Calendula - Son may have Tourette's

[ChaneyLakegirl]

I'm so sorry to hear about your son. I went through alot of behavioral, not sitting still kind of stuff with my youngest. (She didn't have touretts). But it broke my heart to when I would see her in school just not being able to sit. They too thought she was ADD and she ended up on medication despite how long I put it off. In the end it seemed to help her. I wish I would have known more about diet modification and things like that back then. I still don't think she had ADD, but something of an anxiety problem and nerve delay transmission in her brain.

I too would hold off on the medication if I could, especially since you are exploring other options. Hang in there. It sounds like you are really trying for your son and being supportive. In the end, those are the most important things.

I will keep you and your family in my thoughts.

Hugs

 

[calendula]

Thanks ChaneyLakeGirl, it is nice to hear from other people who have had similar problems. It's so frustrating! Especially since he isn't this way at home. Don't get me wrong, we have had our moments! But at home he is always busy. We're cooking something, taking care of the chickens, playing games, running errands, etc... At school he's just sitting there, and he can't stand it. He loves to move! But I realize that sometimes in life, you have to sit still and be patient, so I guess we need to work on that. I just wish school wasn't so much about sitting and reading out of a book, but more about doing things and experiencing life. :/ I know that reading, writing, and math are very important and necessary skills that everyone needs to learn, but the way it is taught just doesn't mesh with my son. He gets it, he's just bored with it.

 

[lorihadams]

My son is very active as well and that is one reason we chose to homeschool because he just has to move. He loves for me to read to him but he has to be allowed to move while I'm doing it....he is required to stay on the couch or the bed during the whole book and for now we have had to focus on books with lots of pictures, even though he could handle chapter books they just aren't visually stimulating enough to keep his attention for now. I did manage to read Charlotte's web to him but there are lots of pictures in there....more than some chapter books.

We don't do worksheets or busy work much. From time to time I do require him to write some and do some math worksheets but he does most of that stuff on the computer or with counters or blocks but always something that allows him to move. At the elementary level it is easier to homeschool and if it is possible you may want to do that until you get the situation assessed and under control. It would be better for his self esteem to put him in a situation where he was encouraged and embraced instead of forcing him to conform to a situation where his body just can't cooperate. Even if you had teach in the morning for a couple hours and then go to work part time in the afternoons and have someone watch him until dad gets home it would be better than him coming home in tears.

Is there any way to talk to the teacher and come up with some alternatives to help him move while she teaches? Maybe give him something attached to his desk that he can move quietly while he listens (like a stuffed animal on a string) or allowing him to pace in the back of the room within a taped off space or remain in a larger taped off space during reading time? Sometimes when you tell a child that needs to move to sit still all the time they cannot focus on anything but sitting still and don't hear a word you say and won't learn anything because they are focusing all their attention on just remaining still. You may need to get the special ed teacher involved as well as the principal and see if you can come up with some alternative learning strategies for him. I have a friend that has a son that has problems with fine motor skills and they only required him to write his work on large white boards instead of pencil and paper because he just cannot do it. He works with a sped teacher to do portfolios each year instead of taking the tests that everyone else is required to do. They also have students that are allowed to pace quietly in the back of the room during the lessons as long as they don't disrupt the class.

More than likely his teacher has never encountered this before and may just need to have some more information and meet with the sped teacher to discuss alternate strategies that she can use with him. She is probably overwhelmed with the situation too. I recommend getting the principal involved early if you decide to keep him in school. That way there is someone to mediate that knows the situation in case you and the teacher don't see eye to eye.

good luck with the testing....

 

[hillfarm]

thanks for sharing. I had a light bulb moment when I read your post. My 13 year old daughter has had tics for a few years now. Her counselor was helping her with her OCDs and her anxiety and depression. But the head and shoulder shrugs are increasing as are the throat clearing and squeeking. She also strokes her eyebrow and flaps her hands and taps her foot.

The counselor never suggested tourrets but suggested a neurologists. Insurance wouldnt approve it from a counselor, so I have an appointment with her doc on thursday. I read threw the tourrets symptoms and it fits my daughter to a tee. I am writing down all her symptoms and bringing them to the doc appointment, thanks again for sharing. I cant believe I never put two and two together.

 

[calendula]

lorihadams, I know what you mean about reading with your son and moving. My little guy will jiggle the whole time, and of course he will make his sounds because of his tics. But, he wanted me to read JRR Tolkein's The Hobbit to him, and I was pleased to find that even though he is always squirming and making his sounds, he is listening and following the story, and he loves it.

I think that's part of what the teacher doesn't get. Yes he's moving and making sounds, but he is still listening and learning. But, then it goes back again to him disrupting the rest of the class, and making it so that they can't learn. So, I understand how his teacher gets frustrated, but he just can't help it. Depending on what happens after this appt. with the nuerolgist and how the rest of the year goes, I think you are right, we are going to have to figure out some way to make homeschooling work. I just can't take seeing him so sad anymore, and I worry about permanent effects to his self esteem.

hillfarm, I am glad if my post can help! There is a lot of info about Tourette's on the web. I read that most kids eventually "grow out of it," which is a big relief! I hope everything works out for you!

 

[SSDreamin]

My oldest son had big issues with school. He was diagnosed with ADHD. The school tried to insist that he be on med's 24/7. I refused. I modified his diet at home, tried biofeedback and counseling. I knew he was very bright; I would go over his tests orally and he would ace them. The next day in school, having to write them down, he'd fail miserably. They began insisting he go into a special classroom. Once there, he was bored out of his mind (his oral cog. testing was off the charts, so the class - which was meant for slower learners - was not what he needed)and became more disruptive.
I was a single parent, working 2/3 jobs, so home schooling wasn't an option for us at that time. I have a friend now who works full time, as does her husband. They split their schedule (she works 3rd/he works 1st) so they can continue to homeschool their son. If you decide you'd like to try, that may be an option you could look into?
I don't know if they have them in Ohio (or if they've been eliminated through budget cuts), but I got a child advocate for my son (through the state). She kept abreast of Christopher's file and, when I was called into the school for anything, she always attended. The only person she stood up for in the meetings was Chris. It was so helpful to have someone extra there whose only job was to make sure Chris got a fair shake!
This is just my opinion, but in my experience schools want the classrooms full of zombies. I was pushed around, made to feel stupid for not going along with the school's recommendations and told repeatedly that I 'didn't want what was best for my son'. When I was growing up, one of my best friends had multiple tic's. The teachers worked around them and everything was fine. Now days, they insist on med's. I am sure, if my youngest attended public school, they would be pressuring us to have him on med's. Uniqueness and individuality are not prized in this day and age, unfortunately! Sorry, had to rant a little

Hope things work out for your son!

 

[abifae]

Good luck Calendula. I know from the other side how hard it is to raise a kid with crazy issues.

 

[savingdogs]

I'm familiar with tourrets, one of my long-time girlfriends has a brother with it and two of his sons developed the problem as well, so we all learned about it. I hope they can give you some guidance at the doctors and that the teacher can learn to understand how to help him. All children learn differently.

My husband was ADHD and was put on the medications, he vowed that none of our kids would EVER go on them, I think it is wonderful you would attempt to pursue a diet alternative. My youngest has never fit in or done well in school so I know how challenging that can be. I hope you get some answers and I hope it isn't tourrets. Lots of times things look like one thing but are actually something different. Maybe he has a throat issue causing all that throat-clearing? That would be awfully distracting to me. I wouldn't start to worry about that condition until you get a diagnosis of what is really wrong.

 

[Henrietta23]

I'm so sorry and hope you find some answers soon! DS is having issues again and we've been summoned for a Thursday afternoon meeting. Conferences are not for a few weeks yet and his teacher didn't feel this could wait.

 

[Marianne]

to all.........