Understanding Functional Tics and Agreeing on a Plan

Original entry 1: Positive explanation and a shared plan.

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For the Person With FND
For Family, Friends, and Other Supporters
For Clinicians and the Care Team
Research and Sources —

For the Person With FND

What an explanation should give you

Functional tics are involuntary movements or sounds assessed as part of FND. Vocal tics can include noises, words or whole phrases. A positive explanation means your clinician explains the features supporting the diagnosis, how they fit together and what can be done next. It is the starting point for care, rather than an exercise expected to stop tics by itself. [1]

You may leave an appointment remembering the name of the condition but still wondering what it means for tomorrow. Ask for a brief written explanation you can return to. It should say whether all your tic-like symptoms seem functional, whether a primary tic disorder such as Tourette syndrome may also be present, and what is still uncertain. The diagnosis depends on the overall assessment, not one sound, age group or internet habit. [1]

Turn the explanation into something useful

Choose a situation that matters to you: finishing a conversation, sharing a meal or attending a class. Describe what currently gets in the way. For example, “When a phrase interrupts me, I lose my place and everyone starts asking if I am okay.” A first goal could be agreeing how the conversation continues.

Ask who will help with that goal and when you will review it. A useful plan may have one treatment appointment, one practical adjustment and a named contact for questions. You do not need to master every technique before receiving support.

If the explanation does not fit

Tell the clinician which part of your experience is missing. A written example may be easier than recalling it during the appointment. Request clarification or another assessment when needed. New or substantially changed symptoms deserve review, even with an established diagnosis.

Improvement can mean fewer tics, less pain or an easier day. Persistent symptoms call for continued care and a revised plan; they do not make your effort a failure.

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For the Person With FND
For Family, Friends, and Other Supporters
For Clinicians and the Care Team
Research and Sources —

For Family, Friends, and Other Supporters

Ask what the person understood and what they want help remembering. With permission, write down the agreed next step. Avoid quizzing them about the explanation or expecting agreement to produce immediate improvement.

Let the person choose who receives the information. For a child or young person, use an age-appropriate explanation and include their own goals alongside the adults’ concerns.

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For the Person With FND
For Family, Friends, and Other Supporters
For Clinicians and the Care Team
Research and Sources —

For Clinicians and the Care Team

Document the positive diagnostic formulation, differential diagnosis and possible coexistence of primary tics. Explain uncertainty explicitly. A vocal presentation is not sufficient evidence of FND. Coordinate a named follow-up route and assess comprehension without treating assent as a diagnostic test. [1]

Describe mechanisms as models of altered control, attention and learned responses where relevant; avoid claiming a particular damaged structure or a proven individual network abnormality. Record function, pain, communication and treatment burden alongside symptom severity.

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For the Person With FND
For Family, Friends, and Other Supporters
For Clinicians and the Care Team
Research and Sources —

Research and Sources

This is an explanation and shared-care component supported by expert guidance, not a separately tested treatment. The practical planning examples are editorial applications of that guidance.

Citation	Figure	Full citation and scope
[1]	—	Malaty IA, Anderson S, Bennett SM, et al. Diagnosis and management of functional tic-like phenomena. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2022;11(21):6470. Source. FND-CIT-0110.

Evidence checked September 24, 2026. Human review pending. No new community quotations have been verified.

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For the Person With FND
For Family, Friends, and Other Supporters
For Clinicians and the Care Team
Research and Sources —