Hi! My name is Sarah and I have five children. I am here because my son, who is three years old, starting having tics out of nowhere about a month ago. I should backtrack a little to where I think that I started noticing something was "wrong" though. In June we started noticing severe tantrums, and some OCD type behaviors. Not anything about being dirty, but having to have things in a certain order. We went on vacation and these tantrums increased to amazing heights, with two or three a day. They lasted for an hour and there was no getting through to him. I think that he had a hard time because his three older sisters stayed home, and he was just with one sister (his twin). Things got somewhat better when we got home. The tantrums went down to once or twice a week and I was able to find out what some of his triggers were.
About a month ago, I started to notice that he would blink a lot. I knew it was a tic, as my oldest daughter also had blinking at the same age. Hers went away, although she does have a quiet vocal humming tic at age 11. I then noticed a couple of weeks ago that what I thought was just him licking his lips, was in fact another tic. He also shakes his head like he is getting his hair out of his face (which is what I orginally thought he was doing) was in fact a tic. He also does two different face grimaces that are very different from each other.
These tics came on very quickly. I would even say out of nowhere. They are severe, and non stop. Stress makes them much worse. His OCD behaviors are worse as well, as are the tantrums. I think that the tantrums are a direct result of the OCD tendancies being denied by me. He can't do something exactly like he wants and this causes a tantrum of severe frustration.
I am scared and overwhelmed. I have an appointment on Monday to start the process of getting him into a pediatric neurologist.
In the meantime, I feel like I need direction. Please, does anyone have any words of advice?
Things that were a big change five weeks ago would be:
The big girls all went back to school.
I stopped nursing him (a huge source of comfort).
We are starting to move him into his own bed after he falls asleep.
I have been busier with my job (midwife) and have had a crazy schedule.
I know that these are huge changes. His sister is handling them just fine. What can I do for him? How can I help him?
He has not recently had strep. He was born at home and has never had a shot. He has been on antibiotics once for two days before discovering he was allergic. Other then that, he has only had Tylenol.
