My 8 year old daughter feels the need to keep her body "even." how can we stop this habit? if she is touched on one side of her arm, then she needs to be touched on the other arm by the same person. or if she bumps into something with her leg then she nee

If : If this behavior is upsetting to your child or the family, then it's time to take her to her doctor for an evaluation. This could be a sign of obsessive compulsive disorder (ocd) which affects 1% of kids or it could be tourettes, another tic disorder or anxiety disorder. It's important for your child to be thoroughly evaluated because other disorders such as depression and attention deficit disorder can also be underlying these behaviors and making the situation worse. If she does have ocd, it's typically treated with medications and behavioral therapy. It's important to remember that this is not her fault - or anyone else's for that matter. Kids often feel anxious, alone, scared and "out of control" with ocd and the behaviors are not something she can stop just by "trying harder". It's an illness just like diabetes or asthma. This is why finding the proper diagnosis and treatment is key to helping her. Legal disclaimer: I am providing this general and basic information as a public service and my response to this question does not constitute a doctor-patient relationship. For any additional information, advice, or specific concerns, please speak with your own physician. The information provided is current as of the date of the answer entry.

Even body: The need to even the body parts after touching one side is often seen in OCD- obsessive compulsive disorder. There may also be other behaviors noticed that should be evaluated by a child psychiatrist. It often presents with increased anxiety, which can be treated if needed.