Weird screeching, noises....ugh!!!

[Adrift]

Hi everyone, recently (well always, but MORE recently) my son has been screeching, humming, babbling, making really odd noises. This is all mostly in our presence, I don't think he does it at school or when he's at friends houses but it's really constant when he's at home. It's very annoying and odd. I try to talk with him about it but it almost seems like he does it more when I do. He calls his brother "girl" all the time but actually, it's difficult child who sounds like the girl. I've even had people on the phone ask who the girl is in our house. A Special Education. friend calls it "verbal overflow" meaning he's got some things going on inside and this is a release. It's almost Tourette-like but I'm pretty sure he can control it, at least most of the time. It's very spontaneous and seems to erupt out of nowhere though. Other times it seems like it's in response to excitement or anxiety. Like a toddler, only he's 12... It also seems like it's more frequent after/during guitar hero or other online things (not television).

Being "cool" is really important to him but he just doesn't seem to "get" the fact that this is most definitely NOT cool! Anyone have any ideas or thoughts on how to deal with this? I have a headache!

 

[smallworld]

Has your difficult child had an evaluation, preferably by a neuropsychologist? The noises you're describing could be a "stimulant," which can be associated with Autistic Spectrum Disorders.

 

[tiredmommy]

We're luck in that Duckie understands that this sort of stimming can hurt her socially so I know she holds it all in until she's home. It seems to be anxiety-driven. Of course, the non-stop noise coming from her is enough to drive husband and I crazy! Our solution was that we let her know that we understood that she needed to let it out, but it was too much for us to take for very long. We asked her to go into her room and stimulant to her little heart's desire so that she could feel better. I think this has only worked because she understood we respected her need to do this and gave her an appropriate outlet to do so.

 

[BusynMember]

Agree with the neuropsychologist. That sort of "weird noises" sound a lot like what kids on the autism spectrum do. My son does it, but only at home. He CAN stop it, but he seems to need the release and does it at home. Anxiety is also a big symptom of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). NeuroPsychs are VERY intensive and catch things other miss.

 

[Adrift]

This is so interesting. Would something still show up even at 12 almost 13? We had him evaluated by a developmental pediatrician, a child psychologist and a social worker two years ago. They came up with mild anxiety. If he was on the autism specturm what would this mean? He functions pretty well generally. He has good solid social skills (away from home anyway!), gets decent grades in school, has plenty of friends and can maintain friendships. In fact, he does just fine outside the home. It's home that's so difficult. Thanks for the responses.

 

[klmno]

This might be too simple and obvious and already considered, but... my difficult child is 12, his voice started changing about 4 mos. ago and SOMETIMES he is embaressed by it. Sometimes, it almost seems like he is pushing it back to sound like he's 3 yo. Puberty has done a real number on him.

Just a thought..

 

[BusynMember]

It's a common behavior of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). My son wasn't diagnosed until 11, but I knew he was on the spectrum. If your son has no other symptoms, then I'd say he doesn't have it. But no one professional can totally be sure of what our kids do and don't have. Since there are no blood tests, whatever they say is pretty much their best guesses. NeuroPsychs are my fav evaluators. THey try very hard to actually test in all areas and can usually be very helpful. My son was misdiagnosed a lot and put on wrong medications. If your son is just screeching and all else is good I wouldn't worry about it too much, but maybe it's a tic. There are vocal tics. Ever had him seen for possible Tourettes or some other tic disorder? Just a thought. Do you have any history on his birthparents?

 

[Sheila]

Tics maybe? Any new medications introduced recently? (medications can cause tics sometimes).

 

[Marguerite]

"Good social skills" is very subjective. A high-functioning kid with, say, Asperger's Syndrome could have no trouble at school at age 12. difficult child 1 didn't, he was fine. But he was constantly stimming with the noises.

There is a limit to how much they can control the stims. difficult child 1 could change his and keep changing until he got something he felt more comfortable with. He stims far less these days, but I do remember a vocal stimulant only about three years ago, not long before his 21st birthday. And difficult child 1, despite being quite popular (with his friends) and very bright, is definitely Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD).

Trying to diagnose Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) is very subjective. The older a person is, the brighter a person is, the harder it is to diagnose.

I definitely agree with the suggestion to get a neuropsychologist evaluation done. For your own interest there is an informal, unofficial Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) questionnaire that might be worth taking. It's on http://www.childbrain.com. Sometimes we have a concept of Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) or autism that is incorrect, or we mighty be misunderstanding what we are seeing.

Marg

 

[Kjs]

difficult child has started doing that AGAIN. He will be 13 in a few weeks. He just starts making weird noises, talking weird. We have to tell him "STOP" then he laughs and says, "ok". He is on the computer most of the time, and that is when he does it. I haven't heard teachers complain recently, but they have in the past.
No, we haven't had a neuro psychiatric. The only places that do it (I had it scheduled) dropped out of the insurance network. The places the insurance man gave me don't take new patients or we have to pay upfront first and we are not in a position to do that.
He does see a neurologist. He is taking Concerta. Doesn't take it when there is not school, and that is when I notice it. I don't think he realizes he is doing it until we have to tell him to stop. Then he stops.

 

[TerryJ2]

The very first thing I thought of when I read your post was autism. Then I read the responses.
I'm no dr, but I do have ears (LOL).
Like Kjs, you may be able to tell him to stop and have him learn to control it (Tourette's folks can learn to do it with-a great deal of effort but it's not 100%).
So sorry. {{hugs}}

 

[tessaturtle]

OMG! our difficult child does the same thing! I am so happy to hear someone else with-the same experience. We have noticed it more in the past 6 months or so. We also have equated to tourettes when explaining it to his therapist. it can be any type of noise, it doesn't matter. Once, in the car on the way to his therapy appointment., he did not go more than 5 sec without making some strange sound or just yelling out random words or animal sounds. We noticed that the noises have coincided with his increased hyperactivity/mania.

He also spends a lot of time on the floor. He constantly flops himself on the floor, or slithers underneath his sister's bed and futon. Weird.

 

[Marguerite]

OPh yeah. The floor stuff. And covering himself with stuff, hiding in the dark, etc. It's connected to weighted vests - some kids like to feel a sense of being held that THEY can control. easy child 2/difficult child 2 wears corsets which she laces herself to how SHE wants them. She says they're "like wearing a hug".
difficult child 3 has a weighted vest which we call his 'hug vest' although he doesn't wear it much now. difficult child 1 tried it out; he likes it.

And when we bought a new washing machine, both boys made a nest in the packing crate (cardboard) and cut a small hole in the side so they could watch TV and play computer games while still inside the box. difficult child 1 chose to do his homework while sitting in the box on cushions.

Long before difficult child 1 was diagnosis'ed with Asperger's, we were overseas on holiday. We videotaped the holiday and so much of our tape is full of us saying, "difficult child 1, stop making those WWIII noises." Ironically, we can't hear him on the tape at all!

As you can see, with this description of symptoms, I'm thinking Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) definitely needs to be thoroughly considered.

Marg

 

[Adrift]

Thanks for all your posts. difficult child has "nested" since he could physically do it. Even now he'll create some kind of barricade around his bed and sleep in the tinest space! We will talk to his therapist about all this.

 

[Marguerite]

Lynn, something we have found is to allow the stuff that really doesn't matter, and to try to control the stuff that is a big issue. By leaving the kid with some sense of personal control in some areas, as well as a safety valve of sorts, it's easier to control, say, noises in class or out in public.

A lot of these stims and habits are a coping mechanism. They soothe, help them stay calmer - it's simply something that the kid has found for himself. In the same way that any young child works out for himself what he likes and doesn't like, an autistic child will find that doing some things a certain way is much more enjoyable and makes him feel happier.

So we let our boys nest, as long as they either do it in their own space, or tidy it up afterwards. We tolerated the old cardboard box in the living room for a week or so but eventually old cardboard boxes "die of natural causes" and we were able to throw it away with no grief.

Knowing they will be allowed their stims and habits can actually reduce the NEED for them, since feeling safer reduces their anxiety a little, which reduces the need for the stimulant.

So yes, definitely tell the doctor, but make it clear that you're not necessarily asking for it to all go away.
As the child gets older and more socially aware, he will begin to have more control over his own stims and will 'adapt' and become more socially 'acceptable'.

If you try to suppress all this, it WIL break out in other ways and both you and the child will have less control.

However, if a stimulant really is unacceptable, it can be changed with patience and gaining cooperation of the child. But it will happen by replacing it with a more acceptable stimulant - and you really can't make choices in this. You just keep the pressure (gently) until something you can stand takes its place.

The world is made up of many people in infinite and glorious variety. Autistic people and their idiosyncrasies are part of the spectrum of humanity, just as they are. With our boys, our aim is to give them as much as they can handle in terms of learning to use their abilities to become independent, happy, functioning and productive members of society. They will always be a little bit different but it is those differences which are such an important part of who they are and what they are capable of.
We can't all be bank tellers and accountants. We need a few Steve Irwins and Bill Gates' in this world!

Marg

 

[loving2]

my son has made many different noises (screeching & not screeching). These can happen at any time expected & unexpected. sometimes in response to excitement, stress, or just as a response to conversation. He is Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) not otherwise specified. It is very typical of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).