Tourette and Tic Disorders Program

At Phoenix Children’s, your child never has to feel alone when coping with Tourette and tic disorders. Our designation as a Tourette Association of America Center of Excellence recognizes our consistently exceptional level of clinical care.

If your child has symptoms or a diagnosis of Tourette syndrome or other tic disorders, our multispecialty team can help. Barrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children’s is home to the world-class Tic and Tourette Syndrome Program. We are recognized as a Center of Excellence by the Tourette Association of America and work closely with the Tourette Association of America Arizona Chapter. Our dedicated team also helps support several Tourette’s awareness and advocacy events in the community. 

We treat Tourette syndrome (Tourette’s) and other complex nervous system disorders. Tourette syndrome is a chronic tic disorder. Children with these conditions experience mild or severe tics, which are sudden, involuntary sounds or repetitive motions. A child with Tourette’s may have tics such as continual throat-clearing, blinking or blurting out words they didn’t mean to say. 

Tourette’s can affect learning, socializing and development during the critical growing years. We understand this challenging condition and treat each child with kindness and one-to-one care. Our doctors will evaluate your child and create an individualized plan to manage their Tourette syndrome and related neuropsychiatric conditions. 

We address the array of questions and concerns that each family may have based on their child’s unique history and symptoms. Our team includes specialized movement disorder neurologists with expertise in diagnosing and managing complex tic disorders and Tourette syndrome. 

We also have health care professionals able to offer Comprehensive Behavior Intervention for Tics (CBIT). We provide referrals to Mental and Behavioral Health providers at Phoenix Children’s and in the community, as appropriate, for evaluation and management of conditions that often impact the frequency and intensity of tics such as ADHD, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, autism spectrum disorder and other conditions.

Tourette’s is typically diagnosed in school-aged children. At Phoenix Children’s, we make every effort to evaluate and identify kids with Tourette’s and related disorders as early as possible. This allows us to offer your child personalized and helpful solutions before Tourette’s interferes with important developmental processes and milestones. 

We take a whole-child approach to care, collectively creating a treatment plan that best fits your child and family. Our doctors use these and other types of therapies:

• Medical therapies
• Injection therapies, such as botulinum toxin injections
• Comprehensive behavioral intervention for tics (CBIT)
• Family and school support in collaboration with the Tourette Association of America Arizona Chapter
• Deep brain stimulation (DBS) for certain severe conditions

We help your child learn to understand and manage their Tourette syndrome and live life to its fullest. In some instances, Tourette symptoms get milder or even go away without requiring treatment. For some children, symptoms may temporarily get worse during their transitional adolescent years. Our team is here to help your child at any age and continue consultation or care as needed into adolescence and adulthood.