that he may have OCD on top of his AS. When we met for our first appointment she was using her fingers to put quotes around the diagnosis of AS, but after reading the neurologist report and teacher's input she is convinced of that diagnosis and OCD as well.

To me, all of E's behaviors fit AS, not OCD. Do the two often go hand-in-hand, or is it more a case of related symptoms?

Asperger Syndrome is often accompanied by other disorders: the charmingly-named "comorbid conditions." Obsessive-compulsive disorder is one such; depression, bipolar disorder etc. are also common. OCD can be controlled with medication, but Asperger Syndrome, per se, cannot.

I'm boderline ocd

I might have ADHD. It seems I definitely have social phobia.

I'm Aspergian and OCD. The two are amongst the commonest comorbid disorders. While you can try and medicate, I'd go for cognitive behavioral therapy as a first line treatment - many antipsychotics and other mind altering drugs can have unexpected effects on aspergians.

My ASD son has OCD, My Tourette Syndrome guy also has OCD. Heck I am NT but I have OCD too! lol

Yes it can happen, but you don't have to have OCD to be on the spectrum.

What signs do you or the school physcologist see that points to OCD? My kids for example line things up, and if anyone destroys them you have hell to pay for. My oldest has to eat even things only. My youngest has anxiety issues or in class will get out of his seat, crawl on the floor and have to tap everyone's ankle (this was last yr, 1st grade)

There's other signs, like refusing to have your food touch. Refusing to eat "green or yellow" things. Etc...

I would be very hesitant to go along with a school psychologist giving an OCD label. Your child might have obsessive tendencies, but you need to understand the way schools use these labels.

OCD = emotional disturbance. You do not want your child in an emotional disturbance "ED" program. They did that to my son and, in my opinion, spectrum children should never be placed with NT emotionally disturbed kids. Our kids might appear to be emotionally disturbed, but the root problem is different.

I'm just warning you. Do not let them put "emotional disturbance" on your kid's IEP. It will change the way they view him and the option of services.

My child was diagnosed with OCD when she was 6. Now at 14 there has been some suggestion that she has AS and she will be going through an evaluation here within the next several months.

My child is listed as ED on her IEP which happened a year ago to gain access to the Special Day Services. I don't know if they viewed her differently, but putting her with kids that also had behavior issues proved more of a challenge. I am not disappointed with the program in High School at least for the past 4 months.

If we get an AS diagnosis that will answer a bunch of questions but give me a lot more questions too.

ANYWAY, OCD is obsessive or compulsive thoughts the interfere with school, home or social activities. Kinda hard to know without a true assessment because of similar behaviors.

What is IEP?

IEP = School. Individualized Education Plan

So, I've wondered is it AS or OCD when its selective? Meaning you have it in a stable environment but its not disabling. Yet when out in the world or situations out of your control its worse? Is this just normal human behavior, AS, or OCD?

joku_muko, that's exactly what I was thinking. E doesn't have his behaviors constantly, and seems to me to simply be more rigid in his decision making when he's stressed rather than becoming stressed when he can't perform rigid behaviors.

Why would OCD = emotional disturbance?! If anything I would think biochemical disturbance.

Because its an anxiety disorder?

She was listed as "other medical" but she still needed more specialized assistance so in order to receive it I had to change the IEP reason.

It sucked but you gotta do what you gotta do.

Also needed to add that OCD is worse when you are under stress. I am super new to AS so I don't feel comfortable knowing the difference of what could be OCD and what could be some of the symptoms of AS.

It's definitely possible to have both together, I know I do. But a lot of times Aspies are misdiagnosed as OCD and vice versa simply because there are certain symptoms that are similar (actions inexplicable to outsiders, obsessions, etc). Don't worry about it if it is, though, I've noticed that antianxiety meds also help with some of the nervousness Aspies get in social situations.