Tic Treatment Goes Tech: A Review of TicHelper.com

• Published in: Cognitive and behavioral practice Vol. 24; no. 3; pp. 374 - 381
• Main Authors: Conelea, Christine A., Wellen, Brianna C.M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Ltd 01-08-2017
• Subjects: self-help; tic; Tourette; web-based therapy; Tourette; self-help; tic; web-based therapy
• ISSN: 1077-7229; 1878-187X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpra.2017.01.003

TicHelper.com (“TicHelper”) is an interactive online treatment program for youth with chronic tic disorders (CTDs) or Tourette Syndrome (TS) and their parents. It is based on Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT), an individual, outpatient therapy protocol shown to effectively reduce tics in randomized controlled trials. The TicHelper website offers a user-friendly dashboard that is effective in making it easy to navigate through different treatment modules. Modules parallel core CBIT procedures and consist of interactive exercises, informational videos, and self-report ratings. TicHelper has some weaknesses (e.g., no outcomes research specific to the program has been published to date); however, its strengths (easily navigable, clear instructions, appropriate content) outweigh its weaknesses, making it a potentially useful dissemination tool to make CBIT more accessible to families and youth with tics.
•TicHelper is an interactive online treatment program for youth with tic disorders•Treatment is based on Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT)•Primary strengths are that TicHelper is interactive, easily navigable, and developmentally tailored.•TicHelper focuses on tic reduction and does not address comorbidities or tic-related psychosocial difficulties•TicHelper holds promise for CBIT dissemination