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Tics and Tourettes

What's a Tic?

A tic is an uncontrolled sudden, repetitive movement or sound that can be difficult to control. Tics involving movements are called motor tics. Tics involving sounds are called vocal tics. Tics can be either simple or complex. The type of tics a person has may change over time. How often tics happen also may change. Tics often come and go, and can get worse when a person is stressed, anxious, or excited.


Tics are common. Recent research suggests that most children will develop a tic as part of their development; most tics last from a few weeks to months. 
You may know some famous people with tics (the goal keeper Tim Howard; Louis Capaldi. Jim Eisenreich (major league baseballer), Michael Wolff (jazz musician and bandleader), Dash Mihok (an actor known for his roles in "Ray Donovan" and "The Day After Tomorrow"). 

Types of Tic Disorder

There are several kinds of tic disorder:

Provisional tic disorder

This is the most common type of tic disorder. With a provisional tic disorder, the tics have been happening for less than a year.

Chronic (persistent) tic disorder

This is a less common tic disorder. With chronic (persistent) tic disorder, tics have been happening for more than a year. The tics may be motor or vocal, but not both.

Tourette Syndrome  

This is a much less common tic disorder. With Tourette Syndrome, a person has multiple motor tics and at least one vocal tic happening for more than a year.

More Information about Tics and Tourettes:

Vocal Tics

Simple vocal tics include:

  • Coughing
  • Throat clearing
  • Grunting
  • Sniffing
  • Barking
  • Hissing

Complex vocal tics include:

  • Repeating words and phrases
  • Animal sounds
  • Calling out
  • Yelling

Motor Tics

Simple motor tics include:    

  • Nose wrinkling    
  • Head twitching    
  • Eye blinking    
  • Lip biting    
  • Facial grimacing    
  • Shoulder shrugging    

Complex motor tics include:

  • Kicking
  • Skipping
  • Jumping
  • Mimicking movements by others
  • Smelling objects

What makes them worse?

  • Being really tired
  • Feeling stressed or worried
  • Certain foods
  • Feeling excited
  • Being bored
  • Having to be quiet 
  • Trying to hide them 

What makes them better? 

  • Relaxation
  • Having a good sleep routine
  • Having a safe place to return to if needed
  • Making a plan for the day 
  • Knowing the tics – when they are most likely to happen/what they are
  • Ignoring tics when possible
  • Being active

Why do we experience tics?

  • We aren’t fully sure. What we know is that mostly there isn’t one cause. 
  • There are some areas of the brain involved in movement that we think are involved. The brain controls everything our body does, made up of many parts, which have their own job. We are starting to understand that some processes in the brain, and how different parts of the brain are connected, are important. 
  • Tics are more common when other family members have them. 
  • Some children aren’t bothered by their tics. Some children feel like they are part of them and don’t want to change them. 

Some common myths about tics

  • Everyone with Tourettes blurts out obscenities
    • Fact: only a small percentage of people with Tourette Syndrome blurt out obscenities
  • Everyone who has tics also has Tourette Syndrome
    • Fact: just because a person has tics does not mean that they also have Tourette Syndrome
  • People with Tourettes can control their tics if they really want to
    • Fact: tics are involuntary and uncontrollable for someone with Tourette Syndrome
  • Tic disorders are caused by an unhappy childhood
    • Fact: Tic disorders are not brought on by an unhappy childhood
  • Tics only occur in children
    • Fact: tics can occur in children, adolescents, adults and the elderly
  • Tic disorders are extremely rare
    • Fact: Tic disorders have a relatively high prevalence
  • Everyone with Tourette Syndrome has anger management issues
    • Fact: Individuals with Tourettes may have angry outbursts but do not always have anger management issues. 
  • If I can’t see the tics, they must be doing better
    • Fact: When tics are lessened, it does not mean that the Tic disorder has gone or that the condition has been resolved. 
  • People with Tic disorders can’t lead normal lives
    • Fact: Individuals with Tic disorders can lead full and fulfilling lives

Tics can occur alongside other difficulties such as:

  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Sleep difficulties

What to do about tics

Many people find that tics go away without any intervention and they are nothing to worry about.  There is no need to get a diagnosis or seek support for tics if nobody is bothered about them.  Try not to draw attention to the tics if possible, and just carry on as normal.

Access to support

As a Health Board, we offer guidance, advice and support through psychoeducation. Psychoeducation is helping children and young people, families and professionals to understand tics, how they can affect people differently and where to go for more help and support.  If you do want to know more, or tics are troublesome then here is how you can go about getting more information and support:

  • GPs and School Nurses can give you general Psychoeducation about tics.  
  • CAMHS Early Help Practitioners may be able to provide information to schools, parents and carers as well as children and young people. 
  • You may also be able to access Tic Psychoeducation Groups for children and young people with tics, which include mindfulness and other strategies to help cope with tics, through your local service. 

You can also access some amazing tools, resources and information by following the links below:

Tourettes Action (tourettes-action.org.uk)

Home - Tourette Association of America

Leaky Brakes :: Tic Management Toolbox

Tics can be common in young people who also have signs and symptoms of other mental health and/or neurodevelopmental conditions including anxiety, OCD, ADHD and/or Autism.  It can be helpful to seek support if you feel this may be something impacting on your child.  You can access information, advice and guidance from your local CAMHS and Neurodevelopmental services.

High Level Support

For children and young people who are experiencing more severe tics that are impacting on their education, social life, family life, or are causing pain, some services offer Comprehensive Behavioural Interventions for Tics (CBIT).  This can include Habit Reversal Training, Exposure with Response Prevention and preventative strategies.  CBIT, HRT, habit reversal therapy, behavior therapy

It is important to note: It is only in very rare cases medication is offered and only if other support is unsuitable or has been unsuccessful.