My son, who is now 20, and my daughter, 23, both have mild tics, diagnosed as Tourette's which have come and go over the years. They do increase in puberty. However, any circumstance that makes them anxious or excited, for good or bad, will increase the tics tremendously. The only medication my son ever took was prozac for depression and anxiety, and that didn't impact his tics one way or another. The doctor did prescribe a low dose of clonidine for his tics, but he only took that when he was in a play, because the tics were so pronounced on stage. Other than that, he's never used anything for the tics. My daughter was briefly on ADHD meds, which she reacted badly to, and they did increase her tics also.

Kathy, some meds can exacerbate tics, but not sure which ones...I would guess the stimulant family might be more prone to induce tics, but I've been told by our pediatrician that while the meds might increase tics in some, it is likely that those people had a genetic predisposition to tics anyway (especially for families with anxiety disorders).

Teenage hormones seem to bring it out also. @A MyAutismTeam Member I wouldn't say it is "normal" (which indicates most kids experience them) but "common", as in a lot of kids do (up to 10%).

I'm sure my son (AS/ADHD) meets the diagnostic criteria for Tourettes as well, as he's had various tics (vocal and motor) since he was about 4 or so-he's 8 now. They don't seem to bother him so we try not to bring too much attention to it. I anticipate them getting more pronounced during the teenage years...thanks a lot, hormones! :oP

People don't seem to notice when I'm having a lot of tics. When I do, I feel like I'm 'buzzing', like when you've had wayyyy too much coffee (which is why I wonder if stimulants have a higher incidence of inducing tics). I feel like I HAVE to move, although I don't know why I have to move a *certain way* (ie. stereotyped- I shrug, stretch and twist my right arm, and do eye-rolls mostly). But if I feel I have to do it a lot, I just complain about "an old shoulder injury" and that seems to keep people from asking questions. ;)

I hope its ok to post a couple of links here. I think its good to know the difference between tics, stims and obsessive-compulsive movements since they do have many similarities. The main thing, I found is that they are all increased with anxiety/excitement. So whatever name it goes by, if it is becoming a problem, look at the environment and try to reduce anxiety or over-excitement.

http://www.mdvu.org/library/pediatric/tics/

http://tourettesyndromenowwhat.yuku.com/topic/1...

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A MyAutis...

Wow glad to read this. I am going through the same thing with my AS son (13). The neurologist we saw diagnosed him with Tourette's because there have been various tics over the years that have come and gone. Lately things seem worse in this area with the frequency increasing. From my reading so far this age seems to be the time period when tics are most pronounced and they will decrease over the years. I was also looking for a possible connection between medication and the tics. Is your son currently on any medication?

My son is 8 but has a few tics (especially when doing something idle). I'm still trying to figure out the difference between 'stimming' and 'tics' though as they seem to be very similar. From what I've read so far the biggest difference is the reason behind it. Tics have a compulsory factor (feels like he has to do it) whereas stims are more sensory-related. I'm still not clear on it. Tics are pretty common even in the general popluation, but definitely seems to be much higher among the ASD/ADHD/OCD/BiPolar population.

I have tics myself (shoulder-shrugs, arm twisting/stretching). They can be suppressed but it is very uncomfortable to do so for long.

In any case, I was also told with my son that they will probably resolve on their own, but I think maybe it is just that we become more aware and are better able to control/suppress the urge around other people. Mine certainly haven't disappeared with age...

Depending on your son's age and ability to talk about it without getting embarrassed, and how "big" the tic is, maybe have a chat about how to deal with peers who may not understand his need to tic. Bringing too much attention to it and trying to make it stop might end up making him anxious, which in turn increases the urge to tic.

@steel09066 thanks! His tic clearly picks up when he is stressed. During the summer months, it all but disappears. It's changed over the years, it was at one time a sniff, then a throat clearing and most recently the blinking that developed into one eye blinking more than the other. I just feel bad as he is heading to jr. high next year and I don't want kids to make fun of him because of it.