The aim of ORBIT (Online Remote Behavioural Treatment for Tics) is to turn an online therapy program for young people with tics into a user-friendly digital tool that can be offered widely through the NHS and help many more young people get the treatment they need in a cost-effective way.

Why this is important:

Tic disorders, like Tourette’s, affect about 1% of children in the UK (around 110,000 young people). Tics are involuntary movements or sounds that can make daily life harder, impacting school and mental health. Tics often happen alongside other mental health conditions. Currently, most young people (more than 80%) don’t get treatment because there aren't enough trained therapists. This lack of treatment has a big impact on their lives and costs the UK around £380 million a year. 

Studies have shown that behavioural therapy is an effective first-line treatment for tics. However, access to therapy is limited. Online therapy can change this by making treatment more accessible without needing a large number of highly trained therapists. In a recent clinical trial ORBIT was found to reduce tics over the long term, was cost-effective, and was well-liked by young people. 

Currently, this therapy is only available on an IT system in Sweden as part of research. The goal of this project is to create a UK-based version (ORBIT-UK) that is ready for use in the NHS. 

How will we achieve this? We are working to make ORBIT-UK happen by: 

1. Making sure the tool meets the needs of patients and families. 
2. Building a solid plan for how this tool can work within the NHS. 
3. Developing a version of the therapy program on an NHS-approved, UK-based system. 
4. Working with experts to test the tool on a small scale and to evaluate its real-world benefits. 

We are involving young people, parents, and organizations that support people with tics—like Tourette's Action and Neuro-diverse.org—to provide feedback and steer the project.