Tourette support - FIRST TIME HERE

Author

FIRST TIME HERE

LUVJROCCO

2004-12-28, 2:07 am

I have a son who I believe has TS, he has eyeblinking, jerking, vocal tics.
etc.... I have OCD.

I am very scared as my son is a happy, healthy, fun, loving, caring boy who
currently is in Pre School and leading a very normal active child's life.

What do I do?

2004-12-28, 2:07 am

"LUVJROCCO" <luvjrocco@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20041227231101.08086.00002671@mb-m05.aol.com...
> I have a son who I believe has TS, he has eyeblinking, jerking,
vocal tics.
> etc.... I have OCD.
>
> I am very scared as my son is a happy, healthy, fun, loving, caring
boy who
> currently is in Pre School and leading a very normal active child's
life.
>
> What do I do?

Maybe first be happy that he is a "Happy, healthy, fun, loving, caring
boy"!

Then, maybe a visit to a neurologist for an evaluation to see if he
really has TS.
If he does, learn more about it, ask questions, etc. Not all kids with
TS need medication.....so please don't be scared.
If anything, these days TS is more accepted and understood, and
well-treated and managed than ever before. It sounds like your son has
some terrific qualities that will more likely define who he is and how
his life goes than anything else!

Can you tell us more about him? You?

Welcome to AST.....

Jo

Sandy L

2004-12-28, 7:08 am

"LUVJROCCO" <luvjrocco@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20041227231101.08086.00002671@mb-m05.aol.com...
>I have a son who I believe has TS, he has eyeblinking, jerking, vocal tics.
> etc.... I have OCD.
>
> I am very scared as my son is a happy, healthy, fun, loving, caring boy
> who
> currently is in Pre School and leading a very normal active child's life.
>
> What do I do?

I'm with Jo on this; start out by treating him as a healthy, lovable child.
At some point, you will need to explain why he tics. As with most things,
explain it in small parts as questions come up or insert a small part of the
explanation where it seeems appropriate. Depending on the kind and severity
of tics, there may be no other accomodations needed. With other tics, an
explanation to the teachers may be in order. I was 59, and had been a
physician for 34 years before realizing that some of my odd mannerisms and
fidgets constituted TS; they never got much in the way. (My daughter broke
the news to me!)

2004-12-28, 11:12 am

"Sandy L" <hlmssl@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:gacAd.5410$qf5.3175@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> "LUVJROCCO" <luvjrocco@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:20041227231101.08086.00002671@mb-m05.aol.com...
vocal tics.[vbcol=seagreen]
caring boy[vbcol=seagreen]
child's life.[vbcol=seagreen]
>
> I'm with Jo on this; start out by treating him as a healthy, lovable
child.
> At some point, you will need to explain why he tics. As with most
things,
> explain it in small parts as questions come up or insert a small
part of the
> explanation where it seeems appropriate. Depending on the kind and
severity
> of tics, there may be no other accomodations needed. With other
tics, an
> explanation to the teachers may be in order. I was 59, and had been
a
> physician for 34 years before realizing that some of my odd
mannerisms and
> fidgets constituted TS; they never got much in the way. (My
daughter broke
> the news to me!)
>
>

Excellent advice from Sandy - I might add that you should probably
tell the Pre-School people to ensure that they do not in any way try
to make him stop his ticcing or vocal tics, and also that other kids
don't make fun of him....

Jo

Naomi

2004-12-28, 10:07 pm

Hey LOVJROCCO:

Welcome and I agree with Jo and SandyL. Explanations when necessary, and
let the rest go. Love him and accept him and from my side of the coin,
never let anyone tell him he's not good enough.

Naomi

"LUVJROCCO" <luvjrocco@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20041227231101.08086.00002671@mb-m05.aol.com...
> I have a son who I believe has TS, he has eyeblinking, jerking, vocal
tics.
> etc.... I have OCD.
>
> I am very scared as my son is a happy, healthy, fun, loving, caring boy
who
> currently is in Pre School and leading a very normal active child's life.
>
> What do I do?

LUVJROCCO

2004-12-29, 2:07 am

This is good advice. Thank you. I will talk to a doctor as soon as I get the
list of recommended ones in the Boston area. In the meantime I will tell the
teachers to not do or say anything regarding his tics as at this point they are
unintrusive to anyone (but him

). This is been such an eyeopener and is
all new to me even though I have OCD. I could hide that. I don't want him to
feel the shame or things I felt. I just want him to stay the same. What are
your experiences with tourettes?

2004-12-29, 11:12 am

"LUVJROCCO" <luvjrocco@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20041229022424.14202.00002265@mb-m13.aol.com...
> This is good advice. Thank you. I will talk to a doctor as soon as I
get the
> list of recommended ones in the Boston area. In the meantime I will
tell the
> teachers to not do or say anything regarding his tics as at this
point they are
> unintrusive to anyone (but him

). This is been such an
eyeopener and is
> all new to me even though I have OCD. I could hide that. I don't
want him to
> feel the shame or things I felt. I just want him to stay the same.
What are
> your experiences with tourettes?

I might be able to help you find someone in Boston - I used to run the
Boston TSA and be in private practice in that area....email me and we
can talk.

Jo

inventing

2004-12-29, 11:12 am

"LUVJROCCO" <luvjrocco@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20041229022424.14202.00002265@mb-m13.aol.com...
What are
> your experiences with tourettes?

My husband had/has TS. Don't really know how to phrase it. He had visible
tics when he was a young boy, got in trouble for them at school, was
misdiagnosed, and by the end of high school his visible tics were no longer
evident. He still has OCD, started his first med for it in the last 2
years.

My daughter has TS+, dx at age 10, though now that we are educated we
realize that we were seeing OCD by age 2, and tics by age 6 or so. She is
now 23, in college, living in her own apartment, supervisor at her job, and
doing well. She has tried various meds/ no meds at all/ vitamins ( Bonnie
G), to various degrees of success. Tics are ever present, but she handles
them and the people around her.

My experiences include anger, tears, relief, more anger and tears. I
worried constantly about her. Worried never got me anywhere or helped her.
She has had some tough times, but those times built amazingly strong fiber
in her. I got educated about TS/OCD/ADHD/LD. Now, my husband and I can
both say that we have few concerns about her future. She has a focus and
direction, a purpose to life, the confidence to overcome that is rare is
people her age. Dealing with TS has had a lot to do with that. Our younger
daughter, the "perfect student", the one the schools and society all expect
to do great things, is the one we have concerns about concerning her focus
and direction, etc.

My experiences with a.s.t. include seeing the people here as my lifeline at
times. Certainly a regular source of encouragement. The adults with TS,
who do a lot of lurking, are good at responding in time of confusion and
need. The "regulars" have lots of insight and websites. There can be a
poster now and then who seems to thrive on stirring up disagreements, but I
have learned to pretty much stay away from them unless they are being civil.

Welcome. Hope we can be of some help to you.

still inventing,
KC

Joanne

2004-12-29, 7:08 pm

"LUVJROCCO" <luvjrocco@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20041229022424.14202.00002265@mb-m13.aol.com...
> This is good advice. Thank you. I will talk to a doctor as soon as I get
> the
> list of recommended ones in the Boston area. In the meantime I will tell
> the
> teachers to not do or say anything regarding his tics as at this point
> they are
> unintrusive to anyone (but him

). This is been such an eyeopener and
> is
> all new to me even though I have OCD. I could hide that. I don't want
> him to
> feel the shame or things I felt. I just want him to stay the same. What
> are
> your experiences with tourettes?

Hi!
I have a 13 year old son with TS+. I knew he had TS since he's 3. He was
diagnosed in grade 8, only because his teachers started to ask questions.
Most of his teachers have been great with him. The worst for our family are
my son's rage attacks. But not all kids have the rage. In fact, I think most
don't. It's been a battle, read a lot of books but in the end it all boils
down to treating him as normal as you can and loving him for who he is. I
used to call Mat my little monster, and you know, I wouldn't have him any
other way.
--
Joanne
mom to Mat the Amazing!