Home

Nix Your Tics

Documentary

Writings

Youth Haven

Ask Dr. Dunc

Accolades

Presentations

Resources

Links

Disclaimer

Contact

If you are a new visitor, diagnosed with a difference, please read this introduction letter to you.

For all other new visitors, Dr. McKinlay also has a special introduction letter to you.

Nix Your Tics!

The Second
(E-)dition from "Life's A Twitch! Publishing". Click here to learn more.

To watch the Life's A Twitch! documentary via streaming video, click here.

If you would like to reprint writings from this site, please click here.

Before Signing the Guestbook

If you wish to return to the 'Ask Dr. Dunc.' mainpage, please click here

If you wish to visit the 'Ask Dr. Dunc.' question archives, please click here

 

Question 95: Dear Dr. Dunc, My 10 yr old son....has just been diagnosed with TS +associated disorders. Anyway, have you ever heard of a TS patient who stutters to have improved stuttering by using a speech easy device? This device is similar to a hearing aid and new to Canada. Of course the company thinks it would be worth the $200+ assessment but we would have to also cover expenses to get there etc. I would pay any amount if it actually would help aleviate [our son's] stuttering since this is the "tic" which gives him the most "attention". Have you heard of this? Since TS is caused inside the brain and believed to be chemical, could a device work? Just wondering.... Thank you, M.M, ON, Canada.

Hello M.M.

I'm not familiar with this speech easy device you speak of, unfortunately. As I'm sure you know though, most stuttering is caused by factors other than tics (although stuttering tics certainly are often mentioned to me). Hence this device may be assuming a different cause in its proposed solution, meaning that this solution might not be a solution that works when the cause is TS.

While this device could be useful, if I were you I would bear in mind that tics are exacerbated by stress and by increased attention on that tic, but can be decreased through relaxation or introducing an incompatible movement at the moment that the tic wants to express itself (for example breathing deeply at the moment a vocal tic is about to erupt). If this device, though likely intended for a different type of problem, will 'follow the right rules' (i.e. do the things that decrease tics and not create situations that result in increased tics) then you might want to explore it further.

I hope this helps,

Dr. Dunc.

Top of Page

Nix Your Tics!

Documentary

Writings

Accolades

Presentations

Resources

Links