Pls Help - Important Question about differentiating OCD

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Does someone with non-AS related OCD also focus on the rituals and behaviours of others.

Example: if someone without AS has hand-washing OCD, obviously they feel a compulsion to wash their hands because of germs etc. Would such a person notice, comment on and be overly concerned about whether someone else was washing their hands (either in the "right way" or often enough)?

The reason I am asking this, is my eldest daughter has just had her ASC assessment, and they say at the moment it's inconclusive (I absolutely know she has it) and they commented that her OCD could be clouding the issue.

Many people with AS have OCD (I have some myself, although my daughter's is more severe) and it suddenly occurred to me, that a way I can express to the clinicians that it is AS related OCD and not "NT" OCD, (although no-one with OCD is NT because they also have brain differences) is that she is not only obsessed with her hand-washing. she is very concerned about whether I have washed my hands, washed them enough, what I have touched if I have e.g. touched a sandwich or something. She is very rule-bound like a typical Aspie, and I strongly feel that her OCD (which she showed signs of from around 3-4) stems from her taking the necessity to wash hands because of germs very literally and seriously.

I need a way to explain this to the clinicians, she has all the other signs of AS but they are focusing on OCD and anxiety and she needs the correct diagnosis.

Does anyone know the answer to this?

Non-AS OCD can also involve improsing your compulsions on others. In fact, this article describes parents with OCD forcing obsessive behavior on their children. One mother apparently would greet her children after school with 'did you use your hand sanitizer?'

There's a pile of AS traits that are not seen in OCD, such as difficulty with nonverbal cues and social understanding, 'happy' obsessions, and non-compulsive stimming. If you really think your daughter has AS as well as OCD, you should point out her non-OCD-related traits.

Trust me I have. I sent them a life report on her to date from birth, listing loads. I've sent copious emails and faxes detailing specific examples of her literalness and failure to grasp humour, meltdowns, socialising problems etc.

They are a nightmare these clinicians (the NHS needless to say!), and face-to-face I am too unfocused to be able to point out their mistakes, so I've had to email yet more information complaining about why they failed to diagnose her. They haven't said she hasn't got it, but they can't seem to see what is staring them in the face. I posted a thread about it on the Parents forum.

I just thought that this might be something to make them see that it wasn't her OCD clouding the issue, her OCD is part of her AS.

...just read the article you linked. It must be very out of date.

So I only read it a third way or less, as when I checked the references some were as old as 1996.

Scientists now know that there are brain differences in people with OCD, and it is potentially genetic. This would explain the bolded part above. Not all children are passed the genetic difference for OCD. Even those that are, if it is e.g. related to AS (like bipolar and schizophrenia are) this could explain why they may not have OCD themselves but do have other issues. So I view with caution, the assertion that people with OCD impose their obsessiveness on others to a large degree.

I do welcome other research on it though.