Quick Guide to Tourette’s Disorder

Tourette’s disorder is a neurological disorder that causes children to make movements and sounds they cannot control. These are called tics. Tics usually happen suddenly and last no more than a second or two, but sometimes tics can be more complex and look more like actions people take on purpose. Kids with Tourette’s disorder have both motor tics (movements) and vocal tics (sounds). If a child has just one or the other, they are diagnosed with chronic motor or vocal tic disorder instead. 

Common tics include blinking, twitching, animal noises, coughing, throat clearing, and repeating words. A very small number of children have a vocal tic that causes them to curse or say inappropriate things. This is called coprolalia. 

To be diagnosed with Tourette’s disorder, a child must have regular motor and vocal tics for at least a year. These tics may come and go. 

Children with Tourette’s disorder usually start having tics around seven to ten years old. Tics usually get worse during the teenage years. Motor tics often show up before vocal tics. 

Common motor tics include: 

• Blinking 
• Twitching 
• Shrugging 
• Frowning 

Common vocal tics include: 

• Coughing 
• Clearing their throat 
• Repeating words 
• Humming 
• Sniffing 
• Animal noises

Tics usually get worse when the child is stressed. Some kids with Tourette’s disorder also get very angry suddenly and have trouble controlling their behavior. 

To be diagnosed with Tourette’s disorder, a child must have regular motor and vocal tics for more than a year. The tics might come and go, but they are rarely gone for more than a few months at a time. 

Tics must begin before age 18 for a person to be diagnosed with Tourette’s disorder. Boys are diagnosed about twice as often as girls. 

Tourette’s disorder cannot be cured. However, it can be treated with behavioral therapy and/or medication.  

The most common behavioral therapy for tic disorders is called comprehensive behavioral intervention for tics (CBIT). It involves: 

• Teaching the child to recognize the feeling before a tic. 
• Helping the child understand what situations cause their tics. 
• Practicing doing something different when they know they will have a tic. This action will be something that is not as obvious to others. For example, a child whose tic is sniffing can learn to do a breathing exercise instead.  

There are several medications that a doctor can prescribe to help control tics. Neuroleptic medications and medications called alpha agonists are most common. Children who take medication should be monitored by an experienced medical professional. 

It’s common for children with Tourette’s disorder to experience other mental health disorders. These conditions can include attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).