Vocal stimming or Vocal tics or stress induced tics

Did he have Covid in 2023?

Depending on his age, you should be able to find a functional mushroom gummy with Reishi and Lion's Mane for him and something with Chlorella (sea algae). I take an adult dose of these and they're amazing, along with other things I need at my age. But these are great for boosting GABA, building immune health. Moderation is key as is to not overdose on Vitamin D, as these contain a natural D. But it's like a seaweed and mushroom salad.

GABA is responsible for aiding clarity, inducing a sense of calm, aiding filtering (though we'll never filter the same as our NT peers), and gut health. It regulates the flow of brain signalling, and like our ADHD peers, we can have hyper-signalling, things just firing off at random due to a lack of these 'resistors' - to give it an analogy. Another way to think about GABA is like air traffic control. So for Autistics and ADHD'rs and other Divergents with the same biology, any added stress or pressures or antagonising sensory assault, will quickly cause a stress-induced-anxiety, which is not the same as NT "anxiousness", a social-based anxiety which is sometimes based on social phantasies.

I ask about Covid, as it changes the gut microbiota and can further lower GABA. 

My son’s sniffing noise started August 2023 but the throat noises are relatively new. They usually come and go sometimes a few times per day but for the past 6 days it’s been happening from the moment he wakes continuing all day and while he’s falling asleep. It’s interrupting his eating, his ability to talk but I’m in no way annoyed by the noises if anything Im really worried about him. I think it’s a stress response to school and to life with how he experiences the world but I’m just making an assumption. I don’t know for sure and he’s not able to tell me. Nor do I want to draw his attention to the noises he’s making. 

He has language but he’s not able to communicate if he was worried or what his day was like or what he did that day. 

I watched a TikTok video by Toren Wolf and he said trying to control his vocal noises was like trying to hold laughter in. It was almost impossible to stop. 

thank you for reply. 

Mumto2boys said:

My son does sniffing noises that first started last year at a time of high stress/anxiety. It’s progressed to a range of throat noises, grunts, clearing the throat, coughing, tone changes to certain words. Some days This can go on from morning until falling asleep. It’s been continuous for over 6 days only stopping on Sunday and then today they have started again. 

You may not want to hear this, but I made continual snorting and throat clearing noises as a child. I just couldn’t control it. I knew how much it annoyed everyone and I felt very bad about it.

More than forty years later I still have a very difficult to control urge to clear my throat all the time and I know it’s still incredibly annoying for other people. I cannot begin to describe how difficult it is for me to control it.

During my autism assessment I was told that throat clearing is an incredibly common vocal tic in autistic people. Assuming your son doesn’t just have a cold at the moment, it may well be a tic. He may learn to control it most of the time as he gets older but I think I was probably around 11 before I really got close to controlling it.

What is GABA boosting medication? Is it suitable for a child. 

Thank you for explaining that in a way I can understand.

My son does sniffing noises that first started last year at a time of high stress/anxiety. It’s progressed to a range of throat noises, grunts, clearing the throat, coughing, tone changes to certain words. Some days This can go on from morning until falling asleep. It’s been continuous for over 6 days only stopping on Sunday and then today they have started again. 

I think its tics that are stress induced, I mentioned it to my son’s teacher and she said he’s always had vocal stim in class. It increases when he’s upset, frustrated and annoyed. She said he hisses, sniffs, coughs and makes throat noises.

When I think of vocal stimming I think of my son’s squeals, screaming and siren noises he makes. 

Vocal tics are a similar biological 'blip' to when someone has a stutter or Tourettes. It's a kind of brain signal firing out-of-control. They can become harmful or irritating to the one dealing with them. And I do know some individuals have been prescribed GABA boosting medication to help ease these. 

Stimming (is not my favourite word) can be a source of joy. The body in motion with the earth. It can be a source of grounding that aids focused thinking, like pacing or tapping, to keep the flow focused. Or, like music, an external embodiment of our natural rhythm. It can also be something to use to channel energy when things are mildly stressful and one doesn't quite know how to fix or troubleshoot the actual problem. There is a type of agency involved. A tic, is beyond someones control. 

I would also say a tic is biological in root, and a stim psychological. But on surface (are these not all animations of our biology).

**I just want to add this is an old account, I have been locked out the account since the update happens. The account I usually use has the user name Lau with the same profile pic.