My grandson has recently developed a “tic”. His Mother took him to his pedeatrician and she said it was “just stress”. I am really concerned that it is more but I don’t know how to approach his mom about my thoughts. I feel like he needs more testing. I would love to send her this website so she could see Asher but I don’t want to offend her. Any suggestions would be so helpful.

When we had first gone to our son’s doctor when he was around 4 or 5 years old telling him about our sons vocal noises and excessive eye blinking and shoulder shrugging, he said to ignore it and let it be, so we did for about another year or so, he was officially diagnosed at age 7 with TS.  TS also runs in our family though, so I kinda knew what we were looking at.  It could very well be a nervous tic, but if it continues and gets both motor and vocal it could be TS.  I would recommend checking out the National TSA website http://tsa-usa.org/ or http://www.tourettesyndrome.net/, http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/brain/tour…, there are many other sites out there as well.  I have found many of them helpful when we were in the wait in see mode.

Please do not listen to this program/or Andrea morrison the so-called expert on Tourette Syndrome. There is a big difference between tics and nervous twitching etc. Locate a good pediatric neurologist-(make sure it is pediatric). Contact your local Tourette Syndrome Association. Have the child’s ped kept in the loop and in contact with the neurologist-they know the child longer, so therefore better. Make sure you go with your gut-top neurologists can make BIG mistakes-(like put children on HALDOL and not acknowledge side effects)> READ, READ, READ all you can-info on this disorder changes all the time-research is being done-more children are getting diagnosed hopefully correctly and earlier. Good luck.

This is for maryfinley,Hi my son Tristan is Ten now and was just dianosed with TS back in Feb. of 2008.He is alot like Asher.to be honest with you looking back Tristan started having symptoms of ts back when he was four but because I had never heard of it before well I thought my son was normal and just going through a phase.Well when he failed third grade because of his behavior and unwillingness to do any of his class work or homework I thought ok something is not rihgt and then the teachers were telling me he had a bad case of ADHD.Well I took him to the doctors and put him on the meds for ADHD and dang if he didn’t just get worse.Well I remember how I felt when they were telling me something was wrong with my son I was very angry and upset because he is such a sweet caring lovable little guy who at ten years old would give you the clothes off his back if you were cold.So what I suggest is to approch your doughter in law carfully but do it cause the child will be the one who suffers in the end if its not dianosed by a doctor before he gets too much further in school.We struggle everyday with school and get togethers and everything so get help for him soon.Thanks

My son cody is 11 he was diagnoised with Tourettes about three years ago.We noticed things when he was about 3 but the doctors said it was something we were not doing right.Cody only had a few tics,his problem was rage attacks.They used to get so severe that i was scared he would really hurt someone, mainly me.I was the one who got punched , kicked hands put around my throat. I did not want to put my son on medication but we did.I am so greatful for the medication Risperdione.Without that he was a hram to himself and others. The rage attcaks have settled down.He has the swearing tic which i have figured out if something may trigger that.The screaching noice has stopped.He seems more happy.Cody also has OCD and the hyperness of ADHD.He is a perfect angel at school, the neurologist said that some kids with htourettes will hold everything in until they are in their safe place like home and then let the tics and behavior all out.

Hi cicroft,
I just wanted to thank you for giving us the name of another drug to perhaps try.My son Tristan was diagonosed back in Febuary of 2008.Since then we have had him on Clonidine.Honestly I just don’t think this is right for him because his tics are just happening all the time still.We were like you we noticed things were not really right about the time Tristan was 3 or 4,but the doctors all said well this is just a phase and he’ll be fine but by third grade his tics were all over the place.He has every tic there is I think.He screams,snorts curses,jerks around to the point of what looks very painful,he picks at himself til he bleeds,then keeps on picking,and he has just recently started becomeing very frustrated and angry,I suppose this would be the rage.He also has OCD and ADHD aspects of TS.My heart hurts for him everyday he stuggles so hard in school and it’s just not fair.I would like for you to have my email address,maybe we could help one another out with some ideas or something.We truly feel so alone in this ,the doctors we have talk to us as if this is so common,but I have never known anyone else with such a disorder.Maybe our sons could become friends aswell,Tristan would be so happy to know someone else who knows about the same struggles.Tristan is 10 and will be 11 in June.Thanks agin,momrocks.w.bls@gmail.com We truly hope to here from you soon.

Hi Everyone,
I wanted you all to know that there is gonna be movie based on a true story of a young man “Brad Cohen” who was diagnosed with tS as a child and had lots of stuggles through out his school years.It will air on December 7,2008 this Sunday eveing at 9:00 pm on your cbs channel.Please have your family members and teachers and anyone else who misunderstands your childs condition to watch this program.Good Luck