# What To Do First After a Tourette Syndrome Diagnosis

Canonical: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/my-child-was-just-diagnosed-with-tourette-syndrome-what-should-i-do-first
Publisher: Pinnacle Blooms Network / Bharath Healthcare Laboratories Private Limited

After a Tourette Syndrome diagnosis, stay calm, learn that tics are involuntary, reduce pressure and attention around them, watch for accompanying anxiety or attention difficulties, and follow up with the diagnosing paediatrician, neurologist or child psychiatrist who manages this medical condition. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.

*A diagnosis can feel like the ground shifting — but Tourette Syndrome is a well-understood condition, and the calm, informed steps you take now matter more than any single tic.*

## In short
First, breathe — a Tourette Syndrome diagnosis is not an emergency, and most children live full, capable lives. Your first steps are simple: **learn what tics actually are** (involuntary, not deliberate), **reduce pressure and attention around the tics**, and **note whether anything else is going on** — such as anxiety, ADHD-type difficulties or obsessive habits, which often travel alongside tics. Then arrange follow-up with the clinician who made the diagnosis so you understand your child's specific picture and plan.

## Your first practical steps
- **Understand the basics.** Tics are sudden, repeated movements or sounds a child cannot fully control. They typically wax and wane, change over time, and often ease through the teenage years. Telling a child to "just stop" doesn't work and adds distress.
- **Don't make the tics the centre of attention.** Reacting, correcting or constantly watching tends to increase a child's self-consciousness. A calm, accepting home where tics are simply allowed to happen helps most.
- **Look at the whole child.** Many children with Tourette's also experience anxiety, attention difficulties, or obsessive-compulsive tendencies — and these often affect daily life *more* than the tics themselves. Note what you observe so the clinician can address it.
- **Inform school sensitively.** A short, factual conversation with teachers — that tics are involuntary, not misbehaviour — protects your child from being told off or teased, and allows small accommodations during stressful tasks.
- **Track patterns.** Notice what tends to increase tics (tiredness, excitement, stress) and what eases them. This is genuinely useful information for the care team.

## When to seek prompt medical review
Tourette Syndrome is managed under a **paediatrician, paediatric neurologist or child psychiatrist** — this is a medical condition, not therapy-first. Return promptly to that clinician if tics are painful, suddenly much worse, interfering badly with sleep, eating, learning or self-esteem, or if your child shows low mood or strong anxiety. Behavioural therapy (such as habit-reversal approaches) and, where needed, medication are decided by that medical team.

## The Pinnacle way
AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional — never from an app or online form. Where Tourette's overlaps with attention, anxiety, learning or daily-living challenges, our therapists can support the *whole child* alongside your medical team. Begin with a [developmental profile](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated), explore [behaviour and adaptive support](/behaviour-therapy), and see how a [tailored plan](/) is built around your child's strengths.

## Trusted sources
WHO ICD-11 (Tourette syndrome under tic disorders); American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org) guidance on tic disorders; NICE guidance on supporting children with neurodevelopmental and tic conditions.

**Next step —** Want support for the everyday challenges that travel alongside tics? [Book an assessment with a Pinnacle clinician](/behaviour-therapy) while continuing care with your child's doctor.

This is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.

## Sources
- WHO ICD-11 — tic disorders including Tourette syndrome: https://icd.who.int
- American Academy of Pediatrics — tic disorders guidance: https://www.healthychildren.org
- NICE — supporting children with tic and neurodevelopmental conditions: https://www.nice.org.uk

## Connected topics and perspectives
- Conditions: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/conditions
- Parent: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/stakeholder/parent
- Adaptive: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/domain/adaptive
- Support: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/intent/support
- Plan: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/lifecycle/plan
- Special Education: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/route/special-education
- Family Empowerment: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/empowerment/family_empowerment

## Related question paths

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- How Tourette Syndrome Affects a Child's Daily Life: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-does-tourette-syndrome-affect-a-child-s-daily-life
- Is Tourette Syndrome Considered a Disability?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/is-tourette-syndrome-considered-a-disability
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- Early intervention outcomes for Tourette Syndrome under 7: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-does-current-research-show-about-early-intervention-outcomes-for-tourette-syndrome-in-children-under-7
- ICD-11 Classification of Tourette Syndrome: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-is-the-icd-11-classification-for-tourette-syndrome
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### Recognise signs & concerns
- Can Tourette Syndrome be cured?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/can-tourette-syndrome-be-cured
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- Early Signs of Tourette Syndrome in a 1-Year-Old Girl: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-are-the-early-signs-of-tourette-syndrome-in-a-1-year-old-girl
- Early Signs of Tourette Syndrome in a 12-to-18-Month-Old: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-are-the-early-signs-of-tourette-syndrome-in-a-12-to-18-month-old
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- Early signs of Tourette Syndrome in a 2-year-old: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-are-the-early-signs-of-tourette-syndrome-in-a-2-year-old
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### Explore causes & influences
- Are boys more likely to have Tourette Syndrome?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/are-boys-more-likely-to-have-tourette-syndrome
- Are girls more likely to have Tourette Syndrome?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/are-girls-more-likely-to-have-tourette-syndrome
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- Tourette Syndrome in India: prevalence and public-health burden: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-is-the-prevalence-and-public-health-burden-of-tourette-syndrome-among-young-children-in-india

### Understand assessment
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- Assessing Tourette Syndrome in a Young Child: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-is-tourette-syndrome-assessed-in-a-young-child
- How Tourette Syndrome Is Assessed in Children Under 7: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-is-tourette-syndrome-assessed-in-children-under-7
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- What does an AbilityScore of 200–300 mean for a child with Tourette Syndrome?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-does-an-abilityscore-of-200-300-mean-for-a-child-with-tourette-syndrome
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- What does an AbilityScore of 600–700 mean for a child with Tourette Syndrome?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-does-an-abilityscore-of-600-700-mean-for-a-child-with-tourette-syndrome
- What does an AbilityScore of 700–800 mean for a child with Tourette Syndrome?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-does-an-abilityscore-of-700-800-mean-for-a-child-with-tourette-syndrome
- What an AbilityScore of 800-900 Means for a Child with Tourette Syndrome: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-does-an-abilityscore-of-800-900-mean-for-a-child-with-tourette-syndrome

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- Where to start getting help for a child with Tourette Syndrome: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/where-should-i-start-to-get-help-for-a-child-with-tourette-syndrome
- How Is Tourette Syndrome Medically Managed in a Child?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-is-tourette-syndrome-medically-managed-in-a-child
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- How Common Is Tourette Syndrome in Children?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-common-is-tourette-syndrome-in-children
- How do I choose the right therapy for a child with Tourette Syndrome?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-do-i-choose-the-right-therapy-for-a-child-with-tourette-syndrome
- How do I explain Tourette Syndrome to my child?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-do-i-explain-tourette-syndrome-to-my-child
- How do I support the siblings of a child with Tourette Syndrome?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-do-i-support-the-siblings-of-a-child-with-tourette-syndrome

### At home & in everyday life
- How can I support my child with Tourette Syndrome at home?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-can-i-support-my-child-with-tourette-syndrome-at-home