Hi, my 5 year old girl has OCD and anxiety. I am going out of my mind with her and need some new insite. A little back ground on her, she has had this since birth, hard to believe. Right now she has major clothes issues. She has a problem with her underwear, non of them fight right, she needs them baggy, about 2 sizes too big. She only likes to wear dresses, no skort, nothing that touches her butt. Which makes it hard for winters in MN. No tights, we did knee highs for a while and now they are our too. She hates shoes, she will wear sandles, no tennis shoes. Does not like wearing socks. When we go out she needs to bring a bag of clothes and underwear with her just in case her current pair don't feel right later. She has about 2 or more dozen full blown tantrums during the day over anything. She does not like getting wet (baths are ok), or she needs to change right away. Just one battle at a time right now. If you have any clothes insite let me know. Or any other insite about OCD in kids. I would love to hear what works and what doesn't work. Thanks for your time.

This sounds more like a sensory integration issue. Does she see an occupational therapist?

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I have not gone to one yet. I am very frustrated we have been to a consilor and a psycologist who have not helped us at all. The psychologist was going to refer us on but dropped us, she never called us back to go over her report findings and never billed us. I need to find someone else but it is hard to find the time. I work 80 hours a week and my dh is not very helpful or excepting that this is an issue. I know me working is a poor excuse and I need to find time for her, but we already did this. You know what I mean. Do you know if we can just find some one in OT?

Missy, I am so sorry you are dealing with this! I have no knowledge in this area at all, but I just wanted to say hi, I have missed you!!!

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And she does have OCD and anxiet along with the SI issues too. Days are just so fun lately with her.

For Tommy, I just called and made an appointment with an OT for an eval. Takes about an hour. Then they will discuss with you a treatment plan. When you call for the appointment, maybe you can ask a therapist to speak to you on the phone and explain a little about her. It really sounds like SI to me, so I don't think you would have any problems getting treatment.

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My Blog:Musings of a Heart Family

Make an OT appointment---try to find someone that has experience in sensory stuff.

My son was alot like that although not quite as bad with the clothes. But he was very particular about his clothes depending on feel and he could not stand warm bath water or to get his face washed or teeth brushed.

We have been in OT (every other week for one hour) and it has made a world of difference. It sounds like she would benefit from brushing. That helped my son alot.

Good luck and let me know if I can help.
Sue

Is she on any type of medication? I assume her regular physician is aware of these problems, too? Maybe he/she could get you an appt. sooner?

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Shaking in my boots (well, if I was wearing them in the middle of summer!), but glad to be back!

My daughter has sensory integration dysfuction and anxiety. She was put on Zoloft at age 7 for the anxiety. She is now 9 1/2. I have taken her down from 75 mg a day to 25 mg with no change in behavior (that didn't work last year when we tried it.) She is currently off for the summer as a trial, but it's not working. If your child needs medication, only Zoloft or Prozac can be prescribed for children. Zoloft works on anxiety, depression AND OCD, Prozac can MAKE some people anxious. That said about the meds, what you have stated about your daughter sounds more like Sensory Integration Dysfunction.

Try to make an appointment with a developmental pediatrician and/or an occupational therapist who specializes in children (they usually are best for diagnosing Sensory Integration Dysfunction. My daughter also has Sensory Integration Dysfunction. I have lived it and your daughter appears to be "tactile defensive" (doesn't like certain pressures/specific touches against her skin.)

I had some of the same issues with my daughter when she was little. She would hang out in a diaper, nothing else, in the house in the winter with a blanket wrapped around her. She would only wear shoes, preferably sandals, when we left the house.

She has the sock seam thing going on too. Wearing underwear inside out (the seams aren't as irritating) can help. We got my daughter to eventually be able to wear sweat pants and leggings. That might be a possibility when she gets too cold in a MN winter.

Cutting the edges off the corners of the sock seams helps (there is a little hole where you cut, but that is the only way I could get my daughter to WEAR the socks when she was younger.) Cut the tags out of everything using a seam ripper. That is what I do. (There can't be ANY tag left or she can't wear it.)

These clothing sensory issues are separate from my daughter's anxiety (and need for Zoloft.) The main therapy for sensory integration dysfunction is occupational therapy, no drugs involved. My daughter made a lot of progress this year (3rd grade). I had her in ballet, gymnastics and trampoline classes after school, each class once a week. She made more progress this year and I attribute it to all the movement. To treat SDI, they want to stimulate multiple sensory systems simultaneously. It gets their little sensory systems to work more in tune together. It is the disjoint of her sensory systems that causes her tactile defensiveness.

Each year she gets better about the clothing stuff. My daughter will now wear jeans, shoes, etc. You need to get your daughter evaluated and find out exactly what you are dealing with and how to best address her needs. It will help you to find peace of mind to know what you are actually dealing with and having a plan and the support of professionals to do so.

There is always us on the mommysavers board and you can PM me with any question you think I might be able to help you with, but you really do need get a diagnosis or to find out if you are dealing with more than one thing (as I am.)

I also suggest that you pick up the book, "The Out-of-Sync Child, Recognizing an d Coping with Sensory Integration Dysfunction" by Carol Stock Kranowitz, it is one of the best books on children with SDI. Keep trying. Do not give up on your little girl, it does get better.

I forgot, socks (after the corner of the seam is cut off) are to be worn inside out. The seam is not right against her foot. My daughter would also wear rain boots or looser shoes (maybe snow boots in MN in the winter?)

My little girl lived in T-shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants, anything soft against her skin. A regular shirt with a collar didn't work, it was too rough against her skin. Belts are still not a possibility and my daughter is almost 10.

Each child is different. I am only telling you what worked with my daughter, however, there is a chance they might work for yours, hence my 2 posts. Keep trying, you will eventually find what works (most of the time, it can be worse on some days than others.)

My husband and I required that our daughter wear weather appropriate clothes outside the house (I was a stay-at-home mom) but could run around in her underwear (or diaper) with a blanket inside the house. To this day, my daughter spends as much time as possible in nightshirts inside the house during the day/evening/weekend/you name it...

I hope even one suggestion about the clothes helps. I know your nightmare, I have lived it.
It does get a little better each year as they age.