Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Children: David’s Story
David’s story started with an increase in tardy arrivals. He was usually a responsible elementary student who loved learning and being challenged. Suddenly, he was walking in our classroom door late, three or four times in a week. Next, he began taking long trips to the restroom. Once, after he returned, I heard a student at his table team ask him, “Why do you smell like soap?”
David began seeing an excellent child psychiatrist and behaviorist twice a week. Our own school psychologist helped me with strategies in the classroom. David and I had a special signal he could use if he felt the need to get away from his desk and take a walk through the school building to relieve tension. He was permitted to use the bathroom in the nurse’s office and a timer was set so that his hand washing was limited to five minutes. The school psychologist wrote up a plan to allow for accommodations during standardized testing days. David’s psychiatrist also prescribed medications, and within a few weeks, we saw improvement.
