Planet Tic: Students - What is Tourette Syndrome (TS)?

Printer Friendly

What is Tourette Syndrome (TS)?

Tourette Syndrome (or TS) is a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary movements and vocalizations. Now, what does that mean? First, neurological means that it involves the central nervous system, so nerves and the brain play a big role in TS.

What are involuntary movements and vocalizations? For someone with TS, these behaviors are better known as "tics." Tics are the most noticeable part of having TS. A tic is a physical or verbal behavior that people with TS do, even though they have no control over it. Remember having to sneeze or hiccup; tics are similar. An individual's tics change over time, involving different parts of the body and different sounds. Also, an individual may have more tics at one time than another. While there is no cure for TS, medicine can decrease symptoms of the disorder.

People with TS have motor and vocal tics, and these tics can be simple or complex. Examples of simple and complex motor and vocal tics are provided below.

Motor Tics		Vocal Tics
Simple	Complex	Simple	Complex
Eye blinking	Jumping	Whistling	Repeating words
Head jerking	Smelling objects	Humming	Changes in volume of voice
Shoulder shrugging	Touching objects	Throat clearing	Making animal-like sounds

Some people have tics but do not have TS. To be diagnosed with TS, someone must have motor and vocal tics; these tics must have started before that person was 18 years of age, but tics usually start when the child is between 5 and 8 years of age.

Tics are not fun and definitely not funny. People with TS cannot help the tics; they just have to do them. Imagine trying to not blink; after a while, you would just have to do it.

A relatively rare but well-publicized type of complex vocal tic is called coprolalia, in which the person involuntarily utters obscene or profane words. While this type of TS is often shown in the media, it is actually a very rare behavior for people with TS.

What TS is NOT

• Tourette Syndrome is NOT contagious.

• You can NOT die from TS.

• TS is NOT a swearing disease.

• TS does NOT affect how smart or talented someone is.

Sometimes, people who have TS also experience some additional problems, like having too much energy. They may have trouble sitting still in class and paying attention, or they may feel like they need to do things over and over again to get them just right. It's important to remember that while lots of kids have a hard time paying attention, not all of them have TS.

Login to be accompanied by your tic companion.