Many affected children are embarrassed and secretive. Common symptoms include Having raw, chapped hands (the presenting symptom in children who compulsively wash) Spending excessively long periods of time in the bathroom Doing schoolwork very slowly (because of an obsession about mistakes) Making many corrections in schoolwork Engaging in repetitive or odd behaviors such as checking door locks, chewing food a certain number of times, or avoiding touching certain things Making frequent and tedious requests for reassurance, sometimes dozens or even hundreds of times per day—asking, eg, "Do you think I have a fever?