Screaming!

[evemac]

Hi Everyone,

 

Within the last few months, my ticking son has gone from licking his lips (now either waning or substitued) to making little screams (little yips) or yelling one or two words at a time; it doesn't seem to manifest much at school thankfully, but I notice as the day goes on, it does seem to be more common. He also has sensory integration issues which unfortunately, is not an option for us as our insurance allowance has run out for the year. One OT says this is because he has not had the input needed throughout the day, and he just continues to wind up until the evening.

 

I have tried and attempted to use positive reinforcement if he would choose to do any number of things: Cover his mouth, scream in his pillow or blanket, go outside to scream. None of these things has worked.

 

My question is: Am I asking too much of a 6 1/2 year old? Is this a tick or is he choosing to do this? And if not, are behavioral sorts of modifications going to work?

 

Has anyone been able to be successful with this sort of issue?

 

Thank you in advance for your advice!

 

Eve

[Chemar]

Hi

 

screaming/shrieking/yelping etc is a tic and so is involuntary

 

probably the more he tries to control it the harder it gets to keep it in...as with all TS tics

 

he is likely suppressing during school and so having to let it out at home. having to suppress more at home would be causing extra stress and so the tic intensifies! Kids with TS really need to feel comfortable to release their tics at home if possible

 

maybe try to find some games he can play to let him yell and release?

 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can be helpful but at his age, honestly, I think may be too early

 

there is an amino acid supplement, L-carnitine that many of us have had success with for vocal tics, but as with all supps,and if he is also on meds, check with his doctor

 

also a good idea to keep a log to see if he is eating anything or coming into contact with any environmental triggers when the screaming intensifies!

[Fixit]

Please just let him scream...imagine how he feels about it already!!

i don't think at six he has much control yet,,,and if he has any don't waste it at home...

 

Before you start adding things, if i could suggest you get some tests done on yeast, fungi and bacteria...and i think that would start and when you get these done hopefully you have someone to guide you would be critiacal...i found it hard on my own and feel better in the hands of someone i trust....

i think chemar and caryn are very good resources to maybe start guiding you......

i'm trying to not look at the board so much...but i had to just give support for the little guy..

 

Have a great mother's day..!!

[sahm]

My 5yo has started a similar screech/yelp. It is confusing bc it seems like he is doing it on purpose sometimes (looking at me, smiling...yet saying he can't help it). I just let it go. It kind of phased out for the most part within a week for now but I only said something before the school performance (a few songs on stage) in a vague way about how it's important to stay quiet and listen to the teachers, etc. He was fine, just the blinking tics mostly. I agree with the other posters, treat it like a tic...

[faith]

I don't think there is anything one can do to really stifle the urge to tic, wether it be making a vocal sound or physical movement,....we deal with vocals here, and I know my son would be very uncomfortable if he had to stifle it. However, I do think it should be okay for gentle reminders of how to deal with it in certainl social situations. it may not always be possible, and that is okay, but sometimes just a reminder to maybe try and keep it low (if they can) while in class or at times when it would be more obvious to others. Beleive me, I know its not always possible, but we have been dealing with this for some years now, and I do see that my son can vocalize somewhat more sociablyy acceptable if he has to....If he couldn't , I certainly would not force him, I let him go at it in the house, but sometimes, one can't help but kind of give a little gently nudge to not sit forward in the back seat of the car and kind of screech in my ear while driving..... I think its actually good for them to be mindful of it if they can, it just promotes a more social appropriateness, even tho its not perfect, I see nothing wrong with developing social skills around their tics...if at all possible and the child is okay with it. none of this is perfect, but I do what I can.

[CSP]

I think the kids kind of figure that out as they get older too.

 

My son knows I would not allow him to watch a sports game with another family if they had invited him over. Only because they really did not know what they would have been in for had I said it was ok.

 

Now my son can go to the fire house and watch a game with all the other volunteers and he controls the volume of his vocal tics.

 

The only problem I have with him and he still get scolded for is, when he comes down stairs from his room after 10:00pm looking for something that he really did not need at that hour, making loud noises keeping his younger sister up. Now that makes me mad because he is welcome to do all his ticcing in his room after 10 with his door shut, and her room is on another floor with the door shut, she can't hear it and falls asleep just fine. This to me is just respect and at 16 he is old enough to understand his younger sister needs her sleep, and he could wait to get what ever was on his mind at that moment.

 

CP