What Are Tics? A Parent’s Guide to Understanding Motor and Vocal Tics
If your child is blinking, clearing their throat, jerking their head, or making repeated movements or sounds they “can’t stop,” you may be wondering whether it’s a habit, anxiety, or something else. These symptoms can be confusing for families. Here’s what parents need to know about tics.
What Exactly Are Tics?
Tics are sudden, brief, repetitive movements or sounds that a child feels driven to perform. The best description is that they are semi-voluntary or “involuntary.” Children aren’t choosing them, but they can sometimes suppress tics for short periods with effort.
Most children with tics experience a premonitory urge, which is a buildup of tension, pressure, or discomfort in the body that is relieved by doing the tic. This makes tics neurologically driven but also influenced by stress, excitement, fatigue, and environment.
Tics typically begin in childhood, usually between ages 4–6, and often peak around ages 10–12. The good news? Nearly 80% of children see improvement by adulthood.
Motor Tics vs. Vocal Tics
There are two main categories of tics:
Motor Tics (Movements)
These involve the body’s muscles and may include:
• eye blinking
• facial grimacing
• shoulder shrugging
• head or neck jerks
• tapping, jumping, or body movements
Vocal Tics (Sounds)
These involve the throat, mouth, or airway:
• sniffing
• grunting
• throat clearing
• humming
• repeating words or phrases
Tics can be simple (short, quick, isolated) or complex (longer patterns or sequences).
How Are Tics Different From Tourette Syndrome?
A common misunderstanding is that every child with tics has Tourette Syndrome. This is not true. A child may have motor tics, vocal tics, or both without meeting criteria for Tourette’s. Tourette Syndrome affects about 3–8 children per 1,000, making it far less common than short-term or mild tic presentations.
Tourette Syndrome (TS)
To diagnose Tourette Syndrome, a child must have:
• multiple motor tics, and
• at least one vocal tic
• with tics lasting more than one year
• beginning before age 18
Common Myths About Tourette Syndrome
Myth #1: Everyone with Tourette blurts out obscenities.
Fact: Coprolalia (involuntary swearing) occurs in only about 10% of people with TS. Media portrayals greatly exaggerate this symptom.
Myth #2: People with TS could stop if they tried harder.
Fact: Tics are neurological and involuntary. Some children can hold them back briefly, but this requires intense effort. Behavioral therapies can help manage tics but will not “cure” them.
Myth #3: If tics aren’t visible, the person must be getting better.
Fact: Children can sometimes suppress or hide tics in social situations, but suppression increases fatigue and mental strain. A lack of visible tics does not necessarily mean improvement.
Myth #4: Tourette Syndrome is caused by stress or poor parenting.
Fact: TS is a neurological condition with strong genetic influences. Stress can make tics more frequent, but it is not the cause.
Are Tics Related to OCD?
Tics and compulsions can look similar, but their internal drivers differ:
• Tics are triggered by a physical urge and performed to relieve discomfort.
• Compulsions (OCD) are triggered by an intrusive thought or fear and performed to reduce anxiety.
Some children experience overlapping symptoms (sometimes called “Tourettic OCD”), so a trained clinician may be needed to differentiate the two.
What Is CBIT? A Brief Parent-Friendly Overview
If tics are causing discomfort, embarrassment, or challenges at school or home, the most effective behavioral treatment is CBIT, or Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics.
CBIT is typically an 8–11 session treatment that teaches children:
• how to recognize the feeling that comes before a tic
• how to use a competing response (a movement or action that makes the tic harder to perform)
• how to identify triggers that increase tic frequency
• how to use relaxation strategies to reduce overall tic intensity
CBIT does not attempt to “force” tics away. Instead, it gives children real, practical tools to manage urges, reduce tic frequency, and regain a sense of control. Many children experience meaningful improvement — not because their tics disappear entirely, but because they learn skills that make daily life more comfortable.
At Thriving Minds Behavioral Health, we offer CBIT treatment for children and teens with tics and Tourette Syndrome. If your child is experiencing tics and you’d like support, our trained specialist can help. Call our office to schedule an appointment or learn more about our CBIT program.