Let Us Learn About the Tic Disorder in Children

A part of the body that moves repeatedly, quickly, suddenly or uncontrollably is caused due to the persistence of a problem often referred as a Tic Disorder. A Tic can affect any part of the body ranging from the shoulders, hands, legs, face etc. One can voluntarily stop the occurrence of Tics for a short period. Throat clearing is an involuntary sound and is known as Vocal Tics. Some tics cannot be noticed easily while others have a frequency and severity of affecting various parts of the child's life and health.

Transient Tic disorder is the most common and affects almost 10% of the child population in the early school years. Sometimes the tics may be misinterpreted to be the outcomes of stress and nervousness. Some of the transient tics fade away on their own while others tend to get worst due to the existence of fatigue, anxiety and medications.

Chronic tics are the ones that last for more than a year. 1% of the child population is usually affected by the chronic tics and this can be associated to a very unusual condition termed as "Tourette's Disorder."

Tourette's disorder is characterized by vocal and body tics. Some tics disappear as the child grows while others continue to exist. The children suffering with this disorder tend to have attention issues, some of the learning disabilities resulting in an impulsive, obsessive and compulsive behavior. There are instances when children suffering from Tourette's disorder have blurted obscene words, insults, obscene gestures and movements. One cannot blame these children for such words or movements as they are beyond their control. Parents and teachers should not punish the children for such acts as this may affect the child's self-esteem resulting in the drastic increase in their respective distress. Likewise, peers of the child should refrain from teasing the child for such unpleasant acts that are beyond the control of the child.

One needs a comprehensive evaluation of the condition with a blend of pediatric and neurological consultation for the same. A psychiatrist specialized in child and an adolescent is the best person to rely on as he is the expert who can determine whether the child has a Tourette's disorder or no. Medication is the treatment given to control the symptoms. Parents and the family members have to be guided upon providing a strong emotional support to the child accompanied by a friendly, educational environment.