Supporting Someone with Tourette Syndrome: A Practical Guide

A worker asks someone to "try to stop" a vocal tic during a quiet moment in a shared space, meaning well, hoping to help. It's one of the most common and unhelpful things said to someone with Tourette syndrome, because tics aren't a habit a person can simply choose to switch off. Understanding that properly changes the whole tone of how a worker responds.

What are tics, and are they voluntary?

Tics are sudden, repetitive movements or sounds, motor tics like blinking, shoulder shrugging or head jerking, and vocal tics like grunting, throat clearing or, less commonly, more complex vocalisations. They're involuntary. A person can sometimes suppress a tic for a short period, but doing so takes real, tiring effort and often builds pressure that leads to a more intense tic once suppression is released. Asking someone to just stop misunderstands the basic mechanism of what a tic actually is.

What conditions commonly occur alongside Tourette syndrome?

ADHD, obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety are all common co-occurring conditions, and they frequently cause more day-to-day difficulty than the tics themselves. Good support usually needs to address executive function, focus, anxiety management and compulsive behaviours alongside tic-related support, not treat Tourette syndrome as if tics are the whole picture.

How should a worker actually respond when someone tics?

With neutrality. That means not drawing attention to a tic, not reacting visibly with surprise or discomfort, and not commenting on it or asking the person to control it. Neutral, unbothered acknowledgement, treating a tic as an ordinary, unremarkable part of the person, tends to be far more helpful than either awkwardly ignoring an obvious tic or making it into a moment.

What social challenges come up often?

Public reactions, staring, teasing, being asked to explain or apologise for a tic, are a recurring part of life with Tourette syndrome, and they can shape a person's confidence and willingness to go out into public spaces over time. A worker's role here is genuine, calm support, stepping in where needed without over-reacting or making the person feel like their tics are a problem that needs managing on other people's behalf.

What actually helps day to day?

• Education and environmental modification, reducing situations that increase stress or tic frequency where reasonably possible
• Treating co-occurring conditions like ADHD, OCD and anxiety as genuinely important, not secondary to the tics
• Behavioural approaches like habit reversal training, delivered by a qualified professional, which are considered a first-line option for people who want active tic management
• Consistent, neutral responses from everyone around the person, so a tic is treated the same way by every worker, not singled out by some and ignored by others

How CORA's course fits into this

CORA's course Tourette Syndrome: Understanding & Support, part of the Disability Understanding & Daily Life stream in the course library, covers working with tics rather than against them, recognising the involuntary nature of tics, the variation between individuals, and common co-occurring conditions, with neutrality from the worker as the central discipline and support through the social challenges that often shape the lived experience. It builds a worker's understanding and judgement, and does not replace a clinician's specific treatment plan.

To map this alongside the rest of the Disability Understanding stream for a team, try the Pathway Builder, free and no sign-up required, or request a demo.

Sources and further reading

• Info and support, Tourette Syndrome Association of Australia
• Managing Tourette and tic disorders: a guide for care providers, Tourette Association of America

This page is general information for support workers and providers, not clinical advice. Always follow the person's own preferences, support plan and current clinical guidance.