I Think My 6 Yr. Old Has Some Sort of Tic Disorder

My 9 year old son recently started showing some facial tics - he kept looking like he was winking at me, then would twitch his nose and make a little twitching motion with his mouth. It lasted about a week or two. By the time we saw his pediatrician later that same month for his annual check up, he had stopped the behavior but I brought it up anyway. His doctor said that it's probably a reaction to stress or anxiety and to just keep an eye on it. It was December so he was pretty keyed up about Christmas, school projects, hockey, and my husband and I were arguing a lot so I think he was just stressed. It was a good reminder to me to lower the stress levels in our household.

Anyway...it may be a passing thing or it may be a stress/anxiety response that comes and goes. Many kids display tics at some point or another and most grow out of it.

I am in no way a doctor or an expert on this, so take this with a grain of salt.

Your son sounds a lot like my friend's daughter. She is six years old and was diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome last year. Like your son, she has had a variety of tics over the years, with each one lasting a few weeks or a few months. Sometimes she is tic free, but then new ones start. Hers also are often related to her nose (a snorting sound) or her mouth. She did also have problems with her sinuses and had surgery to remove polyps, which helped a little bit, but was not the root of the problem - it was just the root of that particular tic.

I would definitely talk to the pediatrician, but you may also need to see some specialists. An ENT might help, since they do mostly seem related to the mouth and nose. You may also need to see a neurological doc of some sort.

The good news - she is in first grade, functions wonderfully and doesn't have any social problems. The tics are noticeable, but she doesn't get teased or anything by other kids. She lives a totally normal life and is a very happy little girl.

Hi C.,

I have a nearly-seven year old boy and yes, noises and weird affectations happen. We have had more than one throat clearing phase, weird sniffing phases, odd wiping of the nose, all sorts of stuff. My sister has three boys and she says that just when you get used to one oddball sort of thing, another completely different thing comes along (weird atonal humming, odd noises, etc.). There's the compulsive licking of the lips, or raking their upper teeth over their lower lip.... etc. I've seen it all as a nanny (in my former life) and preschool teacher and as a mom. I wouldn't worry too much. Kids just do this stuff and move on to other things.... LOTS of kids (without any Tourette's diagnosis) do this. Please don't worry too much.

Oh, and the more you talk to them about it, the longer it lasts! Hang in there!

I would read about PANDAS or PANS. You may want to ask your doctor about that (involves strep).

I'm amazed that people accept tics as relatively "normal." I never knew anyone with a tic when I was growing up and now it seems like I constantly hear about kids with tic issues.

Tics can be very frustrating for kids, especially when they have to sit at school all day trying to control them (which is one reason why they can be worse at home). Also I would not call much attention to a tic with my child - that only makes it worse. It's like someone asking you to not clear your throat - you suddenly have the urge to do it.

Again, read about PANDAS (or PANS) and see if it may apply to your child.