Zinner: Tics are a semi-voluntary or voluntary response to involuntary sensation. To help us understand the pattern of a tic, Dr. Zinner gave a good example we all can relate to — trying not to blink. In this case, a blink brings relief. Often the urge will increase in intensity until it can no longer be ignored, which can be embarrassing in social situations, especially when the person is trying to hold it in. Tics must be performed and completed in a satisfying enough way to diminish the urge and are reinforced by the relief associated with successful completion of the tic.
Essentially, performing the tic reinforces it. Tics are not the same as compulsions, habits, or stereotypies repetitive or ritualistic movements, postures, or utterances which we often see in autism. However it is possible and not uncommon for someone to have a tic disorder and one of the other three as well. A point of difference is there is not a sense of urge or relief associated with the other three when they are completed.
What we know of tic disorders is they are highly genetic and neurodevelopmental in nature. Limiting caffeine, relaxation and behavioral approaches are used to address tics. There have also been some studies on Habit Reversal Training and dopamine as use for treatment, but there is no clear evidence at this time.
Become mindful of your own interaction with your child and teach in ways that are most likely to get a positive response. Learn what is likely to trigger a melt-down for your child, so you can try to minimize them. Learn to love structure, consistent schedules and routines — Behavior, communication, and social skills can all be areas of concern for quirky kids and maintaining a solid, loving, and structured approach in caring for your child, can help greatly. Give warning before transitions or schedule changes.
Partner with the school- Sometimes support systems may be needed for your child like a behavior plan, a accommodation plan or an IEP for special services. Keep communication open and positive with the school to create a good partnership. We fall trap to frustration or embarrassment quite easily because for many kids, this comes more naturally and these behaviors can put us in a socially awkward position as parents.
Think of yourself as a social skill teacher and find opportunities to talk about these social skills before they have an opportunity to put them in action. The classic symptoms of hyperactive ADHD include the following:. We can say that to fidget is to interact with objects outside of your focus zone. Usually, it occurs subconsciously, especially when performing tasks that are boring or repetitive.
Fidgeting refers to a wide range of activities, including:. Stimming and fidgeting are similar in the outcome they produce. Both actions are usually called up during boredom, frustration, and agitation to soothe and relax and during concentration to enhance focus.
Similarly, fidgeting and stimming can vary in intensity from mild to severe. To a certain extent, any sort of fidgeting that provides sensory stimulation, such as foot-tapping, can be considered self-stimulatory. In other words, fidgeting and stimming may refer to the same thing when it comes to ADHD patients.
So, where is the connection between stimming and ADHD? To answer that question, we need to understand how the ADHD brain works.
Contrary to anecdotal evidence and urban legend, people with ADHD are not super fast thinkers who struggle with quieting their brains. In reality, the ADHD brain is sluggish. It is so slow that it often starts to drift off or fall asleep. Stimming is just a way of stimulating the brain using the nervous system. These stims quickly become habitual as they become a natural response to drifting off and as they help the people practicing them to keep their minds engaged.
Most children are naturally hyperactive at a certain age. But does that mean that all types of stimming and fidgeting are warning signs of ADHD? No, it does not. The warning signs you should be looking out for are non-typical and repetitive actions. Most stimming is harmless, but it becomes a problem when it develops into destructive habits that prevent the person from socializing and learning properly. However, some stims are indicative of an underlying condition, such as ADHD.
When the person consistently repeats the stim, or if it is so atypical that it affects how they socialize with others, there is a good chance that the self-stimulatory behavior is a symptom of either ASD or ADHD.
Knowing the difference between casual fidgeting and severe stimming will help you know when to seek help for your loved one. Fortunately, the atypical stims are often quite noticeable.
In children, you will often notice things like excessive talking, especially when it gets to the point of interrupting others. It is essential to know the difference between boredom and dysfunction.
Dysfunctional stimming often goes unnoticed by the children performing it. It is only until it is brought to their attention that they can see how the repetitive behaviors affect them socially, especially if it drives people away. Click the banner below to schedule your appointment.
Stims caused by ADHD are often manageable with the right toys and techniques. However, this only applies to typical stims. If your child starts showing atypical stims, it may be a warning sign of a more serious underlying disorder. Normal stimming is rarely considered to be odd or disruptive because everyone else does it at some point. Behaviors that are typical in nature might include the following:.
On the other hand, atypical stimming often appears very abnormal, especially when performed repetitively. Usually, this type of stimming can cause harm to those involved. The best course of action to take when you notice increasingly repetitive behaviors in your loved one is to seek immediate medical attention.
Schedule a consultation with a doctor to get a proper diagnosis soon, for it helps you manage the condition early on. Sure, this overlap in symptoms sometimes causes the respective conditions to be incorrectly diagnosed, but if caught early enough, a keen doctor may be able to tell the difference. Please understand that inaction is rarely an option here. A tic is a sudden twitch, movement, or sound that usually happens repetitively and is almost always involuntary.
A good example of a common tic is repetitive blinking. Have you ever thought about creating an e-book or guest authoring on other blogs? I know my viewers would enjoy your work. If you are even remotely interested, feel free to shoot me an e mail. Nice post — we need to see more like this, because most info for this topic is lacking something.
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