Tourette Syndrome TS) is a neurological disorder characterized by tics -- involuntary, rapid, sudden movements or vocalizations that occur repeatedly in the same way.

TSA, founded in 1972, is the only national voluntary non-profit membership organization dedicated to: Members include individuals with the disorder, their relatives and other interested, concerned people.

A waxing and waning course. That is one tic may be replaced by another tic and the severity varies over time. Just because the tics can be suppressed for awhile does not mean the tics are voluntary or put on. Suppression requires a conscious effort which eventually fails and the tics may be worse after a period of suppression. Not uncommonly a person can suppress the tics during school time, or at the doctors office, then release them at home or in the car.

TS was once thought to be a rare disease. However studies of ours in a Los Angeles school district indicate 1 in 100 school boys had TS. It is less common in girls. Subsequent studies in New York and England suggest an ever higher incidence. This makes it one of the commonest genetic disease affecting children. Because of the wide range of associated problems, TS is an important factor in many children with school and behavioral problems.

Genetic studies suggest that individuals with significant symptoms have inherited multiple genes from both parents, i.e. it is polygenic. The associated behaviors listed above are common in the relatives of TS individuals. See the Research Articles for many of the genetic studies carried out at the City of Hope Tourette Syndrome/ADHD clinic. Is Tourette Syndrome a Progressive or Fatal Disorder? No. TS not a progressive disorder.

Yes, especially in those instances when the symptoms are viewed by some people as bizarre, disruptive and frightening. It is also important to consider therapy when the child is concerned over her/his acceptance to peers. Sometimes TS symptoms provoke ridicule and rejection by peers, neighbors, teachers and even casual observers. Parents may be overwhelmed by the strangeness of their child's behavior.

A lot of people have tics, like sniffing, grunting, or licking lips. Sometimes, a person has tics for long enough that a doctor says that person has Tourette's Syndrome. People with TS have had at least one movement and one sound or word tic. They have had tics for over a year. A year is the time it takes to get from one birthday to the next birthday. In order to have a TS diagnosis a person has to have not gone over three months (that is about the length of summer vacation) without having tics.

When a parent has Tourette's syndrome, each of his or her children has a 50% chance of inheriting the gene that causes it. It is important to remember that your child's risk of major problems is closer to 10%. This is because most people with Tourette's syndrome only have minor symptoms that do not interfere with their enjoyment of life.

Your doctor makes the diagnosis based on whether you have had multiple motor tics and at least one phonic tic that began before you were 18 years old, and whether these tics lasted (on and off) for longer than one year. The presence of premonitory urge, partial voluntary control, variability over time and a family history of tic disorder increases the probability that you have Tourette's syndrome.

Tourette's syndrome is an inherited condition that causes a certain part of your brain to function incorrectly. You have an excessive activity of dopamine, a brain chemical that normally controls your body's movements. Some cases of Tourette's syndrome may be caused by an immune reaction to a streptococcal infection, or by other unknown environmental factors.

Many people with Tourette's syndrome get better after their teen years. Only a small number of people with Tourette's syndrome need treatment. Treatment consists primarily of medications that restore the balance of chemicals in your brain. Because the treatment may cause adverse effects, you should only consider taking medication if the tics are affecting your quality of life.

It is named after Dr. Georges Gilles de la Tourette, a French doctor. The first reported case of Tourette syndrome was made in 1825 by Dr. Itard, another French doctor. In 1885, Dr. Gilles de la Tourette described nine patients with the syndrome of multiple motor and vocal tics. It is named after him because he was the first to describe these patients as having a movement disorder.

You can act just like you act around anyone else. It is best not to point out tics to your friend. If your friend feels that you are looking at the tics all the time, it might make your friend nervous. Being nervous sometimes makes people with Tourette's tic more. Sometimes, kids with TS will joke about their tics with you. That is okay, but it is best to let your friend make the jokes. You don't want to accidentally hurt your friend's feelings.

TSA answers: It depends. Excellent evaluations have been done by people who have little knowledge regarding TS and others who have (or think they have) a great deal of knowledge have done terrible evaluations. It is always helpful that the person have some basic information – and more importantly that they not be limited by misinformation, and that they are available to be educated regarding specific symptoms and related disorders.

The vast majority of cases of tourette syndrome are passed on from a parent, although there are a minority of incidences where there is no history of tics in the family. Sometimes though, symptoms are easy to miss - the childhood habit that was largely ignored and then grown out of, having to even up - knock one elbow, then you 'have' to knock the other one etc. If a parent has the gene, there is a 50% chance of each child inheriting the gene.

What distinguishes Asperger's Syndrome from autism is the severity of the symptoms and the absence of language delays. Children with Asperger's may be only mildly affected and frequently have good language and cognitive skills. To the untrained observer, a child with Asperger's may seem just like a normal child behaving differently. They may be socially awkward, not understanding of conventional social rules, or show a lack of empathy.