Tic

A tic is when a person makes sounds or movements without wanting to. He cannot control his body well.

There are two types of tics: vocal tics and motor tics. One suffers from motor tics when he blinks his eyes, blinks his nose, tosses his head or makes faces. Vocal tics are sounds, words or phrases that you make uncontrollably.

Many people who are affected suffer from their tics. They worry that others might find them strange. Children with tics are sometimes teased or ostracised because they are different.

When a person has many different tics, it is called Tourette's syndrome. It was named after the French neurologist Gilles de la Tourette, who conducted research on the disorder in the 19th century. It is estimated that about one in 100 people in the world suffers from Tourette's syndrome. The disorder usually begins in childhood. For some people, the tics become less severe as they grow up. However, most people have to cope with it for the rest of their lives. People with Tourette's usually have a second disorder. This is often ADHD.