Parent of 15yo with OCD, Tourette and ADHD

[aparente001]

My 15yo son has Tourette Syndrome and OCD. With Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), he conquered a specific phobia (spiders). He's currently having trouble dealing with impulsive, compulsive spending (taking parents' credit cards) and impulsive, risky behaviors. Also we have to have very tight controls on electronics because of impulsive, inappropriate use of electronic devices. He also experiences coprolalia (socially inappropriate utterances) and Just-Right OCD. There are also some sensory integration issues, such as poor motor planning, and executive function deficits. We live in upstate New York.

Nice to meet everyone. I'm very happy to see this site launched!

[Max40yearsOCD]

Nice to meet you. And thank you for sharing about your son. Obviously this has taken a tremendous toll on you. But you sound strong. What’s your sons strengths? Like everything in life. He must have strengths. Tell me about the qualities he has that are impressive. I know he has them.

[aparente001 in reply to Max40yearsOCD]

One of my son's main strengths is music. Also he has a fantastic sense of humor. He makes me laugh every day.

[Max40yearsOCD in reply to aparente001]

That’s 2 talents right there. With many more to be found in him. He sounds like a smart and wonderful boy. A sense of humor is something many don’t possess. What is about music he enjoys or is good at?

[aparente001]

Someone sent me a message saying: "Have you ever thought that the parents are too harsh or too restrictive ?

This can cause a series of symptoms for their children." Well, that's not something I worry very much about, frankly. We find it helpful to provide structure. Because after he does something socially inappropriate with a device, he kicks himself and suffers horribly with the remorse. So it's important to us to limit the damage. Here's an analogy: when your alcoholic friend friend visits you in the evening, you serve mineral water, juice, hot chocolate, etc., rather than vodka tonics!