Cognitive-behavioral treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder in a child with Asperger syndrome: a case report.

A young learners boy with Asperger syndrome had severe OCD. He washed his hands until they bled and checked locks for hours.

The team gave him CBT for six months. They used short sentences, pictures, and social stories. Sessions happened at home and school.

Hand-washing dropped from 40 times a day to 3. Lock checks fell from 30 minutes to 2 minutes.

The boy could play with friends again. His parents rated OCD severity as 'much improved' on a standard scale.

Van Hees et al. (2018) found hoarding in one-third of kids with ASD plus anxiety or OCD. Their survey shows OCD looks different in ASD, so you must tailor treatment.

Smith et al. (2010) showed adults with OCD and autism traits have worse symptoms. Judy’s case proves kids can improve if you adapt CBT early.

McGonigle et al. (2014) found ADHD makes internalizing symptoms worse in preschoolers with ASD. Judy added social scripts to CBT, a move you can copy when ADHD overlap is present.

You can cut OCD in young children with Asperger syndrome by using plain language, visual aids, and parent coaching. Start with short 20-minute sessions. Add social stories for any compulsion that happens around peers. Track hand-washing or checking with a simple tally sheet. Share the sheet across home and school so everyone uses the same cues.