Thanks, guys.
He is in the middle of a medication switch right now, so that may be the cause. He started Lamictal about a month ago and now we're lowering his Lexapro.
His new psychiatrist and the psychologist who recently re-evaluated him don't seem to think he has Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), but I've kept it on the list in my profile because I'm not convinced. The psychologist says she doesn't see it, but she wouldn't rule it out either. We're trying to get him in to the neuropsychologist department at the children's hospital, it's just taking some time.
I didn't even think about this being a tic, but now that you've said it, it makes sense. But, he's been doing it his whole life to some degree, it's just really escalated in the last couple of months, especially the last few weeks. So I can't even say for sure that it coincides with the start of Lamictal. He hasn't been doing it at school, just at home.
It's impossible to signal difficult child when he's doing it because he's in his own little zone. He just looks at me, looks away, and keeps going. If I yell at the top of my lungs, he stops immediately. We have had the problem his whole life of him talking too loudly, especially in restaurants or in the car. We have library voice, inside voice, and outside voice as our cues, which seem to work in those cases, although we have to keep reminding him.
Thankfully, difficult child fell asleep early tonight so there will be no loud outbursts. It's so peaceful here right now I think I'm almost bored!
Linda