Research summaries for autism therapy: obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

definition of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): Type of anxiety disorder with obsessive thoughts and/or repetitive behaviors. Obsessive thoughts are thoughts not based in reality that focus on something so much that it affects normal daily life. Examples of repetitive behaviors or rituals include cleaning, washing hands, or counting. Rituals are often performed with hopes of making obsessive thoughts go away. When people with OCD do these rituals and other people notice, it often increases their anxiety even more.
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A Classroom-Based Antecedent Intervention Reduces Obsessive–Repetitive Behavior in an Adolescent with Autism, Summarized Oct 28, 2010

Providing leisure activities may distract children with autism from long-terms habits of obsessively rearranging objects.

Many people with autism insist on sameness and do not like change. This case study was aimed at seeing if structured leisure time would help a student (15-year-old boy) with autism to spend less time moving the objects on his desk. This treatment approach was an antecedent intervention that gave the student a chance to do his behavior at a time when it was okay with the teacher. The treatment approach reduced obsessive-compulsive behavior and also caused the child to be more social in the classroom. The authors suggested that this treatment approach may be helpful for children with autism and repetitive behaviors.

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Acute and Maintenance Electroconvulsive Therapy for Treatment of Severely Disabling Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in a Patient with Asperger Syndrome, Summarized Jul 15, 2010

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may be helpful for people with autism who suffer from severe mental health issues that do not respond to other treatments.

Many people with autism also have other mental health issues such as bipolarity and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). This case study describes the use of ECT to treat a 38 year old man with autism who suffered from prolonged and severe obsessive-compulsive symptoms as well as hypochondria. The man did not respond to drug therapy or cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). The patient’s health was restored after ECT.

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High-Dose Paroxetine Treatment for an Adolescent with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Comorbid with Asperger’s Disorder, Summarized May 12, 2009

Paroxetine may help to treat fears and anxiety in people with autism.

Many people with autism also have obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). This case study describes a 15-year-old girl with Asperger syndrome and OCD who was prescribed high-dose paroxetine treatment. The girl became obsessive when she was in grade school and would work for hours to write her homework neatly. She was placed in the hospital because of her severe fear of germs and prescribed paroxetine at 60 mg/day and given behavior therapy. Her fears went away with the treatment, but the OCD remained. Read more...

Comorbidity of Asperger’s Syndrome and Bipolar Disorder, Summarized Feb 16, 2009

Mood stabilizers and second generation antipsychotics may be helpful for people who have Asperger syndrome and bipolar syndrome.

Some patients who are being treated for mental health issues also have autism. A diagnosis of autism in these people may be very helpful when it comes to treatment. This paper describes three patients with Asperger syndrome and bipolar spectrum disorders. These three patients had been prescribed many types of drug therapy over the years. When a patient has bipolar syndrome and Asperger syndrome it may be very tricky to treat obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Read more...

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Synonyms for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) include: obsessive compulsive, obsessive compulsive disorder, obsessive-compulsive, obsessive-compulsive disorder, OCD
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