A Little Worried About My Son's Habit.

My daughter did this. Her pediatrician said it was a 'tick' and that she would outgrow any ticks once she reached puberty. She is 14 now and I haven't seen her do it for at least two years. I must confess that it drove me nuts though!

Hi Dianna,
My son does this sometimes. I think it is a sensory integration issue. My son has always had this little compulsive behaviors.
I am an early childhood interventionist (no longer working in that field.) One technique that helped my son was a scrub brushing technique. If you can find a physical or occupational therpist who specializes in sensory integration, they can teach you the technique to do at home.
If you have trouble finding someone, contact me.
I also think giving calcium magnesium supplements from Shaklee has helped my son's ( and my) compulsive behaviors. You can find that at http://www.shaklee.net/healthforlife
Good luck!
Victoria

Hi Dianna,

My husband and I have gone through this with our now 8 1/2 year old son. He has had several compulsive behavioral habits or "tics." I brought them up to the pediatrician and this is what he told us to do:

Go into your child's bedroom at night and watch him sleep for 20-30 minutes. If he does it while he sleeps, then you take him to a neurologist for further testing. If he ONLY does it while he is awake, then it literally is a habit and eventually it will go away. The problem is that with a lot of kids (like my son) the habit will just be replaced by another. This is a mechanism that kids have to deal with stress in their lives. We noticed the first tic started when my son had to go to a new school and he was very anxious about it. There may not be an identifiable reason, however, for your child, and sometimes we as adults don't realize what may stress out their minds. As children grow older, they learn different coping mechanisms that don't involve shaking their heads, beating on their chests like Tarzan, or blowing air out through their noses.

The one thing you don't want to do is pressure him to stop. I don't agree with the video thing. Making a big deal about it will just make your child more stressed and self-conscious! If your son is made to feel bad or humiliated about his habit, IT WILL GET WORSE!

Please don't let some of these posts freak you out--I think way too many people here have jumped the gun and brought up Turet's. As abnormal as it appears, IT IS NORMAL what your son is doing. I know it is scary, but you have to let this run through the course.

My 7 year old daughter has had lots of different "tics" that come & go. She used to wipe her finger across her nose after taking a bite of food, each & every bite. Later she began to do this thing where she'd throw her arms out in front of her in a pushing motion & then back down. The one we've got now is that she says "Meep." She also has recently told me that she has to be "equal." For instance, if we're sitting on the counch & I stroke her right hand, she has to do the same to her left hand if I don't. She, like your son, says she has to do it. She can't help it, it doesn't bother her, but she has to do it.

We suspect Madison has Asperger's Syndrome; these tics & OCD-type behaviors are just one of many symptoms.

I don't think I'd make a special appt for your son unless he's bothered by it or you notice other strange behaviors. I'd just mention to the doc next time an appt rolls around.

Hi. Did you have his ears and throat checked? Talk with your pediatrician about it too to make sure you can rule out medical problems.

My son is more habit forming than my daughter was. He comes home and burps every 2 minutes almost exactly then it turned into barking. He says he can't help it, has to do it. We started charging him a nickle every time he did it and when he caught himself and corrected it, we repaid the nickle. He was cured. He does come home and every once in awhile and starts another habit and we get right on it.

Try video taping him so he knows what he looks like. It is always good to teach them to break bad habits at an early age as long as it is not a medical condition. Sounds like you have some good advice below.

Good luck and hugs to you both, C.

Any unconscious movement like this is considered to be Tourettes syndrome - you need to have your child evaluated - there are treatments - don't just overlook it as being "quirky" - it may well be nothing - but it might be something.

I'd take him to an ENT and have his equilibrium tested... he may have a problem with a little bit of fluid in his ears.

S.

My son, now 14, went through several phases around that time of different "ticks". He chewed his jacket zipper incessantly, he stuck his tongue out, he cracked his knuckles, he blinked too much, etc.

He absolutely couldn't help it, and he passed from one tick to the next every few months. Then he grew out of them.

~A.

I agree that a doc visit is suggested, but I wouldn't be overly concerned until I got more info. My kids have had quirky things that have gone on for weeks that have concerned me, and turned out to be nothing. Could be stress related, too, especially if he's got TAKS looming.

I wonder if it's a "tic". ??? People with Tourette's Syndrome can have different kinds of tics not just verbal. Check with your ped. Meds usually help if you want to go that route. good luck

I think your son may have OCD or Taret syndrome,

Dianna,
Both of my younger brothers went through this in their preteen years -- I remember making fun of one of my brothers because he would make a "ba" sound (like a lamb) every few minutes and then he would do a thing where he blew air towards his nose. Weird, I know, but they both grew out of them and are normally functioning adults :)

Dear Dianna,

Have you had your son examined for neurological problems? If that is clear, then you may want to consider OCD tendencies. There is a lot of helpful info available and ways to help children with OCD.

L. H. Lang, Ph.D.
Life Skills Unlimited.com

I see that several people have mentioned OCD. Has your son recently experienced a strep infection and had these symptoms come on overnight? Our daughter developed OCD symptoms literally overnight after strep. Here is information: http://intramural.nimh.nih.gov/pdn/web.htm I should add that our daughter's condition is known as PANDAS (pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections).

We see a neurologist to monitor her antibody levels in her bloodstream, a psychiatrist, and a psychologist to help her with cognitive behavioral therapy. She is making great progress in getting rid of her obsessive thoughts.

My ex-husband has a tic and now my son has inherited it. He is almost 14 I noticed it started a little when he was about 8 and it has gotten progressivly worse. But like I said his dad does has it to and he has lived a normal life and I'm sure your child will to. Just so you know it never hurts to see a doctor just to make sure.

It may be a tic, have the doc do a blood test for strep titers aso and dnase. the hard part is addressing chronic strep, there is no easy answer for that.

See a neurologist! It can't hurt but I would never wait to see. Does he have OCD type behaviors?
L.

It kind of reminds me of a student I had in my class years ago who had Tourette Syndrome, involuntary muscular twitching and spasms. Might check into that, or other neurological issues.

How long has your son be doing this? Can he give a reason as to why he does it, or is it involuntary- as in he can't help it or even make it stop.

You might want to discuss this with his doctor and make an appointment with a neuro doctor.

Just a thought.

Go to the physician for evaluation!!!!

It is a tic, which is common in kids. My 11-year-old has a few tics that he has grown out of and a few that he still has. We have had a formal evaluation and as long as he is not showing signs of anything else it is ok. You should talk with your ped the next time you see him/her and discuss it. I wouldn't rush off to a neuro just yet.