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!






Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Video of Tics



Elijah's tics have shown up again in a big way. I really debated on posting a video, but I do want people to see what a "tic" is. It can be so many things. In both videos you hear him snorting, hitting himself or the floor, and some licking of his hands in the first video. He usually licks his hands and rubs them on his face right after the licking.

In the second video you hear me ask him to stop chewing on his shirt. I am fairly sure this is a tic, but he is tearing up his shirts. Even right now, he is banging up my computer desk. As I said in my last blog, it is such a trade off. Stay on a higher dose of medicine and he gains the weight. Lower the dosage and hope the tics aren't too severe and that he doesn't gain more weight.

Oh and on this second video you can hear me ask him to PUT HIS EAR ON! I need to splice all of those together for one long video!


5 comments:

  1. I just wanted to thank you for posting. I was pointed in the direction of your blog my a mother in a deaf/hard of hearing forum.

    My oldest son, only 5 years old, also has TS, ADHD, OCD, anxiety disorder and SPD (sensory processing disorder). While his hearing isn't as bad as his father's and your son's requiring a cochlear implant, yet. He does have the familial sensorineural hearing loss that runs in his father's family.

    I know it must've taken a bit to post the videos but, I must say, made me tear up a bit to actually see that there is another family, another child out there that could understand what my son goes through.

    I just needed to say thank you.

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  2. Thanks for the comment. I really wasn't sure if I should post the video or not. I am glad it was a help to you. How severe are your son's tics?

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  3. They can get quite bad! They've just this week put him on Mirapex to treat them. On his upswings, he's unable to finish a full sentence in under 3 - 5 minutes! He rapid sniffs, followed by 1 or 2 inhales through his teeth (makes a hissing noise), exhales are followed by usually three grunts. All while blinking and constantly tugging at the top left of what ever shirt he's wearing. In between these tics, which happen minimum twice in one minute, he'll do this hammmm sound.

    It's enough that people either look they're ticing themselves or they are fidgeting. It's just sad to see. His arm jerk will periodically show up in the middle of this too. If he gets upset, he starts smacking his forehead til he crys!!! Not attention seeking behavior when he's doing this alone in a room or without trying to get anyone's attention.

    On a downswing, you might notice the blinking, sniffing, hissing noise and a shirt tug. Though several in a minute, you'd just think that maybe he couldn't hold still.

    I'm really hopeful that this Mirapex will work. It's not a popular treatment for TS in children yet but, has shown great promise. I'm still torn on it though. We'll have to see how it plays out.

    How bad are your son's?

    Anyway, it's extremely rare to find someone who's child has some of the same mix of issues and like I said, I know it was hard to put that up. I know it would've been for me but, to be honest, I laughed and cried! It was almost like a relief to see someone else in our boat.

    So, thank you again.

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  4. P.S. Just showed my husband, he was beside himself! Yelling about the hitting and the licking and the sniffing. :) I think it helped him to see that. He wanted me to tell you thank you as well. While we know others in our community with TS, most of the children do not do the things that our son does. So, it did him good to see this.

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  5. Hello again, I am sorry for my late response. I have been at a conference for deaf and hard of hearing here in the state of Texas. I am also a teacher of the deaf so this was all work related. I saw your post, but only had my iphone to reply with.

    Your son's tics actually sound a bit worse than Elijah's tics. He has times when he really doesn't seem to tic. The small tics may be around, but they are so small that no one sees them. When they are bad they are what you see on this video but constant. These tics on the video I would say are mild, because they were not constant. he also tics a lot when he is in the bathtub.

    I became a follower of your blog and I am glad that you found me. I have not met but one other person online who has a hearing impaired child with tourette syndrome!

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