darnellfamily04

Thanks everyone for your input:) I was talking to my family & was thinking back to the last time his tics got worse & it was over the summer. He played video games for two days with a friend who was staying with us. Since it was summer & he had a friend over I didn't put a limit to it. Normally he doesn't play for long periods of time but this occassion he did. He started immediately with a vocal tic. He noticed it & we talked about it & we both felt the video games set it off. He didn't play for a while & it stopped right away. He has never cared much for music (mp3 players & such) but since middle school, he has started listening to music with the earbuds & he has played video games most every day after school. No more than an hour a day (he's almost 13 years old & I let him 'chill out' in his room for the first hour after school to do what ever he wants to do before the hustle & bustle of homework & after school activities & chores & dinner start...you know the after school drill!) This week we decided against video games & music with earbuds. After two days of no electronics, he said it was so much better at school. It wasn't completely gone but easing off so much. You could see the relief on his face. On Sunday after church, it was raining so bad & cold, I didn't say anything to him when he got his game out. He played for around 30 minutes & I told him we needed to go to the store (only to try & divert his attention). I didn't want to seem like I was punishing him because he is a great kid & great student. After that few minutes of playing video yesterday, his head is bobbing so much again. I really think it has something to do with electronics. He has migraines & I have migraines & also had seizures (grand mal) as a child. Makes me wonder if it is too much stimulation for his brain to handle. He is not OCD about anything nor is he hyper. He is so laid back, like my husbad. The only other thing is his migraines & mild learning disorder. The school considers it a Specific Learning Disorder. Since middle school, he does not go to a resource class. His teachers say that they wish all of their students were like him. He makes 90's to 100 on his report card & no, he is not graded on a curve for the IEP he has. That just allows him longer on tests. Sorry to ramble on. We have dealt with it for so many years & always seem to get through it. I really thought it was something we had gotten through until now. Thanks:)

I couldn't get the video to load on my computer. My son also rolls his eyes as a tic. I was hoping to see if your daughters is similar to my son eye rolling. It looks painful to me when it happens alot. It comes & goes. My son has had tics for about 7 years, both physical & vocal. As he has gotten older they have gotten less but just a few weeks ago started up again in full force. I cut out all video games (he doesn't play for long periods of time as I don't allow that) but he does play some most everyday since the weather has been bad. We cut out the computer & video games & we could tell a huge difference in just two days. We went skating yesterday so we'll see how he did at school today (wondering if the bright flashing lights & noise will have an impact) He has also been sick with a virus so I am thinking that may have something to do with the tics getting worse, like your daughter. Does your daughter have allergies? Just wondering, my son does (seasonal allergies & sinus trouble). Good luck:)

My son is 12 years old and his tics have been 'under control' for two years. He has had tics since he was around 5 years old. They were terrible, vocal, head bobbing, chewing his shirt, yawning, and so on. The tics started showing improvement when we changed schools (after repeating 2nd grade) and getting him into a resource class for an hour a day. That helped with his reading skills, which improved his self esteem greatly. We could see a dramatic change in him from around age 8 through now. He started middle school this year and he is doing awesome with his school work & seems to have adjusted well. However, his head jerking has increased so much he is complaining of his neck hurting over the past several weeks to months. I thought my husband & I were the only ones who noticed. Last night he said a kid asked him what he was doing. He responded "I am rapping" (since his head was bobbing). I felt terrible for him. He said other kids were saying things to him too. My question is this: Does anyone see a difference in their tics when they take zyrtec? He has been taking zyrtec more lately for allergies. Thank you! Cortney