I think my son may have (or on his way to having) Tourettes or at least some type of Tic disorder. He has always had some sort of "thing" he has to do for the past few years, but it never occurred to me until now that it could be something more than just anxiety like we always thought it was. Up until now it has always been just motor tics like chewing on his clothes (mainly sleeves), tugging at his clothes, picking at his skin, wiggling his fingers a certain way, etc. In the past week, though, he has developed his first vocal tic. He is CONSTANTLY clearing his throat. Typical of Tourettes/tic disorders, when he gets engrossed or interested in something the tic lessens, but when he is relaxed like when he watches tv or riding in the car, it picks up intensity.
He is now 10 1/2 years old going into 5th grade, but these things started when he was in kindergarten, maybe a little earlier. The first major one was the chewing on the sleeves, actually just chewing on anything, and that happened in kindergarten. Currently his tics are the throat clearing, picking at his skin (I have that tic, and have for as long as I can remember), and tugging at his clothes...mainly he tugs at his pants like he has a wedgie.
Tonight I started searching online b/c of the throat clearing thing, and brought up to my husband what I found about Tourettes, and he says I'm over reacting. He thinks that if it were really Tourettes then he would do the tics the same amount all the time no matter what he was doing, even though I tried to convince him otherwise. *sigh*
At what point do I take my son to the doctor? Should I even bother? He starts school on Thursday (I read that a lot of kids have tics appear just before school starts or ends b/c of anxiety) and I'm sure this new throat clearing thing will drive the teacher nuts...it sure drives me nuts and I don't have to sit in class with him for 6 hours a day!
Does anyone here have any advice? Any would be appreciated! Thanks!!
He is now 10 1/2 years old going into 5th grade, but these things started when he was in kindergarten, maybe a little earlier. The first major one was the chewing on the sleeves, actually just chewing on anything, and that happened in kindergarten. Currently his tics are the throat clearing, picking at his skin (I have that tic, and have for as long as I can remember), and tugging at his clothes...mainly he tugs at his pants like he has a wedgie.
Tonight I started searching online b/c of the throat clearing thing, and brought up to my husband what I found about Tourettes, and he says I'm over reacting. He thinks that if it were really Tourettes then he would do the tics the same amount all the time no matter what he was doing, even though I tried to convince him otherwise. *sigh*
At what point do I take my son to the doctor? Should I even bother? He starts school on Thursday (I read that a lot of kids have tics appear just before school starts or ends b/c of anxiety) and I'm sure this new throat clearing thing will drive the teacher nuts...it sure drives me nuts and I don't have to sit in class with him for 6 hours a day!
Does anyone here have any advice? Any would be appreciated! Thanks!!