What is Tourette Syndrome?

Tourette Syndrome, or TS, is more common than you might think. However, TS tends to be very poorly understood by people who do not have direct experience with it.

To learn about Tourette Syndrome, visit http://www.tsa-usa.org/. Here are a few quick facts: TS affects about one person in a thousand, although some people think that as many as one person in a hundred may have subclinical symptoms. Very few individuals with TS -- fifteen to twenty percent -- have coprolalia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coprolalia), which is the obscene language most people associate with Tourette's.

Motor tics (blinking, twitching) and vocal tics (grunts, whistles) are characteristic of Tourette Syndrome. TS does not affect an individual's cognitive abilities, nor does it affect lifespan. TS is an inherited disorder; boys carrying the gene for Tourette's are much more likely than girls to display symptoms. Tourette's is a neurological disorder -- in other words, it is not contagious.

Useful links about Tourette Syndrome:

http://www.tsa-usa.org/ -- The website for the Tourette Syndrome Association.

http://www.tourettesyndrome.net/ -- Tourette Syndrome “Plus” website. Individuals with Tourette Syndrome frequently have co-morbid disorders such as ADHD, OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), Asperger Syndrome, bipolar disorder and depression. This website is dedicated to providing knowledge and support to individuals who have TS “plus.”

http://www.uniquelygifted.org/ocd.htm -- The Tourette’s/OCD page on Meredith Warshaw’s “Uniquely Gifted” site.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourette_syndrome -- Tourette Syndrome on Wikipedia, a “featured article.”

http://members.tripod.com/~tourette13/ -- “The Facts About Tourette Syndrome” – the first, unofficial, TS web page.

http://www.tourettes-disorder.com/dsm.html -- Diagnostic criteria

http://www.ocfoundation.org/ -- Obsessive Compulsive Foundation. 25-50% of individuals with TS also have OCD.

While the exact number of people with TS is not known, the most recent estimates suggest that one out every 200 school-age children has Tourette’s.

Books about Tourette Syndrome:

Uttom Chowdhury, Tics and Tourette Syndrome. (http://www.amazon.com/Tics-Tourette-Syndrome-Handbook-Professionals/dp/184310203X) – A concise, information-packed book. Extremely informative, yet short enough to read in one sitting.


Elaine Fantle Shimberg, Living With Tourette Syndrome. (http://www.amazon.com/Living-Tourette-Syndrome-Elaine-Shimberg/dp/068481160X) – A very good book about life as an individual with TS. As the book was published in 1995, refer to more recent publications for information on medications.

Marilyn P. Dornbush and Sheryl K. Pruitt, Teaching the Tiger. (http://www.amazon.com/Individuals-Education-Attention-Disorders-Obsessive-Compulsive/dp/1878267345) A practical guide to teaching children with TS, ADHD and/or OCD. This book also was published in 1995, so the appendices (reading lists, organizations, software) could use updating, but the core of this book remains very useful. A quick read despite its length.

Tracy Haerle, Children with Tourette Syndrome: A Parents’ Guide. (Brand new second edition! -- http://www.amazon.com/Children-Tourette-Syndrome-Parents-Guide/dp/1890627364) Another good book, especially for parents of children with TS. The updated second edition should contain more useful information about medications.

Adam Ward Seligman and John S. Hilkevich, Don’t Think About Monkeys: Extraordinary Stories Written by People with Tourette Syndrome. (http://www.amazon.com/Monkeys-Extraordinary-Stories-Tourette-Syndrome/dp/1878267337) A fascinating look inside the minds of individuals with TS. Very good for parents and relatives, not all essays are appropriate for children.