A tic is a sudden, rapid movement of some of the muscles in the body. Motor tics frequently involve the head, central body, legs, and arms.
Vocal tics can include sounds such as grunts, barks, sniffs, snorts, coughs and obscenities.
This tic disorder is diagnosed when a child has several motor tics and at least one vocal tic that occur over and over and don't serve any purpose. It commonly appears around seven years of age and occurs more often in males than females. Symptoms are usually present for life but the severity of Tourette's varies a great deal over time and improvement can occur during late adolescence and in adulthood. Teens with Tourette's Syndrome often have additional problems with obsessions, compulsions, hyperactivity, distractibility and impulsiveness. A comprehensive medical evaluation can determine whether a youngster has Tourette's Syndrome or another tic disorder.