Tics and Tic Disorders: Recognising & Supporting

Plenty of teachers have told a child off for rolling their eyes or clearing their throat, only to find out later it was a tic. Tics are involuntary and neurological. Tourette's syndrome is about as common as autism, around one child in 100, and only a small minority have the swearing tics people expect.

Once you know what you're looking at, responding well gets much easier. You'll learn the different kinds of tic, including hidden ones like tensing the stomach, and why they flare up with stress or excitement (Christmas included). You'll also understand the conditions that often come with them, such as ADHD, OCD and anxiety. Then the practical side: seating, a safe place to go, a school passport, and never singling a child out.

Your guide is a chartered research psychologist who spent years at the charity Tourette's Action.