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

If these strategies don’t work, then the next level of treatment is to try what’s called comprehensive behavioural intervention for tics (CBIT).

“CBIT is behaviour therapy where children learn how to manage their tics with more stress management strategies, as well as a component that’s called competing behaviour,” explains Pearce. The competing behaviour technique is best done with the assistance of a therapist specifically trained in CBIT she says. Access to this treatment has become more widespread in recent years with online programs.

The method involves teaching the kid to become more aware of when the urge to tic is coming on, using relaxation training and making changes to daily activities to reduce tics as well as finding a “competing response”—a different movement or breathing technique meant to replace the old behaviour. Doja notes that CBIT can only be used for kids over age nine who are motivated to use this to lessen their tics.