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Skills Classes

Child and adolescent mental health

Skills Class 27 - Tic’d! Mastering the CBIT Protocol to Defeat the Global Tic Epidemic

Saturday, June 27, 2026
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM PDT
Location: Yerba Buena Salon 10, B3 Level
Earn 1.5 Credit
Keywords: Children, Treatment, CBT
Level of Familiarity: All
Recommended Readings: Pringsheim, T., et al. (2021). Rapid onset functional tic-like behaviors in young females during the COVID-19 pandemic. Movement Disorders.,   DePompo, P., & Moore, C. (2024). Tic’d: A child’s guide to defeating tics. CBTI of Southern California.,   Woods, D. W., et al. (2008). Managing Tourette's Disorder: A Behavioral Intervention Parent Workbook. Oxford University Press.,   ,  
The pediatric mental health landscape is facing an urgent "tic-like" crisis. Following the "TikTok tic" phenomenon and a documented 400% surge in presentations (Pringsheim et al., 2021), demand has far outpaced provider expertise. To achieve "Health for All," we must bridge the "provider gap" where clinicians lack the specialized protocols required to treat Tourette’s and Functional Tic-Like Behaviors (FTLB) with precision.

This workshop — a high-impact reboot of the 2023 WCCBT session in Seoul (hundreds in attendance; many stating it was a "highlight") —transforms foundational CBT into mastery of Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (C-BIT). Utilizing frameworks from the book "Tic’d," praised by C-BIT co-creator Dr. Douglas Woods, as a premier pediatric application, we move beyond "drills" to a neurodiversity-affirming model that treats the child, not just the symptom. Training community clinicians creates a sustainable infrastructure, reducing reliance on inaccessible specialists.

A core barrier to equitable care is attrition due to low engagement. This session highlights innovative, fun-based adaptations that reframe treatment as a "mastery challenge." Participants will learn to leverage a child’s specific strengths, such as artistic creativity, humor, or digital literacy, to foster intrinsic motivation. We deconstruct the ABC model of Functional Intervention (Piacentini & Woods, 2010) through a collaborative, kid-friendly lens that empowers the child as an expert in their own care.

We will engage in intensive rehearsal of Habit Reversal Training (HRT), focusing on selecting "Competing Responses" that are physically incompatible with tics yet socially discrete. We also address the "Tourette’s Plus" reality, navigating the interference of co-occurring ADHD and OCD (Martino & Leckman, 2013). Attendees will leave with a scalable roadmap to integrate C-BIT, ensuring affirming, evidence-based care is accessible to all families.

Learning Objectives:

  • Identify two evidence-based strategies to foster motivation and engagement by leveraging a child's specific strengths.
  • Explore "environmental dials" modulating severity via Functional Assessment of antecedents and consequences.
  • Rehearse Awareness Training techniques to help children detect premonitory urges and catch tics before physical discharge.
  • Create two creative, socially discrete Competing Responses using habit reversal to physically inhibit tic expression.