Tourette’s syndrome is a neurological disorder that’s accompanied by involuntary movements, or tics, which are “frequent, repetitive and rapid.” That doesn’t mean, however, that people with Tourette’s are constantly shouting — despite what that common stereotype might have you believe.
Here are 8 things parents want the public to know:
1. Tourette’s syndrome is not uncommon.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in every 360 children between the ages of 6 and 17 has a Tourette’s syndrome diagnosis. Most of these cases are classified as mild or moderate.
2. For the most part, people with Tourette’s syndrome don’t shout obscenities.
Media portrayals of TS tend to depict the disorder as some sort of cursing disease. In reality, most researchers agree that only about 10 to 15 percent of people with TS uncontrollably curse. But the stereotype has been hard to kick.
3. In fact, not all kids with Tourette’s syndrome have the same symptoms.
Tics, or “repetitive, stereotyped, involuntary movements and vocalizations,” can take all kinds of forms. Eye blinking, facial grimacing, shoulder shrugging, head or shoulder jerking, repetitive throat-clearing, sniffing and grunting sounds are just a few listed by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
4. Oftentimes, children with Tourette’s syndrome are also dealing with mental health conditions.
The CDC reports that 86 percent of people with TS have a concurrent mental health, behavioral or developmental condition, like ADHD (63 percent) or anxiety (49 percent). More than a third also have obsessive-compulsive disorder. That said, TS doesn’t have to be a grim diagnosis.
5. People with Tourette’s syndrome aren’t doing these things for attention — they actually can’t help it.
TS is a neurological disorder, so all of the tics are 100 percent involuntary. According to Breakie, people in her support groups have experienced peers telling them to “stop that” or even teachers sending them out of the classroom for “distracting other students.”
6. Tourette’s syndrome isn’t an intellectual disability.
Oftentimes, people assume that a child with TS has an intellectual disability, which is only the case for 12 percent — people with TS generally have “normal intellectual functioning,” according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
7. It isn’t helpful if a teacher stops everything when a child experiences tics.
The best thing for teachers do when a kid with TS is tapping or making a noise in the classroom is to just accept it and keep teaching. If a teacher appears understanding, quite often the rest of the class will follow suit.
8. Kids with Tourette’s syndrome aren’t any different than other kids.
They would rather educate people and tell them what’s going on than have people avoid them or make judgements about them without taking the time to know them. It’s about having an open dialogue and an understanding that these kids are wonderful, great, smart, talented little people that need to be included.
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