{"h1":"Worrying About Tourette Syndrome in a 12–18-Month-Old","faq":[{"a":"No. Tourette Syndrome is recognised only when both motor and vocal tics persist for over a year, and tics typically begin around 4 to 8 years of age. At 12–18 months it cannot be meaningfully identified, and the repetitive movements toddlers make are almost always normal development.","q":"Can a 1-year-old be diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome?"},{"a":"Almost certainly not. Blinking, nose-scrunching, repeating sounds and hand-flapping are common ways toddlers explore their bodies and practise for speech. They usually come and go and fade within weeks. If anything persists or worries you, mention it at a routine developmental check.","q":"My toddler blinks a lot and makes repeated sounds — are these tics?"},{"a":"Focus on everyday milestones: responding to their name, babbling, pointing or gesturing by around 12 months, eye contact and shared smiling. Seek prompt medical review for staring spells with unresponsiveness or unusual stiffening or jerking that seems beyond their control.","q":"What should I actually be watching at this age?"}],"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-i-worry-that-my-12-to-18-month-old-might-have-tourette-syndrome","title":"When should I worry about Tourette Syndrome in a 12–18-month-old?","entity":{"key":"tourette","kind":"condition","name":"Tourette Syndrome","slug":"tourette-syndrome"},"lenses":[{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Parent","value":"parent"},{"kind":"age","label":"Toddler-12-18","value":"toddler-12-18"},{"kind":"domain","label":"Motor","value":"motor"},{"kind":"intent","label":"Concern","value":"concern"},{"kind":"lifecycle","label":"Screen","value":"screen"},{"kind":"route","label":"Special-Education","value":"special-education"},{"kind":"empowerment","label":"Early Clarity","value":"early_clarity"}],"parent":{"key":"conditions","label":"Conditions"},"related":[{"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-i-worry-that-my-6-to-9-month-old-might-have-tourette-syndrome","title":"When should I worry about Tourette Syndrome in my 6-to-9-month-old?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-i-worry-that-my-2-year-old-might-have-tourette-syndrome","title":"When should I worry that my 2-year-old might have Tourette Syndrome?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-i-worry-that-my-18-to-24-month-old-might-have-tourette-syndrome","title":"When to worry about Tourette Syndrome at 18–24 months"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-early-signs-of-tourette-syndrome-in-a-12-to-18-month-old","title":"Early Signs of Tourette Syndrome in a 12-to-18-Month-Old"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-early-signs-of-tourette-syndrome-in-a-18-to-24-month-old","title":"Early signs of Tourette Syndrome in an 18–24-month-old"},{"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-i-worry-that-my-9-to-12-month-old-might-have-tourette-syndrome","title":"When should I worry that my 9-to-12-month-old might have Tourette Syndrome?"}],"summary":"Tourette Syndrome cannot be meaningfully identified at 12–18 months — it is recognised only when motor and vocal tics persist beyond a year, typically from age 4–8. Toddlers' repetitive blinks, sounds and movements are almost always normal exploration, not tics. The right step now is a warm general developmental check, and only a Pinnacle clinician can assess, never an online form.","answer_md":"*If your toddler blinks hard, scrunches their nose or makes a sudden little sound, it's natural to wonder about Tourette Syndrome — and the honest, reassuring answer is that this age is far too early for that worry.*\n\n## In short\nAt 12 to 18 months, [Tourette Syndrome](https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/tourette-syndrome) is not something that can be meaningfully identified — and it would be unusual and not clinically appropriate to think about it now. Tourette Syndrome (ICD-11 8A05.00) involves both motor and vocal tics that persist for over a year, and by definition it is only recognised when tics begin in childhood, most commonly between about **4 and 8 years** of age. Toddlers make many sudden, repetitive movements as part of normal development — these are almost never tics. So the kind answer is: there is nothing to worry about regarding Tourette's at this age.\n\n## What's actually normal at this age\nBetween 12 and 18 months, lots of busy, repetitive little behaviours are simply how toddlers explore their bodies and the world:\n\n- **Blinking, nose-scrunching or face-pulling** — often experimenting with how their face moves\n- **Repeating sounds, squeals or babble** — practising for speech\n- **Hand-flapping, head-shaking or rocking when excited or tired** — common self-regulation\n- **Brief repeated movements** that come and go and fade within weeks\n\nThese are typical and usually pass. Tics, by contrast, are a later-childhood pattern, and a single diagnosis is never made from one behaviour or at this young age.\n\n## What is worth a gentle check (and it isn't Tourette's)\nRather than watching for tics, this is the age to keep an eye on the everyday milestones — and to mention anything to your paediatrician if you notice it:\n\n- Not responding to their name or to familiar voices\n- No babbling, pointing or gesturing by around 12 months\n- Loss of skills they once had\n- Little eye contact or shared smiling\n- Staring spells with unresponsiveness, or unusual stiffening or jerking that seems out of their control — these warrant **prompt medical review** to rule out other causes, not therapy first\n\n## The Pinnacle way\nA clinical [AbilityScore®](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated) and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre, under qualified clinician care — never from an online form or a checklist. For a toddler this age, the right step is a warm, general [developmental check](/developmental-screening) that looks at communication, movement and play as a whole — not a search for a label that doesn't belong to these years. If anything ever feels genuinely out of the ordinary, our clinicians will listen and guide you calmly.\n\n## Trusted sources\nWHO ICD-11 (8A05.00, Tourette Syndrome); American Academy of Pediatrics developmental milestones guidance (healthychildren.org); CDC milestone tracking for the second year (cdc.gov).\n\n**Next step —** If you'd simply like reassurance about how your little one is growing, [book a developmental check](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/enroll-autism-speech-aba-therapies-india) with a Pinnacle clinician.\n\nThis is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.","canonical":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/when-should-i-worry-that-my-12-to-18-month-old-might-have-tourette-syndrome","editorial":{"reviewed_at":"2026-06-11T20:12:18.613642+00:00","reviewed_by":null,"developed_by":"SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network"},"alternates":[{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/when-should-i-worry-that-my-12-to-18-month-old-might-have-tourette-syndrome","lang":"en","indexable":true}],"dimensions":[{"key":"conditions","label":"Conditions"}],"meta_title":"Tourette Syndrome in Toddlers: Too Early to Worry","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"Rather than scrutinising movements, enjoy plenty of back-and-forth play — copy your toddler's sounds, name what they point to, and watch them light up. This naturally nurtures the communication skills that matter most at this age.","published_at":"2026-06-10T10:58:00.048774+00:00","reading_paths":[{"key":"understand","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-does-tourette-syndrome-affect-a-child-s-daily-life","title":"How Tourette Syndrome Affects a Child's Daily Life","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-tourette-syndrome-considered-a-disability","title":"Is Tourette Syndrome Considered a Disability?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-tourette-syndrome-genetic-or-hereditary","title":"Is Tourette Syndrome Genetic or Hereditary?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-common-myths-about-tourette-syndrome","title":"What are common myths about Tourette Syndrome?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-types-or-levels-of-tourette-syndrome","title":"What are the types or levels of Tourette Syndrome?","reason":"Same 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Instead watch the everyday milestones: responding to their name, babbling, pointing, eye contact and shared smiles by around 12–15 months. Seek prompt medical review for staring spells with unresponsiveness or stiffening/jerking that seems out of their control.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://icd.who.int/","code":"8A05.00","label":"WHO ICD-11: Tourette Syndrome"},{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org/","label":"AAP HealthyChildren: developmental milestones"},{"url":"https://www.cdc.gov/","label":"CDC: milestones in the second year"}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-10T10:58:00.048774+00:00","meta_description":"Tourette Syndrome isn't identified at 12–18 months — tics appear later, around 4–8 years. Learn what's normal for toddlers and when a gentle check helps.","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}