When To Worry About Your Kid's Facial And Body Tics

Pearce recommends parents focus on other things, like the child’s positive skills and attributes. “I always try to tell parents that there’s nothing wrong with your child. He has a neurological disorder, a condition that causes these involuntary movements and sounds, but he’s still your kid and your kid is full of lots of gifts and talents,” she says. “Those are the things we need to focus on, because if we identify it as a tic condition versus a child who happens to have tics, then it can impact their self-esteem.”

This is particularly important because it can help kids talk about their tic with their peers. “The confident child can just say, ‘Oh, my body can’t help it. But there’s nothing wrong with me.’” Since stress can exacerbate tics, rather than avoiding stressful situations, Pearce also suggests teaching kids strategies to cope with stress.