These tics appear to be more like compulsions but are tics none the less. One type of complex tic that can be common in children is what I call a compulsion-like tic. It is a little less typical for a child to get complex tics before simple tics, but it can certainly happen. They probably thought I was just a “twitchy” or “nervous” kid.Ģ) For some kids, they have more complex tics as children, and for some these more complex tics can even come before the more simple tics. I really don’t think my parents even noticed it at the time. The tic looks like it was a slight facial grimace in some pictures but then looks like a much larger facial movement in other pictures.

I seem to find pictures of myself around this age all with a very similar positioning of my face, which also makes me think this may have been my first tic. I have seen videos and pictures of myself that make it look like this was my first tic, which started when I was about 3-4 years old and probably continued in the same way until a little after 1st or 2nd grade. I think my first tic was a slight facial grimace however, it was so subtle that neither myself nor my parents can be 100 percent sure. TS is a very unique disorder as a result of the fact that every case is different, which includes the way the symptoms start. A simple tic, however, is not always the first tic for a child, and each child with TS or TS+ will differ in the way they present with various symptoms. After a child’s first simple tic, other tics may develop in the trunk, arms and legs. Simple facial tics like eye blinking, slight facial grimacing or slight facial twitching will usually be the first tic a child has.

What are the first signs of Tourette’s?ġ) One of the first classic warning signs for the TS+ child is a simple tic, usually in the face. It is important to remember that in order for the types of things I describe to be tics, that they must be repetitive in the sense that you will see your child doing these things over and over again throughout the week, month or even day. In this post, I will outline and summarize two of the main types of tics that are warning signs for TS+ in a younger child anywhere from the ages of 2 years old to a middle school-aged child. Some other co-morbid disorders that can come along with TS are ADD, ADHD, mood disorders such as bipolar disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, rage issues and other disorders as well. I myself have OCD, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Sensory Processing Disorder, and Panic Attack Disorder (although I haven’t had a major, full-fledged panic attack in about two years), and impulsivity issues also known as disinhibition. This winter break, I have spent some time thinking about why I wasn’t diagnosed sooner and why my mom did not see the early warning signs as warning signs as part of the larger picture for a TS+ child.įor those of you who are unfamiliar with the term TS+, it stands for Tourette Syndrome in combination with the co-morbid conditions that commonly come along with Tourette.

Bite and spit coin tick