The child may have facial tics or tics involving movement of the arms, legs, or other areas.

Tics may involve:

• Movements that occur again and again and don't have a rhythm
• An overwhelming urge to make the movement
• Brief and jerky movements that include the following:
  • Blinking
  • Clenching the fists
  • Curling the toes
  • Flaring the nostrils
  • Grimacing
  • Jerking the arms
  • Kicking
  • Opening the mouth
  • Raising the eyebrows
  • Shrugging the shoulders
  • Sticking out the tongue

The tics often look like nervous behavior. Tics appear to get worse with stress and do not occur during sleep.

Sounds may also occur, such as:

• Clicking
• Grunting
• Hissing
• Moaning
• Sniffing
• Snorting
• Squealing
• Throat clearing

The health care provider should consider physical causes of transient tic disorder before making a diagnosis.

In order to be diagnosed with transient tic disorder, the child must have had tics almost every day for at least 4 weeks, but less than a year.