Tourette syndrome

Also called Tourette's, Tic disorder

Involuntary movements and sounds. Only around one in ten swear, and suppressing tics costs more than most people realise.

What it is

Around 1 in 100 school-age children have Tourette syndrome or another tic disorder. The popular image, uncontrollable swearing, applies to roughly 10% of them, and it has distorted public understanding beyond repair.

Tourette's means multiple motor tics and at least one vocal tic, present for over a year, starting in childhood. Tics are involuntary but preceded by a premonitory urge, an uncomfortable building sensation that is only relieved by performing the tic. People describe it as needing to sneeze.

Tics can be suppressed briefly, and that is why teachers see a child holding it together in class and exploding at home. Suppression is exhausting and it is not a solution.

Signs you might notice

Motor tics: blinking, head jerking, shoulder shrugging, facial grimacing, and more complex sequences.

Vocal tics: throat clearing, sniffing, grunting, repeated words.

Tics that wax and wane, change over time, and worsen with stress, excitement and fatigue.

Frequently alongside ADHD, OCD and anxiety, which often affect life more than the tics do.

How it can affect day-to-day life

The social cost is heavier than the physical one. Children get told off for tics, sent out of exams, stared at in public, and learn to stay home.

Suppression at school followed by a tic storm at home is the pattern families describe most, and schools rarely believe it.

Some tics cause real physical harm: neck injuries, self-hitting, and painful muscle strain.

Most children see their tics reduce substantially by their early twenties, which is worth telling families early.

Supporting someone well

Ignore tics. Do not comment, do not remind, do not ask the person to stop. Attention increases them.

Never punish a tic, and make sure the school knows in writing.

Reduce stress and fatigue, which are the reliable amplifiers.

Give a discreet exit: permission to leave a room without asking, and a quiet place to tic freely.

Ask about CBIT, comprehensive behavioural intervention for tics, which has good evidence and limited availability. Ask anyway.

Treat the co-occurring conditions. ADHD and OCD are usually the bigger day-to-day problem and are more treatable.

Fiducia Life offers a Calm Room and a place to record how days went, which helps identify the pattern behind a bad week.

Where to get help

Ask a GP for referral to a paediatrician or neurologist with an interest in tics.

Tourettes Action run a helpline and provide school resources, including material that explains suppression to teachers.

Tics that cause injury need urgent specialist assessment.