Chaim was nine years old when he began doing the strangest thing. Whenever he walked outside, he kept glancing back as though someone was following him.

I was puzzled. Had he been threatened? Had he witnessed an unsettling scene on the street?

Maybe it was the electronics workshop he’d joined? He was learning how to build various security devices. Was that introducing anxious thoughts?

It occurred to me that Chaim’s English teacher that year had been his Rebbi in kitah alef. Chaim had not enjoyed his year with him. Now that the Rebbi had resurfaced, was he dredging up bad memories?

Then Chaim started getting tics. First came sniffles, then disturbing twitches with his eyes, nose, and mouth. I started panicking.

We took him to a neurologist, who claimed, “Nothing’s wrong with him. It’s anxiety and will pass with time.”

But it only worsened. Chaim’s pediatrician confirmed it wasn’t just going to resolve itself — we needed to treat it. He prescribed medication but it didn’t help.

Chaim’s tics disrupted his learning. It was impossible to concentrate when his head and face kept twitching.

His twitching didn’t go unnoticed by his classmates. They teased him relentlessly and his self-esteem took a beating.

When Chaim was seventeen, I read about Yitzchok Weiss, who seemed to have success with individuals suffering from tics. But since he lives in New York, and we live in Yerushalayim, I didn’t give it much thought. An aunt urged me to call him nonetheless.

Mr. Weiss was hesitant to help. His treatment was costly and the distance problematic. When he saw I was adamant, he offered, “I’m coming to Eretz Yisroel sometime soon. Maybe I can see your son while I’m there.”

When Mr. Weiss finally came, we scheduled our appointment.

As soon as Chaim walked in, Yitzchok Weiss suspected Tourette Syndrome. The instant giveaways were the facial twitches and the way he constantly shook his head as if to fix his hat.

Surmising that the Tourette’s had interfered with his learning, Mr. Weiss assessed Chaim and zeroed in on his skill gaps and learning deficiencies.

After creating an action plan, my son and Mr. Weiss sat together for a few hours, took a break, and resumed. They had another session two days later, and then Yitzchok Weiss left for New York.

After that session, Chaim’s tics were 90% gone, b’chasdei Hashem. Mr. Weiss works with him every night on the phone for a half hour to close the gap in his learning.

My husband learns with Chaim as well and has been marveling at his progress. Chaim’s confidence is soaring and he’s learning well for the first time in years.

My husband reported that Chaim started davening for the amud at our family shul. The mispallelim have been expressing their amazement at the change in Chaim.

“Wow, your son’s self-esteem really picked up! And he stopped doing all those things with his face,” a friend told my husband.

Chaim finally feels comfortable in his skin. We’re incredibly grateful for this transformation.

*Names and identifying details have been changed.