Tourette's Syndrome

Tourette's Syndrome is a spectacular disorder full of profanity, if Hollywood actually portrayed it correctly. In truth, Tourette's is a neurological disorder that produces involuntary behaviors (very rarely profanity). These behaviors are called "tics", and include motor tics (movements of the body) and vocal tics (which typically produce sounds with the mouth or nose). The severity of the disorder can range from fairly small behaviors that are hard to notice, to very complex or forceful behaviors that can be physically harmful to the person with the disorder. Tourette's is not easy to understand and parents may be alarmed and frustrated by the child's behavior, or may simply try to ignore it and explain it as "something they'll grow out of."

In truth, some individuals do grow out of Tourette's (as they enter adulthood), but many others continue to have tics throughout their life. The tics in Tourette's come and go, increase and decrease in severity, and change over time (sometimes they are said to "move" from one area to another). In addition to tics, children with Tourette's may have obsessive-compulsive behaviors, difficulty controlling their emotional responses, and have more frequent behavior problems. I have had the opportunity to work with many individuals with Tourette's or related disorders, and have Tourette's myself. I wish to share a little bit about this commonly misunderstood disorder.

One thing that has really stood out to me is how often Tourette's goes undiagnosed and untreated. It may be because parents don't know that the child is showing tics or it may be because they do not wish to consider the possibility that their child has Tourette's. There is no "cure" for Tourette's, but there are good treatment options these days, including behavioral therapy ("CBIT" - Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics) and medication. Medication is usually used for more severe tics that risk producing medical harm, but behavioral therapy is a fairly quick (perhaps 12 sessions) and efficient approach to reducing the severity and frequency of tics. Tourette's is certainly nothing to be ashamed of because it is simply an impulse created by the brain (like blinking or breathing), but many people may feel embarrassed by their tics because they look unusual.

I have written up a short guide for parents discussing Tourette's and trying to answer some common questions (such as, "does my child have Tourette's?").

Tourette's Syndrome