My son just started having tics

Nicole - posted 2 hours ago

My son is 7 he will be 8 this September. He has a head twitch. He has has it for about a year and he just recently let me know that it's starting to annoy him :(. Not sure what I can do to help him. Our doctor as well mentioned that many children from 7-10 get twitches or tics. She did not refer me to anyone and I'm not sure what to do for him??

Elise - posted on 05/10/2013

I can relate to how you are feeling...I have a fifteen year old daughter with T.S.She was diagnosed around age eight. i think I first noticed something was wrong at a very early age.To get people to believe me was another story.She was about three or four.When we went for walks she would kick her foot out.i thinking this was just a habit would tell her to stop it,,,Over the years some of her ticks consisted of head jerking,vocal ticks,having to touch things,and repeat patterns....Not knowing what was going on with my daughter i felt helpless...I too took her to the family doctor.oh she just has a tick This is very common in children.It will go away....I think it started getting really bad after she turned ten...I took her to see a child pychologist who refered me to Dr.Tavaris a child pychiatrist..i explained the symptoms to him and he told me it sounded like she had TS.I thought thats crazy not my daughter...In the end he knew what he was talking about because he too suffers from TS. If the individual suffers from moter plus vocal then it is ts.If it is just one or the other it is a tick disorder...I don't think there is a tick that my daughter hasn't had... We would joke around together and say at least yu don't swear,and soon enough she had a swearing tick as well..The f word had to be screamed out in a pattern of 4s.I don't know why but the Spring is the worst...She has bad flare ups.Right now she cannot go to school and is inpatient at Child Adolecent treatment center.Before the spring she was doing very well in school and the ticks were at a min.TS.Symptoms are aggrivated by anxiety and stress.The more out of control she feels the worse they get.Before this happened she was only on Stratara for her ADHD and Fluoxitine to calm her nerves which i believe that in there own way both helped with TS. I did not want my daughter to have to depend on medication but after trying different vitamins,dropping dyes and doing everything imaginable nothing was working.She would go months without hardly a tick then TS would turn around and bite us in the ass.Now we are back to square one.With TS.things always change. Although its been a struggle,TS i believe has made my daughter a stronger nonjudgemental person.in fact she wants to base her career around helping other children suffering from TS.
If yu are concerned about your son the best thing to do is to get a second opinion from someone who deals with this disorder....I know how hopeless yu must feel.I went through many years of feeling depressed and that i failed my child.It has taken alot of education and years of experience with TS but my family and I are now at a level of ecceptance for TS. It helps to find humor in things we can't control.... My daughter is awsome at making jokes about her TS....There are support groups out there,and I found out there are alot of children in our little city who have TS....i wish yu and your son the best of luck....Please excuse my spelling... How is your son doing today???/

Stacy - posted on 02/19/2013

It is very helpful to read everybody stories! My son first started having tics when he was 3 years old ( eye blinking and throat clearing) at the time we over looked it and just assumed that was just something he did, I did take him to eye doctor but everything was fine there. In the last couple months his tics have become more noticeable and I realized this has been ongoing for almost 5 years at this point. I spoke with his pediatrician who said we would discuss it further at his annual check up, however since then he has developed several new tics and is getting notes sent home from school for not paying attention and disrupting the class. He currently has over 5 tics that we see regularly, both vocal and motor. It absolutely breaks my heart to watch him go through this and to hear him tell me that some of his "twitches" are really hurting his neck. I have called his pediatrician to move up his appointment and possibly get an appointment set up with a neurologist. I hope everybody's kiddos are doing great!

Cindy - posted on 02/04/2013

Christie- my mom eliminated Red 40 and Blue 5 from my diet when I was diagnosed with hdhd and tourettes. It changed my world. Now that my son has those lucky genes from me. I decided to use moms "fix" my son's behavior and tics have greatly improved and practically are gone. He is in middle school and gets to pick what he eats from the cafeteria, he had pink ice cream/strawberry flavor- (red 40) and blue Gatorade (blue 5). He was written up that day for not paying attention in one class and being a distraction in another.
He now asks to see the ingredients in everything he gets at school and is doing wonderfully.
Honor roll for 2 semesters-

Caryn - posted on 02/03/2013

Oh, and Joy-- in the mean time, magnesium helps to relax muscle tics. Neck tics can be painful. I bought a magnesium spray that I use on the skin. Epsom salt is good too. Just dissolve in water. Many kids with ADHD have zinc deficiency.

Caryn - posted on 02/03/2013

Joy,
Has your doctor ever tested your ADHD child for vitamin mineral deficiencies? Have you tried any natural treatments like B vitamins and fish oil? Have you considered cutting back on artificial colors, flavors, preservatives? Perhaps you could try some natural treatments for ADHD and take him off the medication. I used to teach special education. I had a couple students who were prescribed Ritalin that developed tic disorders. It can become permanent when it is caused as a drug side effect. I would want to get my child off that medication ASAP. Be sure to ask your doctor how to best do that. I recently talked to Dr. Albert Mensah of Mensah Medical in a phone interview. He said that doctors often prescribe meds when they don't know what else to do to help a patient. Many doctors don't make the connection to diet and nutrients. But I promise you, it does help. I pray you find the answers you need to help your child. Don't stop looking. Dig deep. In our case our son had undiagnosed celiac and digestive issues. When the neurological system is broken it is often because the body is not getting the nutrients it needs to work right.

Joy - posted on 02/03/2013

Hi there I know how you feel. My son has adhd and has been on concerta for 2 mths. I was never warned about tics from the doctor.
My son just developed a tic in his neck/ head the last week in a half. I am constantly watching him , i am very worried snd upset. I am taking him to the doctor tomorrow. It is just very hard to see something like this happen so sudden on a healthy child.

Janel Marie - posted on 01/31/2013

I am happy to hear that your son is doing better and you have narrowed the issue down to an immune system dysfunction. Yes, Topamax (typo). Actually this unfortunately is not a "magic pill" but it has helped him tremendously. He has had no side effects to this medication. In fact, he has actually calmed down a little bit if anything. Every child is different and this obviously will not be the answer for everyone. There are side effects to every drug.... My biggest concern with Topamax was lack of concentration and Kidney stones. Fortunately , the very low dose of 15mg ( most children who have epileptic seizures take around 100 mg to prevent) has only made him be able to concentrate better and live his life normally. My son's tics were EXTREME and he would not be able to function at school unless we were able to manage them. We are at the doctors every 4-6 months and plan to get him additional therapy when he is around 8-9. Hopefully one day he will be able to control them on his own:) A quick note- When the tics started we removed all toxins from our home, have been only eating Organic, saw an Allergist, he was tested for Vitamin Deficiencies and for high Mercury levels, We tried herbal supplements, he went on Antibiotics.. you name it we explored it. Both myself and husband are not pro-drugs in any way but in this case it has helped.

Caryn - posted on 01/31/2013

I think you mean Topamax. It was suggested by our neurologist when my son was 4 but I am a former special education teacher and this drug frightened me. It can cause a lot of side effects, especially cognitive ones. You will think your child has ADHD. It is also possible to cause major Vitamin D deficiency issues. (Rickets). 15 mg seems like a high dose to me. But I am sure your doctors are aware of the side effects and are monitoring your child carefully.

I am glad you have found your magic pill with no side effects. For me this was too much of a risk. I decided to find the underlying cause of my child's immune system dysfunction. It turned out the tics were caused by major nutrient deficiencies because his digestive system wasn't working properly.

Janel Marie - posted on 01/31/2013

Hello, My perfectly healthy five year old son developed (OVER NIGHT ) some rather harsh tics last year( eye blinking, severe hand squeezing and flapping, jaw clenching ect). It was terrifying to say the least. I am not sure how your son is doing now ( hopefully better) but hopefully this can help someone struggling right now. I can completely understand your helpless feeling, stress and anxiety. First, my pediatrician said that it may be a transient tic and to try to ignore it and see how it goes... Also to get him lots of sleep, keep him out of stressful situations and avoid sugar. It continued to get worse week by week and I had heard about PANDAS and started to freak out. I demanded a consultation with the Neurologist and wanted him to get on a course of Antibiotics( just in case it was PANDAS) which some Doctors don't even believe in??

We live in Philadelphia and the first visit to Jefferson Neurology department was depressing. The doctor said that my son definitely had a tic disorder and that we were just going to have to deal with it and hopefully it was transient but in any case it may get better after his teenage years. The other option was to dope him to the point that we wouldn't even know him anymore ( its been over a year now and I get sick to my stomach still about how helpless this moment felt)WTF.....It had gotten so bad that he was squeezing his nails into the palms of his hands leaving marks, clenching his jaw so hard that it hurt and blinking so much that he had trouble focusing. And this was only within 1 months of the initial onset of the tics.

There is nothing worse than your child begging you to help them and you don't know how. I made a promise to him that I would do anything and everything I could to relieve his pain. Obviously I wanted a second opinion so one night when it had gotten really bad my husband and I headed over to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia(CHOP) emergency room. We pleaded with the doctor's to help our son. They got us an appointment with the Neurologists there within a few days. At his appointment they determined it was a tic disorder and they told us some of what Jefferson Neurology said but the doctor told us that they had been recently using Topomax ( a medication that has been around for a while to prevent migraines and epileptic seizures) to treat these Tics . She said the results had been great and asked us if we would like to try it. My husband and I didn't really want to put him on drugs but this drug was not too harsh and had minimal side effects. So we decided to try 15mg ( a very low dose) we crossed our fingers and prayed!!.....Literally the next day my son said he was feeling better and within a week the tic were practically gone. It has been over a year now and while my son sometimes tics ( when he is over tired, extra stressed or has caffeine) he is back to his normal self. The doctors at CHOP and trying this medicine has made all the difference in our lives. I hope that this knowledge can help someone who is dealing with this problem right now. It scares me to think that other Neurology departments don't have the knowledge to try this medication...... It just may be able to change someones life! Best of luck to all the parents struggling with kids with Tics and I hope you can find this helpful.

Caryn - posted on 01/18/2013

My son developed severe chronic multifocal ticcing after his preschool vaccines in 2007. They started out benign and then snowballed into chronic multistep tics. I was devastated. I did a full panel of blood testing. CBC, etc.... We discovered that he was extremely malnourished although he was eating well. His white blood cell count was abnormal. I saw a DAN doctor and we started a healthy diet. In a few short days we also found out through a blood test that our son had celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that is caused by eating wheat. We did a food allergy test and learned that he had many food allergies, too. This is common when you have a broken digestive system. So we started him on a restricted diet. After about a year he was getting much better. After 18 months he was completely tic free. He still is after 4 years. Now he is eating everything again except the gluten without problems. His digestive system is healed. We are careful not to eat genetically engineered food at all. We don't eat processed junk either. We get organic as much as possible. We do NOT eat artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. ADHD is common in undiagnosed celiac. It's called brain fog. I hope this post is helpful to someone.

Blossom - posted on 12/24/2012

My daughter is also diagnosed with TS as she is ticcing for past one year without any tic free period. I have started using homeopathic medicines for past 1 week and i think it will take few months to show effect if any. Is there any mother who tried with Homeopathic medicines with positive results?

Emilio - posted on 12/17/2012

i can totally agree with dana bishop and that was sound advice dana. i have a nephew who keeps folding his ears and says he feels like ants are crawling inside his ear all the time. he has these tics too. he is very smart in school but very head strong and convinced. no humility in this boy. he is definately ADD/ADHD in america. we don't live in the u.s. doctors here can't find anything wrong. his habits are annoying yes but a few years ago he was a t rex with all the sound effects and claws and walk. that has passed and now it's the ears folding and tics.

Dana - posted on 12/16/2012

In my opinion, any doctor that would prescribe medication for a child with tics or hyperactivity without exhausting other options first should not be trusted. I always felt that medication should be a last resort, unless of course you're dealing with something that is life/health threatening. Also, there are several types of tic disorders other than Tourette's. I would definetly find a pediatric neurologist who specializes in tic disorders and if the decision is made that medication is the right course be aware that it usually takes quite awhile to find the right medicine or combination. My son is 12 and was diagnosed at 6 with TS. He wasn't put on medication until he was about 9 and even then it took almost a year to find the right mix. Now, he feels so much better and is able to cope better and focus more on school work. I also have a 5 year old that has started having tics and hyperactivity issues within the past 2 months. I'm not jumping to conclusions that it is TS, although I wouldn't be surprised. He did just start kindegarten so perhaps it's related to that, only time will tell. As far as my marraige is concerned...I have been married to the same wonderful husband for 13 years now. Our children have never seen us fight and any disagreements we have never amount to any uncomfortable situations. We always kiss hello and goodbye. I know an unstable marraige does effect children, but I think the majority of the parents in this group have children with definet neurological conditions.

Emilio - posted on 12/11/2012

LIZ KULIK, I am by no means an MD and would never negate a doctors opinion, however after doing all that the doctors prescribe and nothing seems to work, this may be because it really is not a medical problem. Before all these drugs and prescription for ADD and ADHD many of us grew up just the way wee did: some a bit hyper and others a little too quiet. I have a very high strung 2 year old daughter. Any MD if they would see her would give her something to calm her down. She is really a handful but it is my belief that these kinds of issues do not require drug intervention everytime. Sometimes we are too quick to calm down kids who are just very energetic.I will say this that too many times we dose up our kids with all these drugs and end up causing real damage from the drugs. I would never put my daughter on any of those drugs. She keeps us on our toes and she is very very smart at 2. Absolutely do not argue infront of kids ever. just don't do it. walk away. Clearing of the throat can be just a bad habit. I have a 46 year old cousin who has done this for as long as i can remember. It is annoying but no big deal. His habit is still with him. The tics may be the result of something wrong but if you take to effort to find out and do find nothing wrong medically, then please please don't just have them put your kids on these drugs. I would get my family a psychological assessment. Sometimes people can't see the obvious problems kids pick up on. Take a few sessions and let a psychologist see if all is well with you as parents. ofcourse many md's think we behaviorists are totally missing it but a lot of times we're not at all. And some habits die hard. We are all unique.

Liz - posted on 12/11/2012

Hello Emilio, I have a 7 year old boy and for the past 2 months he has developed a clearing of the throatt and puffing sound after. He hs been diagnosed with ADD and started Focalin which seemed to help at the beginning but the past few days the teacher has started to complaint about his inattention again does this mean the drugs aren't working or he's just having a couple of bad days? He did have an ear infection when the teacher started to complaint about his lack of focus again, could this affect how the medication works?. To answer your question abt our marriage which I see you think it hs to do with his tics, our marriage is fine, we do have occational arguments but who doesn't. My son is seeing a developmentalist should I take him to a Neurologist for the tics?

Emilio - posted on 12/10/2012

How are the relationships that matter surrounding the child.

Is child living in a happy normal home? Parents loving each other?

Most times children are responding to what they see.

Emilio - posted on 12/10/2012

I am a behaviorist and I have a question for you. I've seen this case more than a few times and I have my own theory. I'll say this, nothing is wrong with your child except that he or she is responding to things in his/her reality.

Question. How are the relationships that surround your child? Relationships that matter to the child? ie. Parents or Guardians? Those meaningful relationships that make a difference in the child's world.

Are you the parents together? Or together and having marital problems in front of the child or children? Each child is different but most times absolutely nothing is wrong with the child. Something is almost always wrong what surrounds the children.

Please assess your marriages and then go from there.

A case in point, up until my separation from my ex, my son was a happy little boy at 8. It's been 13 years and over those 13 years he has become a total introvert for fear of lack of trusting issues. Anyway, will try to help you guys in anyway I can but I m almost 100% that the issue is not the child.

Dietra - posted on 12/05/2012

Thank you Maggie. I too feel as if it is a big deal and am working closely with a neurologist. I will keep you in my prayers and please do the same.

Maggie - posted on 12/03/2012

Hi everyone!

I know a lot of your posts are old and I pray all your children are doing better with the tics. I will post more later but I can tell you my daughter was put on Ritalin for ADD when she was in the 4th grade. This was the best year she EVER had in school. That same year she developed Motor Tics, never verbal, never punching/kicking, always motor. My daughter is now 14 years old. It has NEVER gone away, although it HAS diminished some. When it first happened it was extremely scary, uncontrollable, and all I could do was cry and blame myself that "if I would have never put her on the Ritalin this would have never happened". Well now she struggles in school every single day, cannot concentrate, never learned how to study, and when she gets more stressed, the tics come out more.

I brought her to a Neurologist a few weeks ago and was comforted by being told that Tics and ADD / ADHD go hand in hand. She has recommended having a NeuroPsychological test be done. Right now her appointment is not until January 2013.

This absolutely is a HUGE deal and I would find a different doctor ASAP! Someone who is not willing to help and brushes you off is not worth anymore of your time!

I can tell you massages, relaxation techniques, and not a lot of stress help a lot. My daughter and I now go get massages together!!

Hope this helps some or all of you!!!



Maggie

Hollie - posted on 11/02/2012

my 5 year old started a few months ago with head tics.... right before kindergarten began. that turned to a few snorts here and there! then he switched to punching arms downward even has to get out of chair to do so... now he is hopping! last weekend he had an episode in his sleep with head and leg kicking! pediatrician said it will pass but i brought him to neurosurgeon anyway for peace of mind... they also said he will grow out of it!!! he def does it more when he is scare or nervous :(

Chris - posted on 10/15/2012

i know how you feel, my son is a bright normal active 8 year old who has developed tics over the last month, and for him to have gone from leading a normal day to day life to these tics which consist of facial grimacing and wide eyes is not way right to me so i too have been looking on line for information, some say it is more controlled in later teen years and some say it usually stops as long as you don't draw attention to it within a month to a year ????? im also worried about him at school, he doesn't like school as it is, i just hope it passes soon so as he doesn't get picked on by other children as i know how spiteful kids can be. im going on the belief that i should only read NHS websites and maybe not others as they seem so contradicting. i am grateful that its not something that effects their health, try not to draw attention to the tics as hard as that seems as apparently not drawing attention to it makes them grow out of it quicker :)

chris

Gina - posted on 10/10/2012

My son is 5...6 in December...and started shaking his head uncontrollably about 3 months ago We took him to his doctor, with video of his behaviors, and he was not concerned at all. He said it was a benign tic, something that most kids will develop at some point. It is usually manifested as clearing the throat, blinking, head shaking, licking lips, etc. They usually come on because of stress or anxiety, and after a bit of research we also found that sleep deprivation can be a cause. Made sense to us since he was just starting kindergarten and with the end of summer, we were doing a lot of activities...anxiety and fatigue. We were so happy when it cleared itself up after the first week or so of school, but now about a month later it has come back...along with sniffing and scrunching up his shoulders. We have another appointment with the doctor scheduled...I'm just very concerned, not only for his health but because he has said it makes him feel different. I'm praying it's just a benign tic and will go away, sooner rather than later...

Angela - posted on 10/07/2012

Hi Christie,



I am so glad to read all these posts! When my daughter was little she would have an excited look on her face and sorrta move her hands in an odd way! We thought that it was cute and she was all excited! Well it sorrta went away up until about a year or so ago I have noticed that she really makes the movements with her hands to arms and shoulders. I was getting a little worried she is 13 now, and I don't want her to know I am worried about this, she was also found to have ADHD although she isn't really hyper it is basicly the learning and sinking in paying attention type thing. But either way she was found to have ADHD when she was 9. She doesn't twitch all the time, she does it when she is excited about something or in a deep conversation that ineterst her. I seem to be the only one that sees these movements. I think how can that be that I only see this. It is noticeable to the eye. I have come to live with it and except this as part of my childs development. Maybe this will go away in time maybe it is a habit we all know that children develope habits. She is happy smart beautiful 13 year old. It just makes it easier for me to see these posts! Knowing that I am not alone, and there are other children that do this. Like I said it isnt all the time. I mean I even find mysef watching her when she sleeps to see any movement that is involentary., But she is fine and even when she is on the computer just doing things or drawing that she loves to do she is perfectly still the only time she will do it is if she is excited. So this must be her normal :) Thanks everyone for there point of view and input on this issue.



Angela M.

Terry - posted on 10/01/2012

My daughter is10 and all she does is sniff like every 5 seconds the doctor told me today to watch her to see if it gets worse.i don't know much about a tic does anyone know if this sounds like a tick to them?it has been going on for 3 months and has gotten worse!

Laurie - posted on 08/22/2012

Thanks Cindy! These are all great ideas. I really like the idea of the stress ball and will give it a try when school starts.

Cindy - posted on 08/20/2012

my son also tics when he is excited and if he is stressed. I told each teacher, through e-mail, what and why he might be doing certain things in class. I asked that if he starts to distract the other kids, to please make an open statement to the class, such as.............Ok, I need someone to take this letter to the office for me. or it could be, take this letter to the clinic for me. Then pick my son to be the person to deliver it. It is actually a blank piece of paper, and he knows that he is going to have this opportunity to get his "tics" out and because he is also ADHD it lets him burn off some of his extra energy. This way when he comes back into the classroom he can (hold it in) until class is over.
I also have been given permission to let him carry a stress ball. That way he can concentrate on that instead of the urge he may be having to make his noises.
in grade school the special ed teacher had weighted pads. my son had one at his desk and for some reason it "grounded him" and made him feel more in control.
I hope this information helps you.

Laurie - posted on 08/19/2012

Hi Dietra,
My 9 year old daughter just started having tics two months ago. While I am still learning about this, they seem rather severe to me. Sniffing, hand movements,arm swinging while staring at her feet and smacking her lips. My heart is broken watching this "performance dancing" and wondering what is going on?? I am worried to see the reaction she will get when school starts this fall. When we are out in public, I notice the stares from adults. Can't imagine what school children will say. I have had the same reaction from the physicians as everyone else but I can't help but wonder if there is anything I/they are missing. This came on so suddenly. Any advice would be appreciated.

Dietra - posted on 08/13/2012

Hi Christie, my son is 8 and has also started to have severe tics in the form of leftward movements with his head. It is sometimes combined with nasal flares. The past couple of months they had been single movements, but increased during last weeks football conditioning. Physicians have told me the same as you, and we are attempting to let him live as normally as possible. I too find myself solely focused on it...always researching and heart broken.

Dana - posted on 07/27/2012

Brandee, in what way is it getting worse?

Brandee - posted on 07/23/2012

my son will be 8 in sept and has had them for almost 2 years now its getting worse and worse plaese if you get any info that may be helpeful share with me :(

Tracy - posted on 06/21/2012

I also have a 9 year old son who has recently, or at least we have noticed recently that he has been having facial and vocal tics, eye scrunching and a repetiitive grunting noise, we have been to the GP, who was not concerned in any way, but felt that an opinion of a Specialist would be of benefit. We are currently waiting for this appointment. Our son is aware of his tics, and looking back he has also experienced smelling of his hands. Like others it has made me feel so much love for him, and I am the one who is uncomfortable around him during these times, not him, in fact I find the more relaxed the environment, the more tics endured!! It is a constant worry, but I feel positive that whatever journey lay ahead of us, it will be unique and special between us as a family.

Miss Worrier x

Heidi - posted on 04/16/2012

I have two boys with TS and am still figuring it all out, but I will say that with my oldest, relaxation techniques really did help. We never wanted to fuss at him when he was "ticking" but instead would say "take a deep breath" and that was his cue that he was ticking (because most of the time he isn't even aware of it). It doesn't always help but at times it completely stops them. I have read about behavioral therapy that helps with this awareness as well. It definitely has not affected his ability to learn - he is in top level classes. He does have a very high level of anxiety - and this can make tics worse - especially, as you mentioned, during tests. Soccer seems to be a great way for him to release this anxiety (lots of running!) and we have encouraged both of our guys to get exercise in the hopes that this will help. All my best to you and your precious child. :) He is lucky to have a mom who cares so much.

Lola - posted on 03/04/2012

My heart goes out to you..as I too am dealing with a child with a Chronic Tic disorder and migraines. My son is a month shy of 8 and we have been through 11 tics now in the past year and half. Right now his current tic is a head nod and a very sqeaky high pitch hiccup sound. Our nuerologist said it is best to ignore the tics that asking him to stop causes anxiety and then they get worse which we have seen for our selves. I have made all his teachers aware and asked them not to draw any attention to the tics. The noise is driving me insane and breaks my heart and brings major guilt because after hours of it I want to run away from my own child which I know sounds horrible but just being honest. It is so hard to enjoy stroy time with him doing this in my ear next to me. I am trying very hard to be patient as I do know he is not doing it on purpose. What I don't understand is how he can hold these in at school sometimes but really unleashes when he gets home. So glad to see group of people dealling with the same issues,

Susan - posted on 09/15/2011

My son was just diagnosed with Tourette's and he is 10 years old. We have chosen to discuss this with him and educate ourselves with him so that he can better understand what is going on within his body and mind. The doctor who diagnosed him said that we should not make him aware of his tics but I disagree, how do you feel??

Tina - posted on 02/09/2009

Hi! I couldn't resist  responding to your post. My son was "diagnosed" by a great neurologist at the recommendation of our pediatrician. My son has various tics and sometimes "sound" or verbal tics. There really isn't a lot you can do but encourage and let teachers know of the situation. The best advice was given by the neurologist at his office when he told my son that" he was the same kid that walked through the door on the way in as he will be going out." We talk very openly about it and don't make a big deal of it. Stress does bring it on more but they say it is not the reason for it??? That one I can't figure out! My son is very smart and plays lots of sports and is in no way inhibited by his tics. Try not to bring too much attention or correct it cause I found it just makes it worse, like when you have a tickle cough and try to surpress it... hope this info helps. Keep encouraging him to just be himself and give lots of love and understanding.   Tina

Janet - posted on 02/05/2009

Hi,
The best comment I can make is find ways for you to stay calm and composed. Being with tics for the family as well as the life of your son will teach him to accept himself fully. That piece is what will make or break any child's chances in life - it is magnified with TS. TS as a Dx currently needs a year of waxing and waning vocal and motor tics. TS or tics for the person with them needs positive support that includes, but is not limited to, loved ones who take good care of themselves and the tic-er.

While tics can be annoying, they can't be stopped just by choice; the ability to cope with annoyances can be improve upon. Happily, the people around the tic-er can change their attitudes by choice.

What does affect the person with tics most, and I cannot stress this enough, is how the people around them behave towards them. Tics are a noticeable overt activity, but they are not the person. The hard part of tics is that we cannot adjust to them as they elicit a startle response for all concerned. That's why taking optimal care of yourself translates into the optimal environment for your child. Harder than it looks, the optimal care will pay of in enormous dividends now and later. That is the most beautiful thing about TS. Every bit of effort you put in for an optimal relationship will pay off 100-fold.

Best wishes, it is an amazing journey no matter how you handle it.

Deanna - posted on 02/04/2009

Hi



I wanted to provide a site that has helped me a lot during the last three years since my son and husband were diagnoised on the same day. http://tourettesyndromenowwhat.yuku.com/...

My son was dx at age 7 and is doing very well academically and socially. Hubby's tics are almost nonexistant at this time (two tics that can be seen when he is stressed).

Lisa - posted on 02/04/2009

Dear Christie, and all moms concerned with their child having Tourettes Syndrome.  My daughter at age 8 began "rolling her eyes".  I kept telling her to stop.  Then came the "twitching of her shoulders" and "vocal sounds"...again...I kept telling her to stop.  Her behavior went from bad to worse where she began "jumping off of the floor" WITHOUT KNOWING IT!  The teacher told me she suspected ADD.  My daughter also suffered from migraines.  I video taped my daughter and played it back for her...she was shocked and asked "who that was".  Bigh RED FLAG!  I got her into the best pediatric Neurologists in Boise and tests were performed.  They ruled out more severe diseases and diagnosed her with Tourettes.  She is on a medication that prevents migraines and she is doing great!  Her ticks do "flair" when she is stressed....it's the main cause.  1 out of 100 elementary age children are diagnosed with Tourettes.  Boys no as much because boys "are fidgetyy anyway".  Some children will grow out of it and some don't.  Tourettes is also hereditary and I'm seeing the pattern in my 6 year old son...migraines since he was 2 years old.  My advice is to have you son thoroughly checked by a Neurologist.  My daughter is in the 504 program at school,  when she begins to "tick" she is allowed to leave the room to do her work and receives cancelling.  My daughters handwriting is also so much nicer now that she isn't jumping all the time through an assignment or test at school.  Tourettes clearly was affecting her work when the teacher "tagged" her as having ADD.  My daughter tested 3 points lower than "genius"....told the teacher to take a hike.  Get help and good luck.  Also, video tape your son...then play it back....that's when it will really hit you and it's good for the doctor to see.  Best Wishes.   Lisa in Idaho

Lisa - posted on 02/04/2009

Quoting Christie:

My son just started having tics

My son started having head tics at the end of September, he is 8 years old. His Dr. said that a lot of kids develope tics between 8-10. He also told me that their is no "test" that can diagnose Tourette's. He reccommended to watch him for a year and go from there. He told me not to worry, that tics did not affect his intelligence or physical ablility. Frustrating. I feel like I am constantly staring at his head to see if he is tic'ing and trying to find a pattern or reason.I noticed that the tics get worse when he is excited or stressed. His teacher said she notices him doing it when he is in a hurry to finish his work or during tests. So far it has not affected his grades or classroom participation. I just don't know what to do, his doctor gave me the feeling that this wasn't a "big deal," but it is all I think about. I have read hundreds of web-sites and they have conflicting info.

Danielle - posted on 02/02/2009

I am not expert, but I can tell you that some tics are just nervous tics and do go away in a year or so, and sometimes it's more (TS for example).   It's true, there is no test that will confirm Tourette's, but there is a certain set of criteria that will help identify it.  You can probably find the list here someplace pretty easily.  I don't know off the top of my head except that the child has to have both vocal AND movement tics too.  And it has to have lasted for a certain period, etc. etc. 

My son started with it when he was about 2 or 3, but we never realized until last July at age 7 that he had Tourette - then looking back, we put all of it togther to understand the "tics" he had at age 2 were TS and that he wasn't just "quirky" as family members called him.  At the time he used pull at the collar of his shirt or pull the bottom of his shirt seemingly without realizing it.  Then the period of stuttering came and went...then it was touching his face with his figertips over and over again while trying to tell a story... then it was a continous clearing of his throat (kindergarten)... then in first grade it was a tic called yawning, where he stretched his mouth super big like a yawn over and over again... now in second grade he "sniffs" and yawns too sometimes.  You see the pattern, it's always a new thing, with periods of nothing in between.  That's our experience anyway.

One thing that I would agree to a point with the doctor is not to worry too much.  At this point, just knowing the name of what my son has helps with the whole piece of mind thing, but there isn't much else to do except be aware.  I talk openly with my son about his TS and the tics, and he lets us know when it bothers him a lot.   Whether your child has tourettes, or whether he doesn't, the tics are still something that may or may not bother him and something you should talk to him about if you see it affecting him in any way... Good luck to you & hope this has helped in some way. 

Dana - posted on 01/28/2009

My son's tics started when he was 6. It may not seem like a big deal to your doctor. After all, it's not his child. Each TS case varies in how severe the tics are and every website I've come across agrees that they do become thier worst through the teen years and then tend to trail off as they approach adulthood. My sons tics vary in how bad they are. At his worst he has had 4 tics, right now he only has 2.His too are worse when he's nervous or stressed. The best thing you can do for your son is to NOT stress over it. I know it's not easy...but you are setting the example of how to handle this. Treat him just as normal as you would any other child of yours. Encourage him to talk about it with you if it does start to bother him. My son has a positive attitude about it. It hasn't affected his school work or his ability to make new friends. He has had it for 2 years now. About a month ago I put my him on an omega-3 fish oil supplement made for kids and it has helped reduce his tics so much that even my son has noticed the change in himself. You might want to try it. It's healthy anyway so even if it doesn't work for him it won't hurt either!

Janet - posted on 01/15/2009

There are a lot of professionals out there who do NOT know about the details of Tourette's. Tics do get worse with stress, of which excitement is a part. My son is now 19, barely has any tics now, and has a great future planned. Each child has their own tic and patterns, they wax and wane, etc. I will continue later, but know that there is a lot of help out there, and the best thing for your child is for you to have a great attitude towards yourself and your child. I cannot stress that point enought, as he/she will take their social cues from you. This disorder is on the autism spectrum, so you may have to help them show their social cues more than children who easily model their behaviors after others.