8 Year Old Boy - Nervous Tics/noises

My 9 yr. old step-son does the same thing. He started this at a young age with repeating words. I just constantly remind him the stop, he doesn't reallize he does it either. I have to make him see what he is doing to stop it. Usually changing the pace, giving him an activity to do will stop it for a while.
With him I truly think it is boredom. At his moms he constantly plays video games and has since he could hold a controller. We don't have any games here at all. It seems he just doesn't know what to do with himself without playing games.
Good luck and let us know what happens.

My friend's daughter does that and she has Rhett Syndrome, there is a blood test that can be done to confirm the diagnosis. keep going till you find a doctor interested in finding an answer for you. How long has he been doing this? recently or for years?

hi P.. i just wanted to say that i sympathize with your issue and that i will be praying that God will heal your son of this issue. As the Bible says, by the stripes of Jesus we are healed, no matter what the condition. i pray that God will bless your family.

Please don't take this as a diagnosis, but my daughter's friends older brother has a form of autism called asbergers (sp?). He makes the noises and sounds and they have been told it is part of the disease.

I would recommend seeing a neurologist. Not sure if you have to get an approval from your dr before insurance will pay for it. My son, who is 7, was just seen by one because we took him to the dr for eye rolling. They first did an EEG, which measures the brian waves. The next test was an MRI. Both were normal. THANK GOODNESS! Between the tests and appointment he started these whole body jerks. After the neurologist evaluating him she came to the conclusion he had tics...there are two types...movement and vocal. These are not Tourettes although it can turn into them. She also said there is not a cure...they can either go away or get worse. The medication is just to control them. My son had the movement tics and she put him on Clonidine (half a pill at bedtime). He also had trouble going to sleep at night and this has helped him SO MUCH with that and the movements. So far...no jerks or eye rolls since the medicine has been in his system. I am so glad he started on the medicine before school or it would have became a bigger problem. I didn't see where you were from but if you want you can email me (____@____.com) and I can give you the name and number of the neurologist my son has seen. WE LOVED HER! Hope this has helped you some.

I would look for a doctor/therapist who specializes with Tourette's, maybe they have seen this before in other children and have some advise also where to go next. I know of a child that does similar things and we always suspected slight autisum. he functions just fine in every other way and is incredibly intelligent. But sometimes gets "stuck" on a noise or phrase for a long time. Repeating it constatantly like he doesn't even realize he is doing it.
I would avoid the medicine route until you are completely sure of what is going on.

have you tried irnoring the behaviour incase it is attention getting? Sorry I can not be more help.

Have you requested a neurology referral?

It's a proven fact that boys 'make noise' (little girls only say WORDS, but 30% or more of 'noise' that boys make is just that -- noise such as burping, growling, grunting, vroom-vroom, SCREECH [to a halt], etc).

Does he seem to WANT to quit the noises? It could be that the more attention you pay to it the more it occurs --either because he's already self-conscious and nervous and it makes him do it more (like a nervous habit) OR because of the attention it evokes (maybe even subconsciously).

I'd recommend having (or getting) him involved in more physical and/or mental activity (not just pure entertainment such as music, TV, videos, video games, etc), and try complimenting/encouraging him when he does something admirable. If he's 'on board' about stopping the noise, reward him for a period of time WITHOUT any disruptions and as the time gets longer, make the rewards less frequent but more worthwhile.

My daughter was just diagnosed with chronic vocal and physical tic disorder. She is four. A child can have tics like Tourette's and not be classified as Tourette's for a variety of reasons. The tics must be both physical and vocal, present for at least one year without a period of absence for more than 3 months. However, the tics do seem to wax and wane and often one tic is present to later be replaced by another. It is also common for them to pick up on environmental noises that then become a tic (a cough or barking dog).My doctor did not diagnose Tourette's because so far she is not OCD or ADD (often associated conditions). However, the tics are still the same as with Tourette's. I guess my point is that if it is truly a tic it is uncontrollable. My doctor said that it is caused by an excess of dopamine in the brain. Discipline, behavioral therapy etc. are ineffective because it is out of the child's control. They are also often unaware that they are even doing it, although they can suppress them temporarily but eventually they will be expressed and possibly with greater intensity. My doctor recommended ignoring the behavior so as not to make her feel self conscious or create more anxiety. He said that he would only treat with meds if the tics caused her physical discomfort or if it became a social issue for her.

I videotaped her to show doctors and it took us nine months and 5 specialists before we finally got a diagnosis. They all said the video tape was extremely helpful as it is hard to describe or imitate. Pay attention to when they intensify and when they subside. Is he anxious, excited, tired. Are the noises rhythmical or random. I have worked with many kids with both sensory disorders and autism and the noise making is different than my daughter's tics. I would also recommend a consult with a good pediatric neurologist.

Hope this helps and sorry to ramble. Feel free to email me directly at ____@____.com. I have been considering a post myself regarding this issue, just looking for support or someone else who understands. Good luck!

L.

Have you thought about it being a sensory issue. My 5 year old has some sensory issues, along with a mood disorder and probably hyperactivity. He makes noises sometimes just to make them. I am not entirely sure he can help it, but sometimes I can remind him( more than once) and it will stop, but be replaced with something else sometimes. Also my 12 yr old has a habit of biting his nails and he has ADHD and a mood disorder. He also has general anxiety.
I don't know if that helped any, but I thought I would let you know. Have a great day!

Hello,
Has your son had any developmental delays? If so have you looked into the fact he could have a mild case of autism? I have a 10 year old brother who has autism. He does the same thing at times. This could be a possibility.

Go to a homeopathic doctor...THEY CAN HELP!!

My first instinct was Tourette's, which you have wisely already ruled out. My second thought, as Amy suggested, is an OCD behavior. He may also be showing signs of Autism. Does your son have any other unusual behaviors? Does he seem to be compulsively neat? Do books have to be on the shelf in the same order? Is he the one who always knows where you left your car keys? These could be indicators of either of these disorders.

The first and best source for information is your pediatrician. Many doctors, however, are not sufficiently current on psychological/neurological disorders such as Tourette's and OCD. If you do not feel you doctor is providing you with satisfactory answers, consider a psychologist. Your area has some very good child psychologists who specialize in behavioral psychology. Talk to your doctor. See if (s)he can recommend one. If are reluctant to do so, check into it on your own. It may be just a phase your son is going through but, considering the possibilities, it is best to be sure.

Good luck.

Does he do this in public? Has this been going on for a long time? Do you have a developmental clinic where you live? You may want to talk to them and tell them what you're experiencing. It could be a hearing issue, a sensory intergration issue (an OT could help with this). If at all possible try not to pay too much attention to it, as I am sure you know this reinforces the behavior. Good luck.

P.--Hi, Hope you are having a good day. I don't personally have experience with this type of behavior but I do know someone through my sister who's son does something similiar. I was told he has OCD and the noise was part of his ritual. I don't know if this could be a possibility but you could look into it.
Hope you find some answers
Peace

Hello my son has the same problem he has been diagnosed with OCD Mild autism and is Bipolar. He trades in his Tics is what we call it. When one is done a new one comes and until it is out of his system it keeps going. It took almost a year but his psychiatrist finally got the medications right All children are different and different forms of medication is needed for each child. You just have to be patient and have faith the Dr's know best. The ped did not help matters but the psy did. It is much easier on the child when it is all lined out. Just dont give up on the Psych . It took us awhile to get it right and it was well worth it. He is actually enjoying school this year instead of being made fun of all the time.

I was just reading about bipolar disorder, and ADD, which my son has. It is odd I just read this, but it said that if a child has ADD or bipolar and is on Ritalin, that sometimes they will develop ticks.

Also, my friends son has Tourette's Syndrome and he developed ticks, but his medication seems to control them now. He is grown now also.

I hope not to offend anyone, but does anyone never just think that thats a normal kid? My 11 yr. old daughter does some of these same things. True, she has ADD, but my nephew doesn't and he is more noisy than any kid I have ever seen! I would be leary of tagging my kid with a label until all normal possible causes such as attention issues or boredom had been ruled out. Maybe discipline the kid when he does it and see how that works out. Sorry if this is offensive, but to many kids go too often to meds when parenting techniques can help more. I didn't even take my dd to the doctor until her grades started slipping and schoolwork was taking a lot longer to complete. I homeschool so I caught the difference in her behavior and such before it got bad. Some of it she could control and discipline went a long way in helping her do so. She is on the lowest dose of Ritalin possible and doing great. I know in my heart though that if I would have taken her to the doctor first she would be on a higher dose by now, and not have the self-discipline to try to help herself. Give the child a chance to grow out of some of this, and learn to control himself instead of the easy way out with meds. All of the meds could cause more serious problems down the road. I worry that with all that us parents, especially moms, have on our shoulders at any moment, we are to willing to opt for the easier ways to deal with fairly common behavior problems. I love all kids and worry that maybe we in America overmedicate. Maybe he is just a noisy little boy and gets bored sitting around and needs some noise or attention to break the monotony. My dd does that a lot. She blinks a lot, pops her wrists a lot, clears her throat a lot, fidgets a lot, and hums a lot. She doesn't have anything except ADD, and is easily bored. He will more than likey grow out of some of this given time. My dd used to bark all the time, especially at the neighbors dog. It's like they are in their own little world at times. He's a kid. It's a weird kid thing most of the time...teach him a little self-discipline and see how he does. If it doesn't get better, then make the appointment. I hope he gets better soon without meds. I know it can be annoying to you, my dd drives me nuts sometimes too...lol!! I really do feel for you! Hope this helps you.

I was reading about our son and wondered if he still is on any medication. If so did the unusual tics, and noises get worse or stay unchanged. There are certain medications that bring on these tics as a side effect (especially ones for ADD/ADHD). Or, did these start after a fall or hit to the head or body? It could have been weeks ago or months before the tics, and noises started. Or did it start without any fall? It is possible that he could have a misalignment in his neck that is causing the tics. I am a chiropractor and had a teenager who had tics start after playing football. He didn't actually have an injury but the constant tackling misalgined his neck and the eye tics started. After several adjustments the tics subsided and then disappeared within a two week period. I would suggest having him evaluated by a chiropractor in your area. I would try and find a chiropractor who specializes in children. You can search for one at the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association's website (www.icpa4kids.org) Good luck and feel free to contact me if you have other questions.

Dear P. -

My nephew has this problem. My mother happens to be a psychologist in Nicholasville. She first suspected he had tourettes but after more 'investigation' she is convinced he has OCD (Obessesive Compulsive Disorder). Once she talked to him more she started pointing out some other symptoms that were not typical. If you are interested I would be happy to put you in touch directly with her - or I know a wonderful therapist in Lexington named Marthanne Manion. That is who my mom recommended to my sister since mom couldn't see her grandson as a patient. You might want to check on that as a possibility. What's funny is - my nephew is terribly messy and disorganized - not typical of OCD. The problem is he gets so 'focused' on something everything else turns to mess around him - so if he's focused on picking his guitar he doesn't notice the clothes spilling out of the clothes basket...that kind of thing.

I recently read a book called "No More Allergies" by Gary Null in which he attributed several things (including tics like you're describing) to sensitivity to foods or other allergens. Basically, not every "allergic reaction" is going to be eyes swelling shut or hives, but can manifest itself in different ways. It might be worth checking the book out of the library (through inter-library loan, if your library doesn't carry it), and see if you can find the source and eliminate it. Basically, though, you can have your son keep a food diary to see if there is a correlation between when he drinks a bunch of milk (for example) and his noises get worse. Since you haven't gotten any help from regular doctors, I'd definitely look into alternative reasons for this problem.

I believe this is called echolalia. You might google on that and see if it matches up with what your son is doing. This could be a symptom of high functioning autism or allergies can help to cause this also. If he doesn't do this at the doctor's office, be sure to tape it at home and show them the tape.

Homeopathy might help. Also, you might consider getting a complete diagnosis at Developmental Therapy Associates (DTA) and they will make recommendations as to what will help. I have heard Berard's Auditory Integration Therapy (AIT) can help sometimes.