6yo boy constantly makes clicking noises

[MsScribbles]

My little boy is 6 and has started constantly clicking his tongue. When he's reading, watching TV, sometimes even in the middle of talking.

I'm wondering if this could indicate a deeper issue?

Some more about him:

He's a sweet kid, loving and cuddly and generally well-behaved, though can be a bit of a beast at home (arguing with sister, being disagreeable etc). Behaves very well at school, is not gregarious but gets on well with other kids. Advanced in terms of reading/numeracy etc.

I've noticed that he hates noisy and busy places, finds them quite distressing in fact, and he can really act up when we are in that kind of environment (big party, music festival etc).

Previously he had a habit cough, for quite a long time. He would cough (not a real cough) every 20 seconds or so. It was quite irritating but it passed.

I've always felt like he's a sensitive lad, but this new clicking thing is making feel worried.

Anyone got any experience of this?

DS does things like this. He has been diagnosed with simple tics. Paediatrician said that its nothing to worry about and there is no treatment.
He mostly has coughing or throat clearing tics and a short phase of a whistling tic. He's had them for 8 years and we're used to them now.

My now 15 year old son was like that when he was younger. I got so many complaints from his teacher about the noises he made during class. He eventually grew out of it.

Thanks for replies. I think he might just be bit of a tic-y person. But coupled with the aversion to loud places I do start to wonder. Plus he LOVES routine. However I don't want to escalate things beyond what's necessary, he seems fairly happy in his clicking, chirruping world!

Tourrettes, maybe?

Both my daughters are like this. Both have different tics, both started age 5. First time round I panicked about Tourette’s and had her into a paediatric neurologist. She made me a cuppa and smiled and nodded a lot I’ve since discovered my maternal family have form for this, and now it barely registers. Their tics ebb and flow, and are definitely worse when stressed or tired. I try to get them to sleep enough, and when they are too noisy/ticcy, to play in another room

IT's a vocal Tic and is nothing to worry about on it's own, try not to draw attention to it as that will make things worse.

My Ds is like this at 12. He uses the noises he makes as a calming mechanism, he is high functioning asd, he also has sensory issues, fluorescent lighting that flickers, crowds, noisy environments etc cause a flight response. When he was younger he used to hide under the shelves in the supermarket

Thanks again for replies :)

I suppose what I’m wondering is, at what point would/should I ‘do something’ about it/get it investigated?

If he’s generally happy and thriving, is dislike of noisy/busy places + vocal tic enough to take action?

Or is this just his personality?

My high functioning ASD boy is the same. He draws comfort from the tics which ebb and flow based on sleep and stress levels.

It might just be his personality or you might see more difficulties emerge as he gets older and the demands of life get greater. Ds didn't show any signs of ASD until he was 7 for example.

I’d potentially say it might be a pointer towards mild autism?

I would say there is no harm in seeking help, help at a young age can help you everyone with what works / doesn’t.

Can you approach the SENCO at school with your concerns?

All four of my children have had transient tics. All four had stopped by the age of 13. We ignored it and didn't draw attention to it. The tics became worse when they were stressed.

Very irritating though, especially the vocal tics. DD had a throat clearing one for what felt like a long time. Had to sit her SATs in a separate room.

None of them have Tourette's, but ASD and anxiety run in our family and I believe people with these are more likely to have tics.

There would be no harm discussing things with you GP. I think that if life is not very difficult for him then they might not proceed with a referral. But I am not an expert.

My ds was alot when I spoke to my GP about these things but it was because our lives were awful because of them. Getting out the house was so hard. Going to and from place was very difficult. My ds needs routine and if his routine was changed he couldn't cope. But now he is older and has all the strategies in place to make him happy he is ok most of the time. But socially he is different to most of the other kids his age. And school notice he is often anxious.

Does your ds need extra support at school? Does he struggle socially?

Derbyracer, no he doesn’t struggle at school or socially. He mostly plays with girls and isn’t into being sporty and boisterous like most other boys in his class, and I think he feels that difference and it makes him feel a little awkward at times. But he is still playing with other kids and he generally breezes school. Can be a handful at home, mind you...

Could be nerves. Lots of children develop tics which then pass. I don’t think you should go looking for a condition to ascribe it to.

With my ds tics appear when he is anxious and go when he is settled. It is not something his doctor would be interested in.

When he was really bad bad with OCD type behaviour my GP said CAHMs were only seeing extreme cases eg people self harming, very violent, suicidal. My ds was having problems going anywhere because he had to touch everything twice and going to the toilet all the time. He would go to toilet then need to go again and again and again and was impossible to leave the house. Also it was disrupting his lessons at school. But not bad enough to see anyone for help. So not sure tics is enough but you never know. It may be worth seeing your GP.

The only thing that ever helps my ds is reducing his anxiety and keeping him at home when not at school in very calm environment until he is better. His asd diagnosis is really only useful for school because he has problems there.

Breezing school (or masking....??!?) but handful at home with some anxious behaviour is a typical high functioning, cognitively able ASD picture. It doesn't sound like it's posing a problem though so might just be worth keeping an eye on in the future if things change.

You've just reminded me my son used to have an annoying throat clearing tic. He's grown out of it now. Although is starting the leg shaking thing. Like @TheFirstOHN also anxiety and ADHD in the family. But if my kids were/are autistic they don't require any further support. (We are all somewhere on the spectrum). So unless it causes an issue let him be.

We are all somewhere on the spectrum

No, no we are not, only autistic people are on the autistic spectrum, the clue is in the name.

Just another to say ds now 9 has recently stopped doing this. He did a funny throat clearing noise when he was tired or stressed. He also went through a stage of hating noisy places at the same time too. I think it started when he was 7 ISH and not sure when it finished..... We just ignored it and he stopped doing it so often.
Tbh in a way it was quite helpful in a way as we knew to ask what he was worried about once he started doing it!
I'm don't know about your autism worries but I have no other concerns with ds and he seems to have grown out of it with us largely ignoring it.

User147...

That's a really derogatory thing to say. Please don't ever say that again. We are not all on the spectrum at all. It's incredibly offensive thing to say. You are either autistic or you are not. When you are autistic, your differences fall on a spectrum as no two people with autism are the same.

All very interesting and food for thought.

Hard to tell what is personality/a phase and what could be more (I hate noisy places too!) but as others have said, since he seems fairly happy in his world at the mo, I’ll just keep an eye.

But if my kids were/are autistic they don't require any further support. (We are all somewhere on the spectrum).

I interpreted this as User147... meaning that their children have some autistic traits but have not sought assessment because they are coping. In which case they could possibly all be on the autistic spectrum. Not everyone with autism has received a diagnosis.

I might be wrong though (have autistic traits myself and am not always accurate at interpreting people's meaning or intentions).

Lots of people have autistic traits. That doesn't mean they are autistic and it certainly doesn't mean they are all on the autistic spectrum. The 'we are all on the spectrum somewhere' is the easiest way to insult everyone within the autistic community. It simply isn't true and minimises everything that comes with an autism diagnosis.

I completely agree that the statement "We are all on the autistic spectrum" when applied to the general population is misinformed, unhelpful and offensive.

Applied to one particular family, it might potentially be true.
E.g. My father (has never been assessed) is almost certainly on the spectrum. My daughter (strongly doesn't wish to be assessed) is probably on the spectrum. I (who have never sought assessment) would possibly meet the diagnostic criteria. My son (similar difficulties to DD, DF and me) happens to have a diagnosis of ASD, but only because he has been through the assessment process.

I don't know whether User147... meant to imply the first or the second.

Increasingly, I see people on Twitter who are self-identifying as autistic. If they are on the spectrum, then those who don't yet have a diagnosis might be too.