Tourette Syndrome

Tourette Syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by tics; involuntary, rapid, sudden movements or vocalizations that occur repeatedly in the same way. Diagnostic criteria include: both multiple motor and one or more vocal tics present at some time, although not necessarily simultaneously, the occurrence of tics many times a day (usually in bouts) nearly everyday or intermittently throughout the span of more than one year; period changes in the number, frequently, type and location of the tics, and in the waxing and waning of their severity. Symptoms can sometimes disappear for weeks and or months at a time; and the onset is before the age of 18.

According to the Tourette syndrome Association there are not many schools in the nation that are familiar with Tourette syndrome. However, even though they remain few in number, more schools and educators are becoming familiar with Tourette Syndrome and are willing to provide the special care and attention that TS children need to enhance their learning ability and ease the emotional stress they often experience during school. Tourette Syndrome is something that should be researched and discussed in every school. No child should be turned away because they have different learning abilities.

There is a number of challenges teachers face while teaching students with TS. For example, establishing the proper learning environment. It is important for teachers to know that many of the children with TS might have some kind of learning problem and might need individual attention. Teachers may consider using tape recorders, typewriters, or computers for reading and writing problems. Exams should not be timed and should take place in a private room if vocal tics are a problem and the students should be given permission to leave the room when tics become overwhelming.

Accommodations for writing problems, many children with TS also have visual-motor integration problems. They may come across with difficulties when having to copy information from the board, completing long assignments, neatness of written work, and when given a specific time to finish an assignment. Sometimes it appears as though the student is lazy or avoiding work, but in reality the effort to record the work on paper may be overwhelming.

Accommodations