My ds11 has had tics on and off since kindergarten. Coincidentally, he didn't have them until after his first bout with Strep. (There's a theory that having Strep may cause tics. I think the theory is from New Zealand and has a name, but I can't remember it right now.)
He has them whenever he's excited (happy or nervous) and when he focuses on a symptom of his allergies. I used to tell his teachers. I haven't this year. It has never affected him socially and his teachers have told me that it's quite common with boys. If I draw attention to the tics, they seem to get worse. Sometimes I've advised him to find a different, more discrete, habit if he can, and sometimes that works.
I've been terrified to go down the road of seeing if it's Tourettes. They do subside or disappear altogether then come back again with allergies or stress.
