Tic disorders in children, tics begin to be seen more frequently in children at the age of 6-7 and later, mild and occasional tics may not pose a problem for the child, but if it is severe enough to disrupt the child's harmony and affect his/her functionality, it should not be too late for treatment.
Symptoms and Types of Tic Disorders in Children
Tic disorders in children manifest themselves with various symptoms.
- General symptoms
- Blinking
- Teeth grinding
- Desire to touch the nose
- Desire to touch objects
- Nodding the head and shrugging the shoulders
- Desire to cough and clear throat
- Nose pulling
- Mouth movements (opening-closing-stretching)
- Imitating movements
Types of tic disorders in children;
Motor Tics: Known as muscle tics. It is the continuous movement of muscles. For example, shrugging, blinking, etc.
Vocal Tics: It is also called phonic tic. Behaviors such as coughing, sniffling, etc. Inappropriate words and behaviors.
Tic Disorders in Children Family Relationships
Tic disorders in children, adolescence is a period in which the child gradually sheds his/her old childish characteristics, undergoes a rapid brain restructuring and is a key period in stepping into adulthood.
During adolescence, children change mentally and behaviorally as well as physically. They begin to experience their emotions more intensely and have difficulty controlling them. They enter a period in which they become a separate individual and have to develop an identity. It can be difficult for parents to get used to this new adolescent; they may notice that their small, controlling and obedient children become rebellious, want to be alone and withdraw from them. In fact, this is a period in which the child experiences many changes due to the restructuring of the brain and the family must be prepared for these changes. Parents may want to undergo an evaluation and information session with their children to learn what they should do during this period.
The cooperation of the specialist with the family is very important in the treatment of tic disorders in children. Tic disorders in children are treatable disorders. There are also conditions that need to be treated more seriously in children and adolescents. These are diseases in which the behavior, speech and appearance of the child or adolescent change significantly. For younger children, symptoms such as the loss of acquired knowledge and skills over time, a decrease in the content of the child's speech, the child's seeming inability to understand what is being said, the child's uncontrolled behavior, and the child's unconsciously walking out of the house suggest serious neurological and psychiatric disorders, and these children should be hospitalized and treated in a clinic. When a child in adolescence becomes completely withdrawn, does not care about his/her cleanliness, acts as if he/she is constantly suspicious of something, cannot sleep at night, refuses to eat, etc., we should also suspect serious psychiatric illnesses.
