Hi, my 7-year-old boy diagnose with ADHD loves to ride the elevators that everytime we bring him to any shopping malls, his eyes will be darting every corner looking for one. If there isn't any elevators, escalators will be his next alternative. When he comes home, he'll simulate the rides on elevators with boxes and toys riding in it. Is this an OCD and does anyone know how to help him get over this obsession? A psychologist suggested jumping on a trampoline, which I immediately bought for him but after about 2 months of using it, his obsession got even worse and he's also much more active than before. Can anyone please help?

Unfortunately, you may not be able to deal with this issue until your son is old enough to understand his disorder. He enjoys riding escalators, and like every OCD individual, is unable to stop himself after a healthy dose. I do this with smells. If I smell something pleasant, it is so overwhelmingly rewarding for me that I will smell my own wrist 30-40 times in 5 minutes to re-experience the joy of that scent. That's not bad in and of itself, but I would start to get lightheaded, and would try to distract myself with television and books but it was like my wrist was CALLING me to smell it.

The essence of OCD is that we have a poor sense of when to stop doing something. Your son must be aware that he has OCD, and that he has a tendency to get caught in rituals, and needs to make a conscious effort to define a number (like 3) of times he will indulge himself before putting an end to it.

I'm not a doctor, but I've lived with OCD all my life and this is what worked for me!

Without knowing too much, he sounds like he may have a touch of autism.. Possibly Aspergers..

I'm not so sure it is ocd. Maybe it is , maybe not. Go with the doctor's opinion on it.

As a child I was terrified of escalators and a little scared of elevators. To this day I am sometmies a little uneasy on escalators.

It could just be a passing thing. You probably need to wait and see how things develop.


My next response is to ask if the child has had a neuropsuchological evaluation ? If so , what was the outcome of that ? If not, you may wish to consider having it done.

ME :D



Hi, my 7-year-old boy diagnose with ADHD loves to ride the elevators that everytime we bring him to any shopping malls, his eyes will be darting every corner looking for one. If there isn't any elevators, escalators will be his next alternative. When he comes home, he'll simulate the rides on elevators with boxes and toys riding in it. Is this an OCD and does anyone know how to help him get over this obsession? A psychologist suggested jumping on a trampoline, which I immediately bought for him but after about 2 months of using it, his obsession got even worse and he's also much more active than before. Can anyone please help?

I think kids get obsessed, fascinated and infatuated with things, as a normal thing, but what might give it away as a problemo, is if there are OTHER rituals, obsessions, habits, that look odd to you as well. My son when he was little, had one with vacuum cleaners. He is a bit OCD too, but not too bad. He gets it from his mum. :-) I'd say if it's just this one thing, don't make a deal about it to him, if you harp on him, eve in the smallest amount, it'll get worse. See if it's a passing fancy or if he just diverts it to other or another thing. Most important, don't make a deal about it.

It doesnt sound like OCD to me. With OCD you have a fear of something bad happening unless you carry out a certain act. It could be contamination with germs or that you will be sick unless you carry out a compulsive behaviour as examples. Then when you do the behaviour the fear pops right back up there and you need to do it again. He just sounds like he is having a great time - it could be some other illness as others have suggested but it doesnt sound like it is linked to worries that something awful will happen - he just sounds like he loves escalators.

I agree with cheekychic too. I had another comment to make as well, as I am the queen of brilliant afterthoughts; OCD and elevators usually is a fear or a phobia involved, like avoiding them at all cost. Not a happy-wanting-to-ride-and-play-and-look-for-more! That does not spell OCD just in that. How is his life in other areas???And, not all OCD quirks are fear based. I can attest to that one. We are just quirky for really no reason at all sometimes, and simply find some comfort in our quirkies. I did remember reading about obsessive fascinations being associated with the higher functioning issues though. This is very interesting. I hope you find some answers.

Sometimes really bright kids just have interests that are kind of odd.

Watch for anxiety and repetetive behaviors that the child can't stop even if he had to. That is ocd.

If elevators and escalators are something that the child just likes a whole lot, it may just a budding interest in such things.

Be patient, a kid is a kid.

ME :D