I Think My Child Has Tourette Syndrome but How Can I Be Sure?

You may notice that your child blinks too frequently, shrugs repetitively, or often clears their throat. These tics (and others) are worrisome and scary because they could be signs of Tourette syndrome.

The first thing to know is that tics are common and often temporary. One in five children have transient tics that appear out of the blue and go away just as suddenly.

However, that doesn’t mean you should wait to see if they disappear. An early neurology assessment can help identify potential problems and begin treatment to manage symptoms.

Everyone on our THINK Neurology for Kids team — Shaun S. Varghese, MD, Cristina R. Marchesano, MD, Lorena Herbert, MD, Barbara Kiersz-Mueller, DO, Lauren Weaver, MD, Alicia Walls, MD, Sundeep Mandava, MD, Patricia DeForest DO, Robby Korah, FNP-C, Jennifer E. Martin, CPNP-PC, Tammy DeLaGarza, FNP-C, and Heather King, CPNP-PC — has extensive experience working with tic disorders and Tourette syndrome.

We’re available to answer your questions, provide comprehensive assessments, and work with you and your child to support their long-term well-being.

Tourette syndrome vs. tic disorders

A tic is a sudden, repetitive sound or movement (vocal and motor tics, respectively). Tics typically appear between the ages of 5 to 7.

In many cases (but not always), children first have a motor tic causing movement in the head and neck area.

Having a tic does not automatically mean your child has Tourette syndrome. Their tic may permanently disappear. Additionally, tics are symptoms of three conditions:

Tourette syndrome

Your child may have Tourette syndrome if they have at least two motor tics and one vocal tic and they’ve had the tics for at least one year. (The tics don’t always occur at the same time.)

Persistent motor or vocal tic disorder

If your child has this disorder, they have had motor or vocal tics (not both) for more than one year.

Provisional tic disorder

Children with provisional tic disorder have motor and/or vocal tics for less than one year. As a result, they don’t meet the diagnostic criteria for Tourette syndrome.

Recognizing Tourette symptoms

In addition to vocal and motor (muscle) tics, tics can be simple or complex. A simple tic involves one sound or movement, while a complex tic involves coordinated movements using several muscle groups.

Simple vocal tics include:

• Humming
• Grunting
• Squealing
• Barking
• Repeating words
• Clearing their throat

Simple motor tics include:

• Blinking
• Grimacing
• Shrugging their shoulders
• Biting their lip
• Jerking their arms
• Jerking their head

Complex vocal tics include:

• Saying phrases instead of making simple sounds
• Repeating words or phrases spoken by others (echolalia)
• Using vulgar or swear words (coprolalia)

Coprolalia is uncommon (despite being one of the most well-known tics). Echolalia is common, especially when children are learning to speak. If it continues after their speech skills develop, it may be a tic associated with Tourette syndrome or another developmental disability.

Complex motor tics include:

• Shoulder shrugs together with grimacing
• Twisting
• Hopping
• Jumping

Single movements like twisting, hopping, and jumping are complex because they involve multiple muscle groups.

How parents can help

You can’t know for sure that your child has Tourette syndrome until they have an evaluation. However, parents’ insight and information about their child’s tics and behaviors are essential in the diagnostic process.

The first step is learning about Tourette syndrome symptoms. The next step is to make notes about the details. Diagnosing Tourette requires information such as:

• The types of tics
• How often tics occur
• How long the tic lasts
• The tic’s severity (hard to notice or severe enough to draw attention)
• Circumstances that may trigger the tic (stress, fatigue, and excitement are common triggers)

It’s common for tics to come and go. The tic type and frequency may change. These changes could occur without an apparent reason. Or the changes may be associated with different triggers.

Tics caused by Tourette syndrome may also change with age. Children’s symptoms may worsen until around 12, then improve or disappear during adolescence. For others, tics persist throughout adulthood.

Caring treatment for tics and Tourette syndrome

At any age, we provide treatments that help children overcome Tourette syndrome and control their tics. However, the earlier the treatment, the sooner they can stop worrying about embarrassing tics during school or socializing.

Call THINK Neurology for Kids today or use an online booking option to request an appointment to learn more about tics and Tourette syndrome.