My son makes really strange noises

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Hi, just posting for some advice really. Recently my son has started making more noises than usual and it has gone from a heaving noise to a high pitched brrr noise (sorry for the description) but he is doing it constantly lately and its getting him in trouble at school plus I dont want him to be picked on for it (and some days its hard to listen to all day). I just wondered if there was anything I could do to help him with this at all or if anyone has any experience of dealing with this, thanks.

Hiya,

This may or may not be of use, but my son used to do this alot when he was younger. It transpired that the reason he was doing it was because of his sensory issues. His hearing is incredibly sensitive and he was making his own noises to block out others that caused him pain/headaches. Nursery and primary school were a bit of a nightmare because of kids shouting/screaming etc.

Might be worth checking if sensory problems are an issue for him?

Good luck x

Has he been evaluated for Tourette's? It could be a vocal tic which means he can't control it. My son is an Aspie but he also has Tourette's (with ADHD thrown in just to keep it interesting ). His tics got severe enough where we had to go the medication route. It's not something I chose lightly. I did a lot of research. He has vocal tics (coughing, clearing his throat) which were fine. Not that bothersome. Same with the facial tics (grimacing and hard blinking) but it was the physical tic that was dangerous. He would climb anything and everything. The higher, the better. He had no self control over it at all. When it got to the point of him climbing the OUTSIDE of our staircase at home (my stairs are in the centre of the hall and on either side of the bannister you can see down 3 stories)and the shelves in the library at school, it became extremely dangerous. That's when we put him on Risperidone. The big tics went away and the rest are managable.

It's a form of stimming. As an Aspie adult I still do this from time to time. I did it a lot as a kid. It's like hand flapping something that you can't control and honestly don't even know why you do it.

I think your son's teacher is out of line for disciplining him for this. Is he diagnosed? If so she's breaking ADA laws by punishing him because what he is doing is part of having autism. Kanners Autistics do this all the time as I used to work in a place that housed disabled people and observed this. Is he in a regular classroom? Maybe he needs his IEP changed and given some alone time because he may be doing this from being overwhelmed.

Hi there, I get really cross with his teacher (my son has adhd also) his teacher told me at parents evening that she is on medication for adhd and that she has never seen a child as bad as my son with adhd. She also told me at another meeting that she has worked with autistic kids. I put a note in his behaviour book (he got bottom for making noises) that this is common for autistic people. She told me he was making the noise and every time they asked him to stop he would do it purposely and laugh - but I think keep telling him will make him realise and do it even more.

We are in the process of applying for special school for him as I just think mainstream is far too overwhelming for him and he doesnt get the specialist help that he needs, he needs help in learning life skills.

I just wondered if there was anything around (apart from medication, but thanks for your reply it was very helpful) that could help him control the noises. His doctor told me it was a tick - I never thought about tourettes, what else would be a sign of this? he doesnt have any physical ticks - I mean he is hyper and very twitchy with it, but I put that down to his ADHD.

I think I will ask his pediatrician about sensory issues as he is nearly 7 and they have never checked this.

Thanks for your help.

I make random noises from time to time. I did it more often when I was younger and I would get in trouble in school for it.

I think you're correct in getting your son out of her classroom. It doesn't matter what she tells you about how much experience she has with autistics its clear she isn't capable around them. Any teacher that tries to force the medication issue is overstepping boundaries as teachers are not doctors and have no business insisting upon drugging kids into a stupor to keep them quiet. Actually a teacher like that deserves to be fired.

Is your son diagnosed with Aspergers? The way he is making the sound even more after being told not to is how one of my friend's son does who has Kanners. I think they have less control over their impulses. Though its possible it could be Tourettes. My dad works with a older man who has Tourettes and he does a lot of weird things. A movement disorder neurologist is who you should consult to diagnosis or rule out Tourettes and NOT a pediatrician.

Is there any possibility you can homeschool him? Sometimes its the kindest thing you can do for special needs kids. I know once they hit middle and high school years there are online schools they can attend. I have two friends who have their kids in online high school because they were tortured relentlessly in school for being different.

Hi Ticker, thanks for your help and thanks for telling me who I should see to rule in or out tourettes.

He has been diagnosed with high functioning autism which fits in with aspergers (that is his exact diagnosis) not really a very clear one for us or for him. I think they know he is autistic, but he has always been, and still is a very difficult child to pin down to one diagnosis. My husbands half sister though does have a son with Aspergers, so autism is a genetic factor in our family, or so it would seem.

When I think back he has been making strange noises (mostly throat clearing since he was about 2), it stopped for about a year or so and then he went back to the throat clearing and has been doing it ever since, just lately it is this different noise, and very constant and loud.

I will phone my gp tomorrow or my HV to see if they can refer me on to a neurologist, I really appreciate your help.

I just wanted to say that it does sound like either a stim or a vocal tic.

Mumto2 - You can also go to a Neuropsychologist and they can do a Tourette's assessment as well. That's who we saw to get my son's diagnosis and she was really, really great. My son is also a really complex kid and we are now homeschooling. Good luck on your journey.

could also be increased anxiety

Just exactly how does his throat clearing sound? Reason I mention this is I at times have repeatedly cleared my throat to the point of my ex screaming at me to stop it. It wasn't Tourettes though. It was food allergies, getting the phlemy throat after eating corn, wheat or dairy. I also get it after drinking fountain soft drinks, not sure what's in those because the diet cokes don't have corn syrup, but I sound like I have the croup after drinking them.

I've read Tourettes goes undiagnosed too much but at the same time I'd think one needs to be careful as it might also be easy to get mistakingly diagnosed with it. If you have insurance to cover it might be worth seeing several specialists and get different opinions. Either way stim or tic both are caused by being overwhelmed.

My son did and sometimes still does make weird noises when overwhelmed. Trilling and sucking (cringe) noises. For the most part, studiously ignoring the sounds help (at home). Ticks can be brought on and/or exasperbated by meds, so it's important to mention to the psychiatrist.

Hi, the throat clearing doesnt happen as it has been replaced by this high pitched other noise, so I dont think its a food allergy or anything.

He said to my husband the other night the kids at school call him wierd but when I asked him he said they dont, I think he may be worried I will go and tell them off. Im wondering whether everthing is getting to him and he just isnt telling us - as im typing this he is constantly making a screaching noise, every couple of seconds? I think either he is bothered by something or it just makes him feel good.

He seems to go through noise making phases, we have also had a chewing stage.

It sounds like he's screeching to calm himself then, in essense a stim. Have you asked him if something is overwhelming or bothering him? Geez could it be something simple like the tag in his shirt bothering him? Or a noise or too much lighting? Is he on a medication that makes him hyper?

My 14 year old makes weird noises. He started with sirens at 7 and at 12 he changed to airplanes or jets, we live near an air-force base. He also puts his hands in front of his face and wiggles his fingers.

I have asked his pediatrician, he just says it's anxiety disorder. This will go away when he gets older. How much older? It's been seven years already. I have decided to try something else.

He also has ADHD and some other learning disabilities. He is in ed special classes at school.

All in all he is a wonderful little boy.