Behavioral Treatment for Habits and Tics

(from the archives, September 2015)

by Chris McGinnis, PhD, BCBA-D

So nice to see the American Academy of Pediatrics report in the September 2015 issue of their AAP News the success of a behavioral approach to the treatment of habits, tics, and Tourette - the very approach our clinic employs in such cases and with lots of success.

Variously called Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics ("C-bit") or Habit Reversal Training (HRT), this approach involves among other things teaching, practicing, and prompting behaviors which are motorically incompatible with the unwanted habit or tic. This has been around for about 40 years with known effectiveness but only recently has the medical community begun to realize its usefulness and as an alternative to prescribing psychotropic medication.

In fact, "Treatment guidelines from professional societies in Europe and Canada recommend HRT as a first-line treatment for tics", according to the AAP article, and increasing numbers of "neurologists and psychiatrists in the U.S." are following suit.

One of the original and humble developers of this behavioral approach is the late Dr. Nate Azrin, pictured here with me at a recent conference. His work has helped millions, and I was quite fortunate to know him for a very brief time. He would have enjoyed reading this AAP article and to find that millions more will benefit.

Dr. Chris McGinnis is a family psychologist in private practice based in Jupiter, Florida. His website is www.mcginnisbehavioral.com. This post was written when Dr. McGinnis was Clinic Director of the Boys Town South Florida Behavioral Health Clinic based in Palm Beach County, Florida. He continues to offer the very same approach at McGinnis Behavioral.