persistant rolling of the eyes

My 11-year old son has had facial tics in the past that come and go. Eye blinking, eye widening, mouth widening, head tossing (like hair is in his eyes when it is not), etc. Most recently he has developed a more persistent tic that is causing his eyes to hurt. He rolls his eyes to the right constantly. It is affecting him when he reads and seems to worsen when he is anxious about something. (watching a suspenseful movie, listening to our white water rafting guide explain precautions before our trip, doing timed math problems on the computer) I would like to get this checked out before school starts but I don't know what specialist to schedule with. Looking forward to your insight.

[Ted A Grossbart, Ph.D.]

Tics are considered an "obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder"  and there has been some success using behavioral approaches.  ocfoundation.org may be a good source of information and a local practitioner with experience treating them.

tg

[keyssheri]

Thanks for your quick response to my question. Should I cancel my upcoming appointment with a pediatric neurologist and find a behavioral specialist??

[Ted A Grossbart, Ph.D.]

No I would get both perspectives and then decide.

tg