Claire

Hi Chris, Everything you describe sounds like tics...have you asked your doctor? Anyway, there are a variety of tic syndromes, which range in severity. But whatever the 'label' some things really help. Is it possible to take your mother's advice (she sounds great!) and spend 1 week away from screens? We call it the 'no-screens' test here--we discuss it on the TV/computer thread on this forum. If you will read this link, you will see that 16 of 18 families that tried this saw significant improvement--and some had pretty severe tics, including vocal or motor. The no screens week means no TV/computer/gameboy/big screen movies. If they have them in class at school, maybe find an LCD monitor there, though it is best for no screens at all. My son used to use a typewriter for schoolwork, and now we got him an AlphaSmart for typing, cause it works like a word processor, with a very small screen and can plug into your computer to print. You can turn it into a word document and fix the fonts at the end, but most of the time you are off the computer. It would even fit in a backpack easily, it's smaller than a laptop. http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...p?showtopic=852 It takes a few days to start seeing results, thus the week trial. If the week shows a big improvement, then you can try the LCD monitor--it doesn't flicker like a CRT. Most think it helps, but I would try no screens first--then if it goes well, you can experiment with how much LCD time you can tolerate--you will know because the tics would increase again if there are issues. The food thing is tricky, you don't know if there is a reaction to the food until you take it away and the tics improve. If you have good insurance, there is a test that will tell you this. It is an IgG blood test for 150 foods. This sensitivity is super common here. Here is a survey thread--it is old, more families have shown this makes a difference since then. www.elisaact.com does this test. http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...p?showtopic=794 Also, there is a test for pyroluria at www.pyroluriatesting.com. If you give them your doctor's name--the doctor doesn't have to sign it in advance and you will both get the results. It costs $48 and is a urine test you can do at home, they mail the box). This site is all about people finding ways to reduce tics. The success rate is tremendous. But it takes commitment. My son's tics went away 100%. Others have been greatly reduced. It is hard to have to control tics--these ideas take reduce the urge. But it is too much info to just convey--I hope you read the threads. It is also individualized, but many common elements exist. Finally, removing artificial ingredients (preservatives, colors, MSG) can help too. It sounds like a lot, but if each week you tried something new, you would get there. Finally, there are specialist doctors listed in the thread at the top of the page that will see if you have vitamin deficiencies that may contribute. Usually the tics are aggravated for a reason. You CAN figure it out if you are committed. But it takes discipline. The cool thing is that if you have any other issues that often go with tics, e.g. ADD, OCD, anxieties, they can improve with it. And no prescription drugs are needed, with their nasty side effects. In fact, some drugs (e.g. Ritalin for ADD can actually aggravate tics). Good luck, and please post if you do try anything--whether it works or not, people here will have ideas. Claire

Helen, I strongly suggest getting a 15" LCD TV, not a 20". Believe me, you do get used to the smaller size--our whole family watches the small one, especially after no TV for a while. The photosensitive epilepsy sites (the experts on this trigger, though a different symptom) says that the smaller monitors greatly reduce the impact. As for the tests, they are at www.elisaact.com. Yes it is a blood test and your general practitioner/pediatrician won't know about it. But he can still order it. You just need to have your doctor (or a local lab/hospital willing to draw blood and ship it out of state). Be sure to line them up before having your child fast in the am and taking them in, we wasted a trip that way. They must have a centrifuge--the blood is processed after drawing it. Also, only do it MTW, in the am (fasting) so they can overnight it. No antihistamines or steroids before--don't worry, it is all in the instructions. Claire

Nancy, Yes, you can not notice symptoms when on gluten, then remove it, then notice them when you add gluten. We had only noticed excema with my son when he ate gluten, which improved remarkably when it was removed. But when we added it back in, it got him wired or sleepy. Tried it 3 different times until I was convinced. Not saying that is what it is, just that it could be. Our DAN doctor calls it masking--sometimes daily intake masks symptoms that appear clearly when withdrawn and added. The doctor at the food sensitivity lab confirmed the same thing re milk. Also, I think it is rare for someone to tic at the same rate everyday when exposed to a trigger anyway. So the variation in ticcing certainly doesn't rule out gluten by any means (nor does it confirm it of course). Just like the computer exposure. The bottom line is the only real way to know re the gluten is to remove it again--I forgot whether you had formal testing done to justify this. We love our gluten free bread and don't even miss it at all (a gluten-free house now) these days. Not true for everyone, and I think the bread is key. Claire

efgh, In addition to flossing and the sonicaire elec toothbrush (some say braun, we have both, but I like the sonicaire), and adequate Vitamin C which are fundamental... Folic acid and grapeseed extract in water. I got them for my mom, who empties the capsules in water and swishes it around. Her doctor agreed with the folic acid. Note I am talking about them in a rinse, not as supplements. Lots of sleep helps, or should I say lack of sleep hurts. I have a friend that swears by laser gum treatment/stimulation, but they simultaneously did the rinses. http://healthinfo.healthgate.com/GetConten...&chunkiid=21700 "Oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. A 14-day double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 40 people evaluated the potential benefits of a chewing gum product containing 5 mg of OPCs from pine bark. Use of the OPC gum resulted in significant improvements in gum health and reductions in plaque formation; no similar benefits were seen in the placebo group. "Preliminary studies suggest that folate mouthwash may help in periodontal disease. "Xylitol is a naturally occurring sugar that appears to help suppress the development of cavities when it is used in gum, candy or toothpaste. Highly preliminary evidence suggests that it may help prevent gum disease, as well." Claire

No, sorry, I will let the PANDAS experts comment there. But I would encourage you to investigate a possible zinc deficiency. Zinc is critical in fighting infections. Are you giving him probiotic 2 hours after the antibiotic to prevent yeast issues? Claire

Hello Robin! Well, Pfeiffer tests and treats for anxiety, OCD, and ADD (they don't claim to treat tics, but yes on anxieties...) They do a methylation/histamine test at www.labcorp.com (check out the thread with NTBown) and based on this can assess whether inositol, or 5HTP or whatever is best for your son. Plus they try to bring the histamine levels back in balance. They have an outreach clinic that goes around the country. You child is there for 2 hours then the rest is done by phone. Also, our DAN doctor had our son at the first visit, then he didn't have to go again. I really recommend this--they treat a broad range of symptoms just like Pfeiffer (you would need to call and do a phone interview first to make sure you don't waste a trip). My point is that with the combination of things he has, I think professional guidance is key. Did your naturopath do the pyroluria test at www.pyroluriatesting.com? Kids with pyroluria don't deal with stress well, it is a common underlying issue. Plus 30% of kids with ADD have it. Reasonable odds there. I have forgotten whether you tried a casein/gluten free diet or tested for other food allergies? Pfeiffer has a great site loaded with info. You can do a google search for anxiety there. http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/art...icles/walsh.htm The other thing is he may have adrenal stress, and there is a test at www.diagnostechs.com (I hope I spelled that right). Have you checked mercury levels? I seem to remember that you suspected your son had photosensitivity (when his tics were gone after a week at a farm or something) but no screens wasn't an option based on his temperament (I am personally convinced that the compulsiveness with OCD makes this even more difficult). Anyway, screens aside--since I know this wasn't his thing to try, the photosensitivity could imply vitamin deficiencies, yeast, mercury or pyroluria.... You haven't posted in some time, so I don't know what your naturopath treated for. I won't say more--if you are reading the posts, you must have all this info of course! Sorry about the anxiety! He (and you) sure have a lot to deal with. Claire

Natalie, 2 weeks of yeast treatment? Our DAN doctor had do 3 months of Nystatin before he retested. Also, I know their is some controversy, but Pfeiffer (and Dr. McCandless), though they do the hair test, say that kids who have issues excreting metals (e.g. they retain them too much) can show low on a hair test. So if it is negative, you might consider a blood test. Also, if he is undermethylated, I think DMAE is supposed to be bad for him. "If you can confirm the presence of undermethylation, the patient should benefit from (1) aggressive doses of l-methionine, calcium, magnesium, along with augmenting nutrients zinc, B-6, Inositol, Vitamin A & C and (2) strict avoidance of folic acid, choline, DMAE, and copper supplements". We are back to the methylation testing comment I made--Jennifer and I both had this test for our kids. http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/art...walshMP.htm#Met Magnesium is the most common vitamin deficiency, per our DAN doctor. If you want to be conservative, you can check out these 'standard' dosages by age, and of course ask your doctor! http://healthinfo.healthgate.com/GetConten...&chunkiid=21795 Claire

Hi Helen, Thanks! I found the same issue when he was at other people's houses. I like the plug pulling...must have saved a lot of arguing in the beginning! Glad to hear she is better again. Claire

Pyroluria can cause bad breath and body odor. We have discussed an inexpensive urine test for pyroluria at www.pyroluriatesting.com Claire http://www.mentalhealthproject.com/content...id_Content=1026 "Those with pyroluria often have weak immune systems and may suffer from frequent ear infections as a child, colds fevers and chills.The pyroluric patient can have *bad breath* and a strange body odour, a poor tolerance of alcohol or drugs, may wake up with nausea have cold hands, feet ,abdominal pain and skin problems such as acne or eczema. " I believe it is due to the B6 deficiency common with pyroluria http://www.diagnose-me.com/cond/C77232.html "Deficiency symptoms include pain and stiffness in arms and hands, painful 'knots' on the last joints of the fingers, headaches, bad breath, dizziness, extreme nervousness, foul-smelling flatulence, burning pain and cramps in abdomen, lethargy, dizziness, swollen ankles, an itching red rash around genitals, nausea, sore lips, mouth and tongue, and "showers of dandruff"." I just saw that food allergies can do this also... http://www.adhdnews.com/testforum/test33.htm "Foods most likely to cause allergic reactions include food colourings, flavourings, synthetic additives, wheat, dairy products, corn, yeast, soya, citrus, chocolate, peanuts, eggs and foods containing salicylates. When allergy is contributing to ADHD symptoms, there are often associated issues such as nasal problems, excessive mucus, ear infections, tonsillitis, digestive problems, bad breath, eczema, asthma, headaches and bed wetting. To test if food allergy is contributing to your child's symptoms, eliminate any suspect foods for two weeks and then observe carefully as you introduce foods one by one. Alternatively you may wish to consider a proper allergy test using the IgG ELISA method (cost ranges between £150-£300 depending on the number of foods tested and the chosen laboratory). " Anyway, tic syndrom kids often have these issues--just another indicator that an underlying immune issue may at least be an aggravating factor. Claire

Hi Helen, I do know exactly how you feel, this is hard work, there is no doubt about it. The fact that you have had such success this month is so encouraging, isn't it? As tricky as figuring this out is, now that you have somewhat of a baseline, it will become clearer and clearer. By the way, I was scare to try the LCD because my son's tics used to linger for a week after a CRT exposure. So I did it 20 minutes or so (that was enough for a half hour show since we skipped commercials, which are a waste anyway) every other day, then when he had no reaction, went to every day. By the way, I would like to add your success to the 'no screens' thread (I will mention the diet changes too of course). Can you comment whether the improvement in tics was 'major 'or 'significant'? (I know it must be at least somewhat significant for you to be so pleased). Can you judge it right before you reintroduces TV? Also, about how long from when you started till you saw noticeable improvement? Was it within the week, and after about how long did it take until the improvement seemed to stabilize? Usually people just go a week before trying TV again and I am very curious whether improvements continued past then or not (for us, it just took the week for all symptoms to stabilize). Did you start the diet change at exactly the same time? How did your child react to both changes? Advice to others on how to make it not seem punitive? And sorry, but I forgot how old your daughter is? I would really appreciate the feedback--as you know from experience, having that thread (and the food thread etc...) really helps new posters to have ideas of where to start where the odds are best for seeing fast results, so you will really be helping others. (Though in the end, the healing will take time, I had to accept that!). Thanks, Claire

Marina, I am so sorry that you are feeling so sad--I never see it in your posts. Marie also, my gosh, that is a lot of weight to lose. We must all take care of ourselves! I only have one child as you know and I have often wondered how I could possibly have been a decent mother to 2 children when taking care of this health issue, plus my workload (my income stream is definitely needed--my work is not optional). It seems like an impossible task yet look at these people on the board with multiple children! And Ronnas is expected a baby (#4) if you can believe it. By the way, it is not 100% smooth sailing here. I have a middle schooler just like Marina and the food restrictions and supplements at times cause emotional upheavals where I feel so mean and/or so irresponsible, depending on whether I held my ground or cave in that day. But I have an undying faith that things will ultimately be much much more livable for him for the long-term. Right now things are going fine. When I was at my lowest, prayer got me through. We have a thread on this--those of us who feel we got signs from God that it would be okay (my sign was an unexpected rainbow as I opened my eyes from prayer). My mom always says: 'Pray for rain, then go dig the ditch. ' That is how I am living this. In my case, I know that sleep and exercise are vital for me. So are my vitamin supplements--I think you all know I had the same tests as my son and my own immune system was worse than his! My yeast is still an issue--I can tell with an sugar I eat. I hope you take your own mult-vite and eat okay and sleep okay, and don't hesitate to vent here. As Chemar says, we have all been through it. Marina, if your son resists no screens, have you tried an LCD TV/computer monitor just to maybe minimize the impact? Do the stores let you try them for 30 days? Also, without a solid baseline and knowing the main trigger, it can be tough to assess the day by day things. It is just a shame that middle schoolers are so much harder to do all this with and meet their need for independence and freedom, they really are. Marie, How is your child doing with this long weekend? I thought your child was doing much better, are you still feeling worried, or are you more confident now that he is on the path to healing? Claire

Is this the same Robin that used to post here a lot (under the name Robin), but disappeared? The one with the husband familiar with molds? If so, good to see you again! If not, then welcome! In any case, I will be interested to hear about the Threelac, and I know Heather will also. Claire

Helen, Thanks for checking in again, I am really glad to hear your child is doing so well with no screens and diet change!! Big screen movies have flicker, just like CRT TVs. The normal TV has a light flicker at 60 hz, which the brain can see. They are a big photosensitivity trigger--since the screen is so large the impact is better. LCD screens don't refresh like CRTs. If you will search my old photosensitivity thread, I posted details on the technology difference. If you want to see the difference, then get a video camera and view a normal TV through it, then view an LCD TV (go to a store and try this). You can actually see the flicker that way, normally it isn't visible to the naked eye. I too was skeptical re the LCD being different. It was my husband's idea 2 years ago. Then I researched sites on photosensitive epilepsy and sure enough, the LCD just isn't the same trigger, due to no flicker (even if the naked eye can't see it). In any case, TV's should be viewed from far away in a well-lit room, and the smaller the better (the opposite of a movie theater). It doesn't mean your child can view unlimited LCD. Especially for animation, the graphical movement can be an issue. But it will make life easier while you solve the other immune issues that likely cause the photosensitivity. So, just eliminating TV/computer can help the tics, but the only way I know to get rid of the photosensitivy (eg. the reaction) is to treat the immune system. Heavy metals, yeast, vitamin/antioxidant deficiencies and pyroluria are likely causes. I have put together a summary thread on this which compiles this information. To answer your other thread, Great Smokey Lab's has a blood test called 'elemental analysis' for metals, our doctor likes this better than hair tests, because some kids with problems excreting metals won't have it show in their hair. www.gsdl.com I think your daughter's clear allergies to metals means she is likely to be more sensitive to them if she has too much in her system. I have the same reaction to metal jewelry by the way. Actually people say the more focused kids are on something, the less they tic during it. As for piano, a couple of us had issues when our child was more sensitive/susceptible to tics, and I assumed it was the graphics (lots of black and white) and visual tracking. I see no harm in trying a few lessons. Claire

I just have this strong suspicion that the metals are an issue. Also, if they are, then the yeast treatment isn't always successful. Please let us know how the post-treatment yeast results come back. I think you are doing this with a doctor, yes? You must be with all the tests you have discussed--I know they require doctor's signatures. Yes, as Chemar says, especially with the supplements--Jennifer made this point also. I think Jennifer and efgh put it best, focus on more testing versus the symptoms. As for schools, I think ones with most student interaction and movement are best, and the smaller classroom size is good also. But MORE important is a kind, nurturing flexible teacher. They can make or ruin any environment for kids who may need more TCL. I would delay a structured environment for long periods until elementary (e.g not daily preschool), but that is my bias. You can still teach so much at home. Claire

Oh yes, Earth Friendly products Parsley all purpose 'Kleener', Heather's Oxygen Bleach 'ajax' equivalent, and vinegar/water for the wood floors. Some citrus glass cleaner I can't find. My son used to be very aware of the 'smells' after the housekeepers left--hours later coming home from school, and he hated it. He no longer complains. Just put your sponges in the dishwasher at night, if you worry about bacteria. Claire

My son isn't a veggie eater either. We have a Hamilton Beach 350 watt from Target, which I like, except the mouth is small--good for brocolli stalks/carrots, but less so for other ones. I was too lazy/busy to exchange it when I realized this. Juicers do matter--they need to be powerful enough and not too noisy--I took us a couple rounds to find a good one. He gets 2 oz of broccolli juice, followed by a 2 oz carrot juicer chaser, following by a tiny sweet reward. I want to do others, but he is resistant. Lemon with sweetener will be great though. Claire

Natalie, (I think this is your first name) I know you have already done soooo much. Yours is probably the most challenging one I have noticed on the board. I would recommend 3 more things, which I don't think you have done: Labcorp.com methylation test. Methylation issues have been common here, with most undermethylated and some over methylated. Depending on which it is, it affects other vitamin plans--especially 5HTP and Inositol. One is good for the one and bad for the other, per Pfeiffer--we saw the correlation ourselves. I posted a link on this. Pyroluriatesting.com $48 Did you do this pyroluria test--sorry I forgot. It can affect the EFAs, depending on the situation. Spectracell.com $285 This will give you confidence in a vitamin plan for your child. More than this, it uncovers specific antioxidant levels. For example, maybe he needs certain B's, but the B6's worsen his yeast. Yeast detox could have been a contributor to the recent troubles--our doctor made us wait until his antioxidant levels were high enough. I think virtually everyone who used mag taurate uses it from Cardiovascular research. Claire

Hi Marina! It is indeed great to hear from you. I am sooo looking forward to our own summer vacation, though it is far away. No homework! Glad to know that you are learning more as each day passes. That was terrific wisdom that the time is best spent working with an ally than trying to change others. The one teacher you mentioned sounded wonderful. Good luck with your continuing efforts, and please do let us (and newcomers) know as we are all learning. If you ever read my posts when I started on this board--I only knew one thing coming here: his photosensitivity. I have learned so much in 15 months about the immune system--and am lucky to have a very good doctor who not only new a lot, but was open minded. I am not sure if you read, but my son saw a big screen movie recently (his biggest trigger) with no reaction at all, and his mercury is back in the normal range, and I am pretty sure they are related--maybe controlling the pyroluria also. Chemar, I always appreciate your expertise on supplements and of course your kindness and support to new posters. I am not sure if I ever mentioned that that iherbs site you showed me has benefitted our whole family. My husband had some energy issues and after scouring it and following the leads from there, I added 2 supplements to the plan our DAN doctor gave him (yes, he too had vitamin deficiencies), and voila--within 3 days he felt awesome. Also, I did research on cholesterol, and between the vitamins for that (no megadosing of niacin, don't like that) and the anti-fungals, his cholesterol is now just above normal, with an LDL/HDL ratio that is unbelievably good. (I can't say if it was the anti-fungal or the vitamins, but he is so pleased and totally believes me now!). What is really exciting is to see so many posters are giving back what they learn. This site has become so much more active over the last year. Sheila Rogers told me the page views per month recently, and though I forget the number, they are pretty phenomenal now. It really does take a village because we don't have a well defined path. Did you know that this Latitudes site was listed as a resource on the Jane Pauley PANDAS show web site? Claire

Marie, Can you tell me where you heard about lemon juice and carrot juice being good for detox? We juice carrots and brocholli (sp?) and I know my son would love fresh lemonade (I would used erythritol/xylitol/stevia to sweeten it). Maybe I will make lemonade popsicles! I know think Chemar mentioned lemon for colds...but what did you read about detox? That was such a nice story that you relayed on the other thread about your two children bonding more, etc... Alison, I agree re the internet... Oh my gosh, where would we all be without it? Did you know that a friend I know who just found out they had cancer had their doctor warn them not to do any research on the internet? Apalling! Talk about an obvious immune issue. Also, it sounds to me like either a high-control doctor or one who doesn't want to spend extra time on the inevitable questions. Anyway, for both of you, I really look forward to your updates. Even through some ups and downs, the forward progress is always so evident. I know for me the breakthrough wasn't knowing that a tic would never reappear, but rather knowing that if it did, that it would only be temporary because I now had the tools to figure it out. That was not 'the norm'. For the record, Jennifer is the one on the site who started discussing this in terms of the 'immune system' (her own research is phenomenal). Her putting it in that particular term (though others were doing just that) set off light bulbs for me. The PANDAS/autoimmune discussions are all a part of it--I read that OCD folks have more immune issues than any 'mental health' category. The food allergy commonality here was key too--I never realized until this past year that food allergies are an immune issue, nor that it was so prevalent. Of course, the path to rebuild an immune system is soooooo complicated. I am just hoping that the food sensitivities can also be resolved by strenghtening the immune system. Otherwise, either diets are always restricted, or the intestines are inflamed. Claire

Marie, You know, I think Alison is right in that milk was the most common food sensitivity here. I take it for granted, since I have read that milk is a common issue with kids with immune issues, but have you thought of trying no milk for a week. We just ran out and I didn't rush to replace it... just as with no screens, the people here who eliminated certain foods found improvement within a week. I keep thinking about that absolutely horrifying story about your neighbor's dog. And the impact on your son. Our children's nervous systems just weren't meant to handle so much stress. Fear is horrible, as is bullying, being pushed too fast in school by systems trying to now keep up with a global economy... I don't cry about my son's situation now, because things are okay, but I did have a dream not too long ago where I was holding him as a carefree 2 year old and he was so completely happy and chatting away without a care in the world. Somehow in the dream I knew it wouldn't last, so I just savored the memory and cried when I awoke for the pure joy that he used to have and now he is no longer sheltered in the real world and I posted on another board once, this song that moved my husband and me--it was part of a music video by John Denver where he showed a carefree elementary child skipping through a wheatfield to this chorus: "Yes and joy was just a thing that he was raised on Love was just a way to live and die Gold was just a windy Kansas wheatfield Blue was just a Kansas summer sky." It made me want to fill my son's free time with JOY as the antedote for the stress of school. My system isn't perfect, but I go out of my way to find joyful laughing things for him (laughter is the best medicine, yes?). For one, we got the Bill Cosby tapes--he is just so silly, if a bit corny, and he tells stories of when he was a child. Then we went on trails and he built temporary 'dams' in the stream, or dig in the garden. I went out of my way--and still do-- to set playdates with children that he seemed very happy around. Since I can't take him for treats, I am learning to bake with him using erythritol for a sweetener (sugar worries me due to his yeast)--that is a fun activity. I work from home, and even though he is in middle school, my small office has a corner for him to join me there on sick days (or after school when he is in the mood), and some activities. But then my son is an only child, so you may get this anyway with your son and his brother and now his new puppy! Alison, funny that you mentioned your considered the Friday/Monday off idea. I always wished my son could have Wednesdays off, eg. 2 days of school, 1 day off, 2 days of school, then the weekend. But no such luck. Oddly, when he gets sick, he tends to get sick on Wednesdays--I think I read his body clock correctly! We applied for a school once (he was accepted). We declined when I saw that they actually had a clause about tuition refund due to nervous issues. Clearly it was common there--my gut told me it was a pressure cooker, and that wording made it easy to walk away. Claire

I think that 504's are medical in nature. Also, my understanding is that they don't stay in the file forever, e.g. if the situation resolves by high school and you don't need it, it won't be on records for college applications--should this even be a concern for you. Like Chemar, I am all for them if that is what it takes. I believe your child is only in 1st grade? Well, I would indeed consider pulling him from school for a week and seeing the contrast in his stress and tics (assuming that he won't want to be watching TV for hours again, given what appears to be a sensitivity there). Many kids miss school for a week at that age--parents go on vacation, etc. You can bring home a homework packet to make sure that he keeps up. Anyway that you can sit in for the day? e.g. help in the classroom and observe personally? (Is it a public or private school?) It doesn't sound like your school is bad, but a day in the classroom, or a week away might let you see. I know you had the winter holidays, but I think you were still doing screens a lot then, so you didn't have the information you do now. You are lucky to have an ally in the TA. I found that my night-time observations gave me enough info to tell what the tics must have been like during the day. However, it didn't tell me what transpired during the day. Claire edited: It occurred to me: Did the TA notice this on the day that the teacher let him view TV? If so, the explanation may be simple (remember, the impact for my son would linger for up to a week). Regardless though, I personally would sit in for a day at a minimum to check out his comfort (and yours) in that environment.

Alison/Marie, I had the same reaction as Alison about the teacher and the TV, but refrained from commenting! This may or may not have been the best decision (given the last trauma when he got pulled off TV in school) but what really matters is that as a parent, you have a total legal right to set the terms re screens. Given what happened, I recommend that you talk to your son and come up with a plan that is agreeable to him when there is TV time at school. . e.g. for 20 minutes once a week, leave him in (or not). Otherwise, perhaps he goes to a corner of the room and doodles and 'listens' (that's what we did--in elementary school, the kids knew that it gave him a headache--no one cared. Everyone had something in elementary school, allergies or whatever). For a full length movie, we brought in the LCD monitor for the day, as I mentioned. Even once you have a plan in place, don't assume it is being adhered to. e.g. if you start to notice an increase in tics, ask him non-judgementally if he watched TV or worked on the computer at school. And yes, the junk food in elementary school never ceases to amaze me. They always rewarded with junk in ways I never did. Didn't want to train my son that way, even before I knew about junk food and the potential impact on the neurological system. I had the same reaction to the doctor's comments also. We are so careful on this board not to 'diagnose' people, and yet here a professional is throwing such things out. When I told our doctor about the TV/tic reaction years ago, he said maybe it is a brain tumor!!! I went home and researched tics + tumors and found no connection. It is like they are thinking out loud about things they aren't experts in, and don't realize the emotional upset they cause--good intentions aside. Claire

Marie, Don't worry about the seizures!! People always say that about tics, and yet I only know of a couple of cases of all the posters on two boards where it was an issue. You would know if he 'spaced out' for periods of time. Also, especially with the TV trigger/photosensitivity, the seizure comes up because all the medical community knows about is photosensitive epilepsy. If that were the case, for the amount of TV/computer so many of these kids have had, they would all have had seizures by now. Remember, 8% of the NON-epileptic population is photosensite. I posted a study on this. Really, this is nothing to worry about. I am sure that the neurologist will give you piece of mind on this one. Claire

Hi Arthur, If you do a google search on Latitudes, there are actually many posts here on mold. The site search engines are not nearly as good as Google--they miss a lot. Even so, the posts are buried, and it is ALWAYS important to hear from more people on it. Our doctor says yes mold can hurt the immune system. I believe that he ran the Great Smokey's CDSA (stool test) on our son to determine this, but he was okay. Thanks for the info on shampoos--I was just about to buy some more and will now get it from Whole Foods instead of the drugstore. Claire ps Our doctor says that mold is a big source of lawsuits these days, because of its toxicity.

Thanks for the post Arthur. Our doctor believes that molds in the home are a big cause of much neurological and/or mood issues. I can imagine the impact on tics, but it is good for people here to hear your testimonial on it. We had lumber mold on new beams that were put in (I thought it was water damage, didn't know it was mold). We tried diluted bleach and it helped but came back. Then we did 100% concentrated bleach and it completely got rid of it. A mold expert advised us to do bleach. Sounds like you are doing a lot of great things, thanks for sharing! You might check out what others here are doing--in case any of them make sense to you. Claire