Eye tic skipping words when reading - does it happen?

[Tiger]

Hi my son is a fluent reader. He has had eye tics in the past but they haven't effected him in any way.

 

Since April has been skipping the small words when reading. I just ask him to try the sentences again and then he could read them.I've also notice some tics have come back eyebrow raising tic and eye wobble - but they arent apparent when reading.

 

He is aware that its happening but cant seem to do anything about it. He says 'its just something I do'.

 

Before I'd chalked it down to either a processing type spurt in his development/ growing etc. and not concerned myself too much about it.

 

 

Its been happening for 2 months now and I'm starting to wonder if there's more to it.

perhaps its connected to an eye tic of maybe a brain tic - if there is such a thing? His eye tracking is definitely under some kind of stress.

 

I do my best not to talk about it but the fact that I keep reminding him to re - read sentences is probably enough to make an issue of it.

 

Yesterday he told me that when he reads the words get muddled in his head and he cant say them.

He also said he doesn't see the small words.

i did my best to reassure him in several ways one was to state that his reading wasnt always like this and it might go away.

he said its like it every day for him: at school in, class work and when reading books to himself.

I think I made the mistake of saying 'its ok..... it'll go back to normal soon'.

To which he yelled back 'this is my normal! '

This made me feel so sad for him

bad mum moment.

 

I spoke with his teacher today and she finally acknowledges he's been skipping words. I asked if he could be screened for dyslexia but perhaps I'm doing a knee jerk reaction here.

 

Just feel I should try and help him. I thought he was just fed up and bored of reading. I realise now why he's not been keen. It's really getting to him and I'm concerned it'll have a negative effect on his passion to read in the future.

 

Its so hard to get the balance right, how much attention should we give to this issue....maybe this issue will just go away.......

 

x

 

 

[Chemar]

Hello Tiger

This may have no relevance but just wondering if he has had a detailed eye exam?

 

Hopefully someone with more experience in this area will be able to give you helpful info.

[Tiger]

Hi Chemar - Yes when his eyes ticced 2 years ago he saw seen by the eye clinic. Good vision etc. nothing to explain the involuntary movements.

 

Well today i'm less concerned about his reading and more about his tics - its seems they have been unleashed with full force. Feeling sad as I thought we'd manage to control them.

After 2 years of being screen free ( apart from at school) we'd allowed him to watch TV (the trigger) more recently over the last month.

We hoped it was no longer a trigger. Viewing seemed fine, he even watched a whole film on one go and then the occasional 5 mins of football. But today he literally sat down on the sofa looked at the football on the screen and boom - eyebrow raising, eye roll, head flick, body twist combo! followed by lost of eyebrow raising and head flicks

 

Oh just wish there was a medical test for photosensitivity or whatever it is about screens that trigger his tics. Our TV dosent have refresh rates as its plasma so it cant be that????

I do worry he if this isnt about tics and maybe he has a type of epilepsy. Its seems that out of all of them eye and eyebrow tics aren't very common but maybe no body write about them?

[Chemar]

Have you looked into Irlen Syndrome? or other such photosensitive parameters?

 

 

Here's the website for Irlen .

http://irlen.com/

[Tiger]

ah yes. its good to have hunches backed up by someone else - thanks Chemar and thanks for the link.

the dr. at the eye clinic scoffed when i mentioned Irlen syndrome and photosensitivity. He said the NHS (uk) doesnt have money to investigate such possibilities.

i found private specialist but they said it was best to wait until he was over 8yrs . So being only 6 at the time therewasnt much I could do for him - except avoid the screens. Think I'll arrange for him to be assessed now that he's 8.

Have you heard of anyone with irlen syndrome having light associated tics?

[Sheila]

Hi Tiger, To answer your question about Irlen Syndrome, works a lot with photosensitivity. See this link here. (hope it works, let me know if not please)

And yes, it has been connected to tics. This shuld be worth looking into.

 

I've seen some of your other posts and I know you have already made some excellent efforts for your child.

 

Please see the information on REPREEVE (there is presently a thread above yours, and here is an article from our recent newsletter about REPREEVE. I'm sure if you contacted them they would be happy to send a trial set to you, since it seems to help some people with eye movement (and tics) Are you in England or Australia?

 

Those are simple places to start. Do you have access to professionals who could explore assessments to look at imbalances or toxicity that might be partly responsible for visual hypersensitivity?

 

There should be a way to get a handle on this.

 

 

[Tiger]

Hi Shelia thanks for the info.

Repreeve looks interesting. Its wonderful to hear that people have had good results with it. I'll see if they deal with the UK.

I cant locate any professionals who could explore assessments for my son. Our NHS professionals arent interested any my son at all.

2 Years ago I finally tracked down a doctor I heard about who specialised in PANDAS/ OCDs/Tic disorders - Daniel Geller.

I was so glad to have found him but when I rang the clinic they told me he didnt practice anymore. I felt so disappointed and hopeless after that I gave up of looking for specialists.

What kind of specialist assess for imbalances & toxicity levels associated with visual hypersensitivity? I'll try and do a search online.

Thanks.

[Tiger]

opps not Daniel Geller - got muddled up with all the Dr. i've looked up so many seem to have the name daniel- anyway I suppose its irrelevant now

[Sheila]

Hi Tiger, for practitioners in the UK, I hope this list could help--please scroll down in this thread:

 

http://latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=24266

 

Let us know if you find any help with this list, OK? Hoping so!

[Tiger]

I emailed Repreeve straight away but haven't heard back from them. Are they still around?

Thanks for the Uk list. I will try and look some up.