What is Tourette Syndrome?

A genetic, neurological disorder characterized by tics – involuntary, rapid, sudden movements or vocalizations that occur repeatedly in the same way.

Typically, tics increase as a result of tension or stress, and decrease with relaxation or when absorbed in certain tasks. Sometimes TS is referred to as the “just right” syndrome because people with TS have a need for the tic feel “just right” before the urge of the tic is satisfied.

Symptoms include:

• Multiple motor and one or more vocal tics present at some time during the illness, not necessarily simultaneously;
• Occurrence of tics many times a day, nearly every day or intermittently;
• Periodic changes in the number, frequency, type, and location of the tics, and waxing and waning of their severity. Symptoms can sometimes disappear for weeks or months at a time.
• Onset before the age of 18.
  

Examples of tics:

Motor: Eye blinking, shoulder shrugging, facial grimacing, smelling of objects, twirling, touching, kicking, spitting

Vocal: Throat clearing, yelping, sniffing, tongue clicking, uttering words or phrases, repeating words and phrases

The range of tics and symptoms are very broad. The complexities of some symptoms are often perplexing and difficult for people to believe that the actions or utterances are involuntary.

Fewer than 15% of people with TS have the symptoms of coprolalia and/or copropraxia; saying obscene words or making obscene gestures.

Tourette Syndrome Spectrum Disorders

Tourette Syndrome: As described above

Executive Disfunctioning: Difficulties with the higher-order systems of the brain that activate, integrate, coordinate, and modulate a variety of other cognitive functions.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Obsessions are intrusive thoughts, images, or impulses that provoke anxiety and interfere with normal functioning. Compulsions are behaviors that are used to reduce the anxiety accompanying the obsessions.

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD or ADHD) with/without Hyperactivity: Difficulties in focusing, execution, sustaining, encoding, stability, impulsivity, and inattention.

Phobia’s & Panic Disorders: Phobia is an unrealistic fear of something encountered or anticipated. Panic Disorder strikes from nowhere, seemingly “out of the blue” and cause the individual to have sever fright.

Mood Disorders – Depression & Bi-polar Disorders: Conditions that interfere with the ability to work, study, sleep, eat, and enjoy once pleasurable activities.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD): A persistent pattern of negativistic, hostile, disobedient, and defiant behavior in a child or teen without serious violation of the basic rights of others.

Learning Disabilities: A disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which disorder may manifest itself in imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations.

Sensory Integration: Ability to take in, sort out, and connect information from the world around us.

Rarely are services requested solely for TS. TSA-RMR, physicians and clinicians who consult with individuals and their families who have TS, are generally contacted, when one or more of the complicating associated disorders described here surface and interfere.

It is no wonder that educators struggle to understand students who have been diagnosed with TS. Educators may have some knowledge of TS and tics, but not understand how intertwined and complex the TS Spectrum Disorder can be and the difficulties the individual with TS Spectrum Disorder may be having.

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