THE SHADDOX BOYS

Jacob and Elijah Shaddox are brothers. Jacob is 21 years old and just moved into an apartment with his girlfriend. He graduated from a technical college with an Associate's degree in Computer Maintenance. He works for a school district as a computer technician. Elijah is almost 18 years old. He is hearing impaired, has Tourette Syndrome, OCD and ADHD. He is a junior in high school. Elijah lives with his mom Mary and her wife, his stepmom. Mary has a bachelor's in deaf education and a masters in special education, and is an educational diagnostician. Life is always changing and this blog has chronicled many of these changes and will continue to do so!






Saturday, July 31, 2010

Tics and also some Language!





I have been trying to catch Elijah doing his tics for a few days. The first video of him in the bing bag chair is him doing his most common tics. Nothing too serious, but you can see him kick at the fireplace some or rather kick out some. He is also snorting/sniffing quite a bit.

I started the second video while he was in the bathtub playing. I could hear him ticcing and stomping his foot so loudly. It is not the best video I have ever taken, because I was trying not to let him see me. Well then I did put the camera on him and boy he starts just a talking. I do "interpret" what he is saying because the acoustics in the bathroom are not the greatest and I wanted y'all to hear the vocabulary he was using. You can also see a lot of tics. At one point he slaps himself in the face. That one is not too common, thankfully. I communicate with him using sign and gestures. I also wanted y'all to see how I get his attention by flicking the lights on and off.

4 comments:

  1. please respect your sons' privacy. And respect deaf people (as it seem like you are mocking them when you tell stories in your classroom) None of this is needed and there is nothing wrong with being deaf, btw. Thank you.

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  2. My son is very vocal when he wants his privacy and tells me to leave the bathroom. He could see the camera and I stayed very far away from him. I am not mocking deaf people. I have told these stories many times to show how literal deaf children/high schoolers can be. There is nothing wrong with being deaf. If you noticed in the video I was still signing to my very oral deaf child who wasn't wearing his cochlear implants.

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  3. I think the videos of his tics are very helpful to have. So that teachers or others who deal with him in that capacity can see how mild, how varied and how severe they can be if you catch them on film.

    The sniffing/snorting one is one that DW has and it can get quite distracting in a classroom on an upswing. So, it's nice to have this to show them. I know just telling them that he has a sniffing/snorting tic, it can be easy as the teacher or other educator to say, oh ok. When it's happening during class and it's quite loud, it's another thing. So, Kudos to you for getting them on film!

    You can also tell your a TS mom when, for example, your son was ticing in the tub and I could tell without you saying. Trying to explain the veracity at which they do them is hard to explain to a teacher sometimes as well. So, if they can see that severe urge or need in your child to complete the tic, they are more likely to let it play out and ignore it.

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  4. Thanks! yes, one reason I did take the video was to show his teachers. It is SO hard to explain tics and how they do vary. The teachers NOD their heads like they get it, and they probably honestly THINK they do, but then they don't recognize it when it really happens.

    I also took the video for family to see because he doesn't always tic around them.

    Funny on the bathroom tics! That is when he first started really ticcing back in Oct. 2007. He would just go off in the tub. I think he is relaxed and they just come out easier. He also can't hear himself so he is not as bothered by them.

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