Elijah's tics seem to have increased in the last few days. Thankfully, he doesn't have many oral and/or motor tics, but when they appear, boy do they appear. I have heard a lot of "HMMMM" and "HMMM HMMMMMMM". It is hard to explain, but it can be constant and after a while the tic can grate on your nerves. Another vocal tic he is doing is a loud SIGH or GRUNT type of sound. Again, it is hard to explain. The other tic I noticed today was him licking his hands and then whipping his face with his hands. This is one of his older tics that I have not seen in a LONG time. One time, he was riding on the bottom of a grocery cart and he actually licked his hands and ran them on the floor, then went to LICK them. Let's just say, I stopped him in time. The licking can be a CONSTANT TIC for him when it starts. He has also been a bit more argumentative this weekend, which usually happens when his tics increase. I am sure it is because the tics bother him more than he lets on.
I just never know when the tics will start or how long they will last. They just happen and then they are just gone or at least occur less often! If he weren't on his medication then I am sure the tics would happen more often and be more severe!
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!
Hi! I just Google-searched motor tics and cochlear implants, and your blog popped up. I, too am a deaf educator. I also have a son who is deaf with bilateral implants. I've been looking for a correlation to some of his tics and his implant usage. I can't find much research on it. Anyway, I enjoyed your blog! It's nice to see people with things in common with me! Thanks for posting!
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