Tics in children

[mamnotmum]

Hello all.

My little boy is almost 8. He has had tics since around the age of 3. The doctors advice was to ignore them and they should go away on their own.

Throughout the years there have been a lot of tics from repetitive blinking to throat clearing to forehead raising all of which haven't been overly noticeable or affected his life in any way. Over the past 2 weeks it's become ahead jerk which is very noticeable.

I guess I am wondering if anyone else has been through this and has any advice? His teacher mentioned it yesterday asking if we were aware he was doing it (which it would be hard not to be) but hubby was on collection so not much further was said.

I'm thinking of explaining to my son that it's fine to do and not to feel embarrassed but if people ask just to say 'it's part of me and I can't help it' and move on. Obviously I can ask adults not to address it as that seems to be the advice.

My concerns are a) kids can be mean b) is it going to affect him academically now it's affecting his ability to read etc c) it's definitely going to affect him socially if it remains this bad - he struggled at his swim class and there's no way he could do something like ride a bike. He goes back to football tomorrow and I suspect that will be a challenge as well.

I intend to speak to my GP again as well but would love some advice or just to hear other peoples experiences. Thanks

[lindseykonios]

Hi,

You are certainly not alone. My son has had mild tics for 2 years now, but the last 6 months it got worse and every 2 to 6 weeks the tics are changing into a new ones.

Ive done a lot of research and spoken to other people.
So here whats have helped me:
Dont mention the tics, this will only increase frequency
Tics tend to get worse when a child has anxiety try to figure out if he is stressed about certain things. And try supporting a good self esteem
If he realize he is ticcing, reassure him that its very normal and likely will go away over time.
Limit screen time and rather focus on activities outside or board games etc.

I live in Crete, Greece and i have been to a Child neurologist, she has diagnosed him with chronic tic disorder. She did not think Tourette as in her opinion this comes most often with co morbidities like ADHD/OCD/sleep disorders etc..So i keep a good eye out for those things as it is a possibilty they develop later.

I wish you all the best with your son and hopefully over time it will all get better.

[AlasAlack]

Hi @mamnotmum
I realise your post is a few months old now but I just wanted to let you know you're not alone. My son will be 8 soon and he's had tics that have waxed and waned for nearly three years now.
I must say, you sound very level headed about them. I wish I could be more like you! I'm extremely anxious about the tics and what the future holds.
How have things been for you guys since you posted in June? Based on your experience, have you got any tips for how to handle the social issues presented by tics?

[mamnotmum]

Hi Alasalack

Following a convo with the GP we have an appointment with a child psychologist in January.

The tics continue - they are bad when he is nervous. And if someone mentions them they worsen a lot. But they aren't causing too much of a problem - I've joined a tics and Tourette's Facebook group and seeing other peoples post is certainly reassuring.

[AlasAlack]

Hi @mamnotmum I'm glad they're not causing too much of a problem.
The thing that, I think, most stresses me is the prospect/risk of social ridicule/ostracism.
How does your son handle it vis a vis his friends at school etc? Do you have any tips or insights from your experience with your son?
I'm absolutely terrified for my son but I know I can't show this. Inside, though, I feel like I'm falling apart.
Your forthcoming appointment with a child psychologist - what a you hoping or expecting might come out of it? Are you going with a view to exploring whether they might teach your son strategies for trying to suppress the tics when he wants to (and should he want to)?
I'm slightly paralysed with fear about the tics, knowing there isn't much that can be done...it's a sort of defence mechanism...if I don't seek solutions, I won't be disappointed at coming face to face with the irrefutable evidence that nothing can be done...if that makes sense!!

[AlasAlack]

@lindseykonios hi there, how old is your son? How does he deal with tics and friendships etc? I'm particularly worried about this aspect of tics.

[lindseykonios]

Hi all,

My son will be soon 9 years old and has been having tics for 4 years now. We have been through more than 20 tics i think. They keep changing and for the last year we didn't see a day that he didn't tic.

I understand your worries its normal i do the same, but in the end of the day there is nothing you can do about it, like the studies shows not 1 kid with tic disorder is the same and there is now way to predict how the disorder will envolve.

In our case there is definetly a inherited gene connection my sister has tics (wich i didn't know until we entered the world of tics because of my son) and i did too as a young girl, my sister has 5 kids and 2 of them have mild tics..

My son started with motor tics, and the last year they went down and right now he has more vocal tics, like throat clearing, lip smacking, leaving a soft hmmm when breathing out.

The social aspect haven't caused any problems yet, no one has ever mentioned his tics even when i asked his teacher at school she was surpised when i told her he was diagnosed with chronic tics.

Last month my son started CBT behavioral therapy and his therapist told me her experience is that it does help a bit.

If you have more questions feel free to ask.

[MummyMumma]

Hi

glad I’ve come across your post, just wanted to commend how great and positive you sound I’ve for all. How has it been ? Any updates?
my child has developed this constant screaming over the last 4wks approx. They can be so loud and long as if she’s trying to let it all out, or just very quiet squeaky sounds, I’m not sure what to do or if they will go away. Unlike you I’ve been trying to ignore but getting very frustrated myself :(

it’s so upsetting as I’ve realised that they can’t fully control themselves. Please any advice x

[Malsau]

Hi, how is everyone getting on? My son has had tics for2 years now. I really thought they were disappearing and then bam tonight , along comes a new grunting type noise. He is 12. I’ve read that even with Tourette’s, they are often at their worst between ten and twelve so really hoping he’s getting to the end of these. It’s terrible but they can literally make or break my day 😩