TicHelper.com

TicHelper is an online, self-guided therapy program for families of children with Persistent Tic Disorder and Tourette Disorder.

TicHelper is based upon Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics, or CBIT, and was developed by experts in the field of Persistent Tic Disorders and Tourette Syndrome. The program is an 8-week, family-based intervention that involves education about tics, skill-based lessons, and daily practice.

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Who Should Subscribe to TicHelper.com?

TicHelper.com is intended to be used by families of children or adolescents with Persistent Tic Disorders, Tourette Syndrome, or Transient Tic Disorder. TicHelper.com is intended for people 8-18 years old. However, we have had people older than age 18 work the program successfully, without the support of their family. The program can be used in conjunction with behavior therapy for tic disorders (CBIT) and can be a nice complement to therapy, however, if you are currently in therapy, let your therapist know you are considering subscribing to TicHelper.com so that they can integrate the program successfully into your treatment.

TicHelper.com is intended to be used by families who do not have access to appropriately trained professionals in their area, e.g., someone who knows how to treat tic disorders. Because so few professionals are trained specifically to treat tics, it is oftentimes difficult to find either someone in your area or someone on your insurance panel. While TicHelper.com is not therapy, it can provide a useful alternative to a self-help book or to treatment with a professional who is not trained in helping people to reduce tics.

Advantages of an On-Line Program:

• Privacy:
  TicHelper.com allows users the ability to participate in an interactive program for tic disorders without anyone else having to know that they engage in these behaviors.
• Economy:
  TicHelper.com is significantly less expensive than individual therapy and offers a great deal more than a self-help book.
• Expertise:
  TicHelper.com provides individualized feedback designed by several of the top tic experts in the world.
• Ease of Use:
  TicHelper.com is user friendly and can be accessed many times per day so that a person can benefit from the program each day, instead of having to wait for weekly or bi-weekly appointments.

How is TicHelper.com Used?

TicHelper.com is easy and fun to use, with a video-based “Tic Helper” who greets you and walks you through the 8 week program. TicHelper.com is designed to take very little time each day (less than 15 minutes), but requires a commitment on a regular basis. As with any worthwhile lifestyle change such as starting to exercise or quitting smoking, you will have to work hard to see results. Working hard means paying attention to your habits and being willing to journal about your behaviors. However, your reward will be feeling in control of your life, increased confidence, and living a healthier life.

TicHelper.com is an interactive family-based self-help program for combating tic disorders that is based upon the expert clinical experience of its developers. The program is broken into 4 sections:

• Tic Education:
  This section includes numerous helpful video lessons about tics.
• Reducing Tic Triggers:
  This section teaches about how to reduce tics through changes in the environment, as well as how parents respond to tics.
• Tic Awareness:
  This section teaches kids how to recognize when tics are happening, or about to happen. Also, included are lessons about how parents can help children to recognize and become more aware of tics.
• Tic Blocking:
  This section teaches skills to block tics from happening.

Other helpful tools to help users to successfully progress through the program:

• Tic Hierarchy:
  This section highlights the relevant tics in the order users choose to work them. As users work the program, this section expands to include more and more helpful information for each tic.
• Tic Drills:
  Daily homework and progress ratings.
• Calendar:
  This tool helps users to see if they have missed a day of homework and shows graphs of progress.
• Troubleshooting:
  This section is available throughout the program and helps to answer commonly asked questions.
• Parent Tic Questionnaire :
  This will be filled out at the start of the program and once weekly to rate a child’s tics in terms of frequency and severity.

TicHelper.com was developed from funding provided by the National Institute of Mental Health, 2R44MH096344-02.

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