6-year-old dd with tic/nervous habit?

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I'm very worried about my dd, who has always been a fidget, and at different points in the last few years (since she was about 3 and a half) has incessantly done these sort of movements with her hands which seem either like a tic or like a nervous habit, I'm not sure which. She scratches her other fingers with her thumb, or scratches her palms, or, more recently, clenches her fists. She does this pretty constantly.
Usually it lasts about 3 or 4 months, then goes away again, then comes back, often in the autumn. Does anyone have any experience of something similar? I'm worried this is the start of Tourettes!
Thanks.

I've had/got this with my DS1 who is now 9. He's gone through various tics, including gurning and jerking his head. I looked it up online and found that it's quite common in small children. You should worry about tourettes if your DD has more than one tic at once and if one of them is verbal and if it lasts over 12 months.

If you google tics in children there is quite a lot of information. The most important thing seems to be not stressing your DD out by drawing attention to it as that can make it worse. My DS's tics are worse when he's tired I've noticed, or stressed - he does them a lot during school plays!

I have an 8 year old DS with ticks. Drives me crazy. Bites his nails to the point they get infected. Squints his eyes. Sometimes we have a terribly obnoxious throat clearing obsession.

The advise seems to be to not draw attention to it and hope it goes away. Incidentally his father has many similar habits. He can't stand still, bites his fingers/nails, rocks back and forth and get's quite annoyed if I ask him to stop.

A friend has recently suggested my DS may be dyspraxic. But, he has no academic impairment (except for very terrible handwriting). He was an early reader, he is very good at math, and an excellent speller. But fine motor skills are terrible all round. Whether or not this is related to the ticks I don't know.

I've also be googling about a connection with magnesium. I may try giving him something like Natures Calm (or whatever it is called). It is a liquid children's magnesium supplement.

Interesting, my DD also has facial tics and poor fine motor skills. I wonder if theres a link or whether its a coincidence?

My DS1 is also 6 and he has had tics on and off since he was about 3 too. He was a very anxious baby and toddler though and as he seemed to cheer up and chill out the tics seem to have become his way of expressing those nerves or anxiety.

He makes a noise in the back of his throat, almost like he's clearing his throat but not loudly enough to actually clear it, more like a 'ahmm' sound which is soft and completely annoying because sometimes it is CONSTANT.

He also used to blink a lot too, almost like a quint and he's move his eyes to the side and blink hard over and over. He has stopped this one now though.

I think it's a coincidence with the tics and fine motor skills. My DS has had lots of tics on and off but his fine motor skills are excellent (first person in his class to get his pen licence - just thougt I'd get that in there ).

Yep, both my boys have had these. Eye twitching, nostril flaring, finger sniffing … lasted on average 3 months each 'tic'. My 17 year old hasn't had one for about 4 years, but ds now 10, is currently doing a weird eye widening thing - attractive! Very normal, so don't worry