For the past two years I’ve noticed tics in our older son. During his yearly check-ups I would mention it to the doctors and they would more or less brush it off as “normal” behavior. To me it was a red flag. Why, because my brother was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome around the age of 6. My brother’s TS is on the milder side with mainly non-verbal tics however he does have one verbal tic which is clearing his throat. The verbal tics (vocalizations) that include shouting, barking or obscene language is very uncommon actually.

Tourette syndrome or TS is a neurobiological disorder characterized by tics–involuntary, rapid, sudden movements and/or vocal outbursts that occur repeatedly. Genetic studies indicate that TS is inherited as a dominant gene, with about 50% chance of passing the gene from parent to child. Sons are three to four times more likely than daughters to exhibit TS. The very unfortunate thing is no definite cause has yet been established in finding the cause or cure for TS over the last several decades however considerable evidence points to abnormal metabolism of at least one brain chemical called dopamine.

Over the past few months I’ve seen an increase in our sons tics which include raising his eyebrows, blinking, clenched jaw and a shoulder movement. The tic’s are typically more noticeable when he’s upset or tired and are intensified after playing a computer game or iPad/iPhone game. After a recent in-depth conversation with my brother about TS I was even more certain that our lil man had “it”. I cried my eyes out when I got home. It was my bad genes! I felt so guilty I had passed this onto our son. After speaking with my husband, we were in agreement that it was time for action. I called the pediatrician and remained firm that I wanted our son tested by a specialist for tics.
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