Free Essay

Tourette's Syndrome

In:

Submitted By londanna
Words 509
Pages 3
Tourette syndrome (TS) is an inherited neurological disorder. It most often onsets in children between the ages four and nine. It is characterized by uncontrollable, repetitive motor and vocal tics, such as head jerking, facial tics, double-blinking, finger flexing, sniffing, throat clearing, hiccupping, yelling, barking, word repetitions, and others. Approximately one in 1,000 children suffer from this disorder.
“Tic Talk. Living with Tourette Syndrome” book is written by a 9-year old boy Dylan Peters with Tourette syndrome. He introduces himself, his disorder and different challenges he has to face because of it. With the tremendous support of his family, friends, teacher, and doctors, Dylan eventually reveals to his class that he has Tourette syndrome, and how it does not change who he is. The young author shares deep emotions and personal lessons in a language which is easy accessible by children. The story is applicable to a wide range of different problems that children might be facing, where they feel different and unaccepted.
Accommodations:
Students should be placed in the least restrictive environment, where they have access to the general curriculum. They often require preferential seating, where they are less likely to be distracted or if he or she has a tic, it would not distract other students in the classroom (i.e., towards the side or the back of the room, away from windows or doors). Students with Tourette’s might require modified assignments, where they may be allowed, for example, to have their work typed instead of writing by hand, or have parents or homework buddy write it for them. Also, extended time might be needed for students to complete the assignment. Students might be required certain services, such as occupational and speech therapy to deal with the involuntary tics, and counseling services in order to learn how to deal with the low self-esteem issues and other psychological impacts of the disorder. Teachers should be aware of the possible behavioral issues that might arise due to the disorder. In this case, a careful Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) should be conducted.
When assessing students with Tourette syndrome, it is important to have time limits extended or waived, and offer a separate area for the student to take a test. There should be frequent breaks allowed to release tics, possibly in a designated area. Directions should be given in just a few steps at a time, and repeated if necessary. Penalties for spelling should be avoided. Students should have an option of typing their work on a computer instead of writing.
Quotes:
“I Have Tourette’s But Tourette’s Doesn’t Have Me”, a documentary title about Tourette syndrome.
“The challenge is finding the balance, this balance between realizing that I have Tourette syndrome and it presents certain challenges versus an excuse for non-performance, non-achievement, and failure. It is a terrible trap that is easy to fall into, a trap of self-pity, and 
that is what we need to try to avoid... “, Paul Devore, a financial planner diagnosed with TS at the age of 45.

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Tourette's Syndrome

...what Tourette’s syndrome is exactly. Although I sure people have seen from movies, would think someone with Tourette’s would curse a lot loudly, or say inappropriate expressions, but that is lease likely to occur. Tourette’s syndrome is one of many disorders in a human. It is a neurological disorder that makes people lose control of their body, twitch uncontrollably, and shout out unusual words, also may cause blinking repeatedly, these are known as tics. This disorder is known to be hereditary, but also may just so happen due to stress and what not. It is known when having Tourette’s syndrome; you may also have another sort of disorder. Sadly, there is no cure for this mysterious disorder, but with professional help and medication, the tics can be less severe. But hopefully soon enough, maybe later on in the future there will be a cure for this disorder. If having tics for over a year a doctor would say you have a chronic tic disorder, in most cases its part of Tourette’s, which was first determined, in 1825 by a doctor named Georges Gilles de la Tourette, a French neurologist. In 1885, he proclaimed a cause of the syndrome on a few patients. Most of his patients were young men. It was known that having this disorder was very rare. He found that the disorder was running in families. While finding ways to describe the disorder, it has been named after him. With having this disorder it is mostly found during childhood, usually within the ages of 7 and 10 years. “Tourette’s occurs...

Words: 2436 - Pages: 10

Free Essay

Tourette’s Syndrome

...What is the truth about Tourette’s Syndrome? Jake Walter Herzing University Abstract Though out this paper, we will discuss the truth and myths behind Tourette’s syndrome and insure we have a good understanding of what the disorder really is. We will try to break the Hollywood stereotype of this disorder and who are really the worst hit from Tourette’s syndrome. We will also discuss what the patient’s symptoms will be and what they may go through and classified the types of symptoms known as tics into motor and vocal. Finally, we will discuss what treatment options they may have and what hope someone may have who is suffering from this disorder; furthermore, what organizations are out there to help with the disease. I hope this gives you some more details on Tourette’s syndrome and what a person or their family may go through when suffering from this disorder. I know that researching it and find out all the information I could really open my eyes to what people go through and how challenging life can be. What is Tourette’s syndrome? Tourette's syndrome has the misnomer of being a disease where you use profanity and yell inappropriate words in a public environment. However, it can be much more serious and challenging to deal with that is only a symptom of the disease. The disorder was first documented in 1885 by a French Doctor named Georges Gilles de la Tourette; he would be considering a Neurologist in today standards. The Doctor Georges Gilles de la Tourette Name...

Words: 1945 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

Investigate Coprolalia Disorder

...involuntarily by an afflicted patient. It is primarily a compulsive psychological disorder, although it may manifest itself physically in involuntary motor movements e.g. jerking gestures, arm flailing, groaning and grunting, shouting obscenities etc (Mink, 2008, p. 211). This is a publication that extensively covers the recent advances in neurology; it covers Tourette’s syndrome and Coprolalia in extension. It expounds on the Coprolalia disorder, its symptoms, causes, manifestations and its relation with its comorbid disorders. Coprolalia disorder is a symptom of other malaises like Tourette’s syndrome or schizophrenia and has links with other medical disorders or conditions. The word Coprolalia stems from two Greek words, ‘kopros’, which means feces, and ‘lalien’, which means to talk. Therefore, Coprolalia is characterized by the profuse and uncontrolled usage of foul or obscene language punctuated by words related to feces. Coprolalia occurs solely or as a manifestation of several other associated comorbid conditions such as ADHD (Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder), OCD (Obsessive compulsive disorder) Tourette’s syndrome, tics and schizophrenia. The presence of these comorbid disorders raises the probability of a patient suffering from Coprolalia quite significantly. Coprolalia includes phrases remarks and words that are tabooed in a culture and are thus unacceptable for social use especially when they are used in out of context situations. Indeed,...

Words: 2587 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Tourettes Syndrome in Children

...Tourette's syndrome, also called Tourette's disorder is named after the neurologist, Gilles de la Tourette. Sometimes it is referred to as GTS but more often it is simply called Tourette's or ‘TS’. It is an inherited neurological disorder marked by movement-based (motor) tics which are abrupt, repetitive, stereotyped, non-rhythmic movements, as well as vocal (verbal or phonic) tics which are involuntary sounds produced by moving air through the nose, mouth, or throat. Tourette's is defined as part of a spectrum of tic disorders, which includes transient and chronic tics. This disorder may appear in multiple family members, and often appears (co-morbid) with other behavioral disorders, in particular - “obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)” (Hawley 2008). People with this disorder have normal life expectancy and intelligence, but symptoms can lead to decrease in normal activities (Walkup, Mink & Hollenbeck 2006). Tourette’s syndrome, as described in the psychiatric diagnostic tool DSM-IV-TR criteria is “associated with distress or social or functional impairment” (Hawley 2008). Onset and Diagnosis. The most common first sign to alert people to visit the doctor for a possible presence of Tourette’s is a facial tic such as “rapidly blinking eyes or twitches of the mouth” (NTSA 2009). Unintended, involuntary sounds such as throat clearing, shrugging or tics of the limbs may be initial signs but in certain case, although rare...

Words: 1836 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Motherless Brooklyn

...An Outburst, An Obsession, An Assest Motherless Brooklyn, a book written by Jonathan Lethem began with two detectives, Lionel Essrog and Gilbert Coney, on a stake-out. They were keeping watch over a meditation center located in Manhattan. We learned that Detective Essrog is not just your average detective; he suffers from Tourette’s syndrome, a psychological condition causing an assortment of compulsive behaviors. Although Essrog and Coney are staking out the Zen center for their boss, Frank Minna, he hasn’t told them any details regarding the subjects or the reason. Minna’s unexpected appearance at the Zen center leads to his abduction and a car chase in which Detectives Essrog and Coney finally catch up with Minna, but have found that he is already dying of multiple stab wounds and will not tell them why he was being attacked or by whom. We later find out that Minna has died from these injuries. This violent death leads Essrog to recall the history of his boss’ creation of his “Minna Men”. The “minna men were four orphaned boys taken under Minna’s wing while living at the St. Vincent’s Home for Boys in Brooklyn. Primarily, Minna hired Essrog, Coney, Tony Vermonte, and Danny Fantl to do various work for his “moving company”, but eventually Minna became a father figure to them; the four motherless boys yearned to be like Minna, who ruled the various streets of Brooklyn through his shady connections and unscrupulous activities. Minna taught the boys everything they needed...

Words: 1085 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Strategies for Teaching Students with Tourette Syndrome

...for Teaching Students with Tourette Syndrome By: Carolyn Bryant Submitted to Austin Peay State University College of Education Summer 2012 Dr. Moniqueka Gold An estimated 2% of the population has Tourette syndrome and this disability was added too IDEA in 2004. This syndrome falls under the category listed in IDEA as and other health impairment. Most people mistake Tourette syndrome as a behavioral or emotional condition when actually it is a neurological condition. Students that have Tourette syndrome will not automatically be eligible for related services or special education. There are factors that are looked at, evaluations to be studied, and it depends on whether having Tourette syndrome negatively affects school performance. “Tourette syndrome is a neurobiological disorder characterized by tics (involuntary, rapid, sudden movements) and/or vocal outbursts that occur repeatedly.” (National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities, 2009) This syndrome is also inherited and first identified in childhood normally from ages 7 through 10. Tourette syndrome is four times as likely to be diagnosed in boys as in girls. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, poor impulse control, behavioral outbursts, and obsessive compulsive disorder also can co-occur with the syndrome, which further complicates the lives of those affected. (Shaw, Woo, & Val, 2007) Normally when people hear the term Tourette syndrome they automatically think about someone...

Words: 1543 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Lifes a Twitch

...Kat Biddle Mr. Martinous Composition II 28 November 2012 Life’s a Twitch: The Misconceptions and Personal Impact of Tourette Syndrome Georges Albert Edouard Brutus Gilles de la Tourette was a French physician who today would be known as a neurologist and the physician whose name is the eponym for Tourette syndrome. Tourette syndrome was discovered more than a hundred years ago, in 1885, by Gilles de la Tourette while he was a physician at the Salpetriere Hospital in Paris, France. Tourette syndrome (also called, Tourette's disorder, Gilles de la Tourette syndrome, GTS or, simply Tourette's or TS) is an inherited neuropsychiatric disorder with onset in childhood, characterized by multiple physical (motor) tics and at least one vocal (phonic) tic. These tics characteristically wax and wane, can be suppressed temporarily, and are preceded by a premonitory urge. Tourette's is defined as part of a spectrum of tic disorders, which includes transient and chronic tics. (Mashpedia.com) Tourette syndrome (TS) is easily misunderstood and as a society we scrutinize these people for having bad behaviors or parents for not being able to control their children. Tourette’s can impact a person/family’s life socially and emotionally because of the misconceptions of Tourette’s. With the first symptoms of TS appearing in early childhood, they become more apparent closer to adolescences and TS can be a chronic lifelong condition with no cure, with progressing symptoms appearing...

Words: 4290 - Pages: 18

Premium Essay

Tourettes

...Tourette’s Syndrome Tourette's syndrome, also called Tourette's disorder is named after the neurologist, Gilles de la Tourette. Sometimes it is referred to as GTS but more often it is simply called Tourette's or ‘TS’. It is an inherited neurological disorder marked by movement-based (motor) tics which are abrupt, repetitive, stereotyped, non-rhythmic movements, as well as vocal (verbal or phonic) tics which are involuntary sounds produced by moving air through the nose, mouth, or throat. Tourette's is defined as part of a spectrum of tic disorders, which includes transient and chronic tics. This disorder may appear in multiple family members, and often appears (co-morbid) with other behavioral disorders, in particular - “obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)” (Hawley 2008). People with this disorder have normal life expectancy and intelligence, but symptoms can lead to decrease in normal activities (Walkup, Mink & Hollenbeck 2006). Tourette’s syndrome, as described in the psychiatric diagnostic tool DSM-IV-TR criteria is “associated with distress or social or functional impairment” (Hawley 2008). Onset and Diagnosis. The most common first sign to alert people to visit the doctor for a possible presence of Tourette’s is a facial tic such as “rapidly blinking eyes or twitches of the mouth” (NTSA 2009). Unintended, involuntary sounds such as throat clearing, shrugging or tics of the limbs may be initial signs but...

Words: 1838 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Asperger's Syndrome Research Paper

...Along the massive Autism spectrum lies an incredibly peculiar and intriguing disease: Asperger’s Syndrome. This disease was first described and characterized in 1944 by the Austrian scientist, Hans Asperger. He first described it as “autistic psychopathy”. What makes this particular disease so fascinating is that many people may not know they have it. Many people who are affected by this particular disease are labeled as “high functioning” along the spectrum. They may seem relatively normal to untrained persons. They can be highly intelligent and may possess a wide range of vocabulary. Many of the issues involved with Asperger’s is not with cognitive development or language but with social interactions. Many people with Asperger’s have difficulties...

Words: 1211 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Informative Speech

...Intro: Why am I here Medical Aspect of TS: Connect with audience- question: Who knows what Tourette’s is? personalize Brief description of TS and symptoms Mild to severe Description of causes TS and genetics Include studies Methods of diagnosis Related disorders OCD ADHD * Social Aspect of TS: Challenges TS cause Reality and perception of TS Why do people with TS use slurs? TS and making friends Living successful with TS Not curable, just treatable Natural remission Cases of famous people with TS Conclusion: Reiterate the challenges and underline the resolutions to TS TS can be overcome Hello, my name is Ramon. Today, I will be speaking about Tourette Syndrome or TS, for short. * Before I start going into this, how many of you know or have an idea of what TS is? Raise your hand if you do. For those of you who don’t know what it is, TS is a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary motor and/or vocal tics such as eye blinking, throat clearing, sniffing, or even head jerking. * On a side note, if any of you notice me doing any of the mentioned tics, it’s because I myself am diagnosed with TS ever I was 12. Both types of TS often range from mild to severe. Studies show that TS is inherited only 50% of the time. The gene is carried by the parent, but that doesn’t mean that the parent has it as well. Most often, the TS gene skips a generation. * This means that anyone who has TS may have received it due to his/her grandparents...

Words: 664 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Asdasd

...DISEASES in the BRAIN -Locked-in Syndrome http://www.cdrex.com/ -is a condition in which a patient is aware and awake but cannot move or communicate verbally due to complete paralysis of nearly all voluntary muscles in the body except for the eyes. Total locked-in syndrome is a version of locked-in syndrome where the eyes are paralyzed as well.A rare neurological disorder characterized by complete paralysis of voluntary muscles in all parts of the body except for those that control eye movement. It may result from traumatic brain injury, diseases of the circulatory system, diseases that destroy the myelin sheath surrounding nerve cells, or medication overdose. Individuals with locked-in syndrome are conscious and can think and reason, but are unable to speak or move. The disorder leaves individuals completely mute and paralyzed. Communication may be possible with blinking eye movements. -Tourette's(http://tourettecamp.com/index.php) syndrome is an inherited neurological disorder. Early onset may be during childhood, and is characterized by physical tics and verbal tics. The exact cause of Tourette's, other than genetic factors, is unknown. -Huntington's(http://huntingtonsaustralia.asn.au/)& http://www.huntingtonsociety.ca/english/content/?page=Staff%20Bio, http://www.hdsa.org/about/our-mission/what-is-hd.html Huntington's Disease: a devastating, hereditary, degenerative brain disorder for which there is, at present, no cure and only one...

Words: 1207 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Cri Du Chat Research Paper

...Cri du chat, also known as “Cat’s Cry” syndrome or 5p- (5 p minus) syndrome occurs when there is a deletion in chromosome 5 (Genetics Home Reference). According to the Genetics Home Reference website, most cases of Cri du Chat are not inherited. The deletion occurs randomly during production of reproductive cells or in early development. People with Cri du Chat most often have no familial history of the disease. Only about ten percent of the cases of Cri du Chat are inherited from unaffected parents. Most of the time in this situation, the parent’s chromosome is rearranged. The material is not gained or lost, but is located on different parts of the chromosome. So, when the material is moved to create gametes or chromosomes in a developing...

Words: 1343 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Genetic Disorders: Prader-Willi Syndrome

...Prader-Willi Syndrome is a genetic disorder that affects chromosome number fifteen. Some of the common signs of this syndrome are obesity, eyes with narrower shape, small hands, feet and stature. Often the muscle tone is decreased and as a consequence motor development is delayed. Individuals affected usually have mild learning disabilities and only a small portion have average or above average IQs. Their long term memory is stronger and efficient than their short term memory. Most students with Prader-Willi Syndrome have difficulty working with numbers and calculations. They usually perform better when working with reading, writing, drawing, and when working with technology. Behavior issues are directly associated with the syndrome as well...

Words: 749 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Cat Eye Syndrome: A Genetic Condition

...Cat eye syndrome is a genetic condition , a way to describe it is to say that it is an abnormality in chromosome 22. It can lead to a coloboma of the iris witch is how it got its name . The eyes look cat-like but work the same as a normal human . Cat eye syndrome or “Schmid Fraccaro syndrome” is a rare condition caused by the short arm and a small section of the long arm of human chromosome 22 being present three (trisomic) or four times (tetrasomic) instead of the usual two times. The name “cat eye syndrome” is derived from a distinctive eye (ocular) abnormality that is present in a little over half affected individuals. Most cases of eye cat syndrome are not hereditary , the condition generally occurs even during the formation of...

Words: 909 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Life of Special Education Teacher

...leaves not much time for learning because the toileting, hygiene, and eating do take a big part of the day. The teachers usually have a full time assistant in the classroom or two depending on the need in the classroom; this helps the Special Education teacher complete tasks in the classroom. The teacher can work on a student one on one and the assistant can help with the other students needs. (Severe Intellectual Disabilities and Multiple Diablites, 2007) Some of the intellectual disabilities that teachers may encounter I have found are ADHD (Attention Deficit hyperactivity Disorder), Angel man syndrome, Aspersers Syndrome, Autism, Cri Du Char, Down Syndrome, Dysphasia, Dyspraxia, Epilepsy, Fragile X, Klinefelter Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Prader-willi Syndrome, Rett Syndrome, Trismoy, Soto’s Syndrome, Tourette Syndrome, Tuberous Sclerosis, and Williams Syndrome. (Activ, 2001) References Activ (2001) Types of Intellectual Disabilities. Retrieved on July 13, 2001 from http://www.activ.asn.au/3/3017/8/types_of_intellectual_disability.pm Severe Intellectual Disabilities and Multiple Disabilities. Pat Mimms. Retrieved from Special Education for Today’s Teachers: An Introduction, by Michael S. Rosenberg, D avid L. Westling, and James M cLeskey....

Words: 301 - Pages: 2