Tics wax and wane — they''ll get worse and better in cycles your whole life. The aim is not to "stop" the tics but to live well alongside them.
Day-to-day what helps
- Sleep — tiredness is a huge trigger
- Regular meals — hunger and low blood sugar worsen tics
- Exercise — burns off the urge and helps focus
- Reduced screen time before bed
- Quiet decompression time after school
Evidence-based therapies
- CBIT (Comprehensive Behavioural Intervention for Tics) — teaches awareness of the urge and a competing response. -recommended.
- Habit Reversal Therapy (similar)
- Exposure & Response Prevention for OCD if present
Medication
Considered when tics significantly impact daily life. Options include alpha-agonists (clonidine, guanfacine) and antipsychotics. Discuss carefully with a paediatric neurologist — side effects are real.
What does NOT help
- Telling them to "just stop"
- Mocking, mimicking or punishing tics
- Removing all stress (tics need to live in the real world — building coping skills matters)
- Restrictive diets (no good evidence)
For the child
- Tics don't define them
- Many famous people have TS
- The tics they have now may not be the tics they have next year