Treatments that combine behavioral therapy with other supports — often involving the family — are proving to be especially effective for children and teenagers with mental health disorders. Tics and Tourette’s are a good example: An approach called comprehensive behavioral intervention for tics (CBIT) adds several elements to the standard behavioral treatment, and the results are encouraging.

This week at childmind.org, we take a deeper look at CBIT. It starts with habit reversal therapy (HRT), which has for many years been the recommended treatment when tics are causing problems for kids. But CBIT adds family engagement to help identify and make changes in situations that are triggering for a child, as well as relaxation techniques to reduce the stress that makes tics worse. This week we also offer a closer look at the different tic disorders, including Tourette’s, and how to tell whether a child who’s developed a tic needs treatment, since tics often go away over time. And because tic disorders often coincide with other common mental health diagnoses, we have information how to support kids who also have anxiety, ADHD, or OCD. Finally, we discuss how to help kids handle embarrassment.

– Caroline Miller, Editorial Director | ✉