First, I would talk to his pediatrician about it. Needless to say, only his Dr. can diagnose him, but your description sounds similar to my DS's tics. DS6 has had periodic tics that are more pronounced when he is deep in thought (e.g., gulping sounds, throat clearing) - they come and go and, from what I have read, are pretty common among gifted boys. Luckily, DS's haven't caused any real problems for him except to annoy his little sister when she is trying to watch something on TV. If they are indeed tics, making him feel self-conscious about them will only make them worse. Try to ignore them as much as you can. But if they are disruptive to him socially, he needs to be evaluated by a professional who can then recommend a course of action.
