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Stimulant medicines that are used in ADHD can increase or cause tics in some individuals, or reduce tics in others as a result of treating the ADHD.
If your child experiences tics, you should discuss this with the specialist in charge of treatment.
It may be better to tolerate a certain degree of increased tic activity when taking these medicines, if it means that learning and relationships improve.

Some non-drug treatments help with the intensity of the tics – but what works for one child may not work for another.
•     Medication: all drugs have side-effects and none is a cure for Tourette’s. Some take several days to have any noticeable effect. Your doctor may need to adjust the dose several times to get it to the level that helps most.
•     Exercises: your child may be asked to 'practise the tics'. This means doing them deliberately, with your support, repeatedly. This method can help your child remain tic-free for longer.
•     Sport: another method is to find a sport or extracurricular activity that helps. Precise and controlled activities, such as karate, have helped some children.
•     Relaxation therapy: this can help your child, if tics are worse when he is under pressure. Simple exercises he can learn to do himself are best, such as breathing exercises to control stress.
•     Behaviour treatments: there are a range of behavioural treatments aimed at helping your child to control tics more effectively. Some of these look promising in research.


Getting support from other parents and families who have a child with Tourette’s can make life better for you.
Children need help to make friends, and they will benefit from meeting other children with TS.
Parents often note their child manages to hold on to some of his tics at school, but then ‘explodes’ at home with the build up.
This can make life hard for everyone, including siblings, who also need help and support.
Tourettes Action can offer information and details of local support.