In diagnosing Tourette’s syndrome, the first stage is to rule out other possible causes of your child’s symptoms.
Other possible causes include:
- allergies - if they are sniffing and coughing
- vision problems - if they are blinking more than usual
It is also necessary to rule out other conditions that can cause tic-like behaviours such as
- autistic spectrum disorder - a developmental disorder that causes problems with social interaction, learning and behaviour, and may have mannerisms or stereotypies (repetitive movements) which can be mistaken for tics
- dystonia - a condition that causes involuntary muscle spasms
To help rule out these conditions, your child may be referred to a number of experts such as:
- a neurologist - a doctor who specialises in treating conditions that affect the brain and nervous system
- a psychiatrist - a doctor who specialises in treating mental health conditions
- an educational or clinical psychologist - healthcare professionals who works with children who have learning, developmental or behavioural difficulties
Brain-imaging scans can also be used to check for any brain or nervous system abnormalities that could suggest a neurological cause for your child’s symptoms, other than Tourette’s syndrome. However, most children with tics or Tourette’s syndrome do not require a brain scan.
Scans that can be used include a:
- computerised tomography (CT) scan - where a series of X-Rays are taken to build up a detailed 3D image of the brain
- magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan - where strong magnetic fields are used to produce a detailed image of the inside of the brain
Confirming the diagnosis
There is currently no single test for Tourette’s syndrome. A diagnosis can only be made by assessing your child’s symptoms to see whether they follow the pattern that is usually associated with the syndrome.
A confident diagnosis of Tourette’s syndrome can usually be made if your:
- child’s symptoms are not being caused by other medical conditions or any medication you are taking
- child started having tics before 18 years of age
- child has had several physical tics and at least one vocal tic
- child’s tics occur many times during the day, virtually every day
- child has been having tics for at least a year
