Question About Tics

It can be hard to tell. Usually, I'll know when I tell our son to stop doing something that's annoying and he says he can't help it. Other times, I'll notice that he's doing the same thing repeatedly. He's never doing the actions to get a reaction from anyone (for instance, he doesn't laugh back if someone laughs at what he's doing). Snapping fingers and clapping are ones we've seen. Our son also has hand movements, facial tics, a throat clearing tic and a jumping tic. It tends to shift over time.

In your situation (assuming you're a teacher?), you might just email the parents to mention behaviors you're noticing in class and ask if it's a tic. I would gladly tell the teacher what I think is/is not a tic with our son. I'd much rather her ask than bench our son at recess for annoying behavior he can't control in class.

My son says it's like when someone tells you to NOT clear your throat - you instantly want to do it.

So for him it was "voluntary" yet like an irresistible urge.

He had strep many times when he was little and I think it was related to that (PANDAS). As we got his immune system straightened out they seemed to go away.

So glad he doesn't have them anymore (his were vocal-ish).

my dad has tourettes, and so do several of my brothers. mild in all cases, but you can see it advancing as they get older.
all of them can control it when they think about it.
the main way that i know of to tell if it's intentional or involuntary is to watch for stressful situations. i see lots of head jerking and finger twiddling in idle moments, but it ramps up to warp speed under stress.
the tics don't bug me as much as the throat clearing and snorfling. my dad would always get this big sheepish grin when he'd hear mumsie's exasperated 'keith! QUIT IT!!!!'
khairete
S.