Hello, this is my first experience as a blogger.\u00a0I’m not sure what to expect from this, but I am hoping to gain outsiders’ information on the matter of Tourette Syndrome.\u00a0 My son is 7 years old\u00a0and recently was diagnosed with this disorder.<\/p>\n
He is adopted, and from the very beginning I noticed something just not “right.”\u00a0 We had a closed adoption, so his medical history is limited.\u00a0 He struggled with speech and sensory integration, and we chose to send him to a specialized preschool for early intervention.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As is the case with many other families, he has dealt with a darker side vs. the “typical child.”\u00a0 He deals with high anxiety, OCD traits, anger outbursts and all types of behavioral issues on top of his tics.<\/p>\n
We noticed at a very early age — around 3 years old —\u00a0that he would change a certain behavior almost monthly, which appeared to be triggered by anxiety.\u00a0 He would either sniff his fingers constantly, eye blink repeatedly, make a grunting noise or a sound repeatedly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now, unfortunately, he has learned some new-found language too soon for his age from friends up the street.\u00a0 His preferred morning ritual is to verbalize vulgar words to his family members for no reason — very frustrating as a parent.\u00a0His doctor shared that consequencing him may only increase the behaviors.<\/p>\n
Wow … what to do?!\u00a0 We are hoping for some inspiring words of encouragement and tools on how to handle our family situation vs. making excuses for what appears at times to be inappropriate choices.<\/p>\n