Tourettes

By: Shaena Smith

*Symptoms*

Symptoms fall into 3 categories: motor, vocal, & behavioral manifestations.

Motor Tics- Sudden body movements EX. Eye blinking, bending over & touching the ground

Vocal Tics- Sounds and words, not in the child’s control. Can occur many times throughout the day. EX. Sniffing, grunting, throat clearing, repetitive & involuntary.

People with tourettes tend to feel an urge or sensation in some part of the body & it feels irresistible.

*Less Common Symptoms*

Inappropriate swearing

Inappropriate obscene gestures

Involuntary repetition of speech of others

Imitations of others

*Treatment*

People with life disrupting symptoms can suppress them with drugs that affect the chemistry of the brain

Family counseling and psychotherapy can be useful to help cope with problems.

*Rate of Occurrence*

Tourettes occurs in approximately 4-5 individuals per 10,000 people.

*Educational Ramifications*

Children are teased because of their tics.

They may have trouble reading or writing, problems with math computations, or perceptual problems.