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Tics & Tourette’s Syndrome 

What are Tics?   

Tics are a neurological condition that causes a young person to make sudden, rapid, non-rhythmic repetitive sounds (vocal tics) or movements (motor tics) which they do not choose to make nor can control.   

What can Tics look like?   

Sound (vocal tics) can include:   

Movement (motor tics) can include:  

It is common for tics to become intensified when young people are in certain environments such as being stressed, nervous, excited, anxious or tired. On the other hand, some can suppress their tics until they are in a safe environment, which can then result in lots of tics occurring within a short space of time.   

Tics are likely to come and go (wax and wane), change over time and can go away on their own accord. For some young people tics do not impact their ability to function or engage in daily life but for others they can cause severe distress.   

  • Provisional tic disorder; brief motor or vocal tics that typically last less than 1 year.   
  • Persistent motor/vocal tic disorder; either vocal or motor tics are present for longer than 1 year.   

Tourette syndrome is a neurodevelopmental condition that causes a young person to make sudden, repetitive sound (vocal) and multiple movements (motor). It is a type of Tic disorder 

For more information or support for tics, please look at the below resources: