I'm a mother of a child with TOURETTE Syndrome. I need help.?!
Question: I was just told that my son 8yr of age has Trouette Syndrome. What does this mean and how do you handle it? There are other Syndromes in this house with myself and other children. I dont know anything thing about this one.PLEASE help!!
Answers: I was just told that my son 8yr of age has Trouette Syndrome. What does this mean and how do you handle it? There are other Syndromes in this house with myself and other children. I dont know anything thing about this one.PLEASE help!!
{{{{{{{{Hugs}}}}}}}}
At first it seems so overwhelming, doesn't it? It does get better. I promise. :o)
Both my sons have TS, as do I. My oldest daughter *might*. We're watching to see if these are tics or O/Cs (obsessions/compulsions)... time will tell. My sons are 21, 17? and this daughter is almost 8. We learned of TS about 12 years ago, I guess it was. I was in my mid-twenties before finding out I have TS.
Having TS means he's going to tic. Both motor and "vocal" tics, which will wax and wane over the years. Chances are high that you'll notice an increase of tics as he enters, and goes through, puberty. Tics vary widely and anything is possible. There are various approaches used to ease the ticcing and the success varies by each TSer (these include medications, supplements, therapies, etc.). Nothing rids anyone of TS. There are other things which you may notice, though they're not part of the dx criteria.
There are simple and complex tics. Some tics are barely noticeable while others stand out greatly. The "copro" tics are sensational, but are rarer in the grand scheme of TS things. Coprolalia, for example, is "the swearing tic" (the sudden, uncontrollable utterance of socially inappropriate words or phrases)... Copro's show up, in any form or measure, in less than 10% of all TSers. But they sure get the attention, don't they? <g>
Severity can be measured in terms of Mild, Moderate and Severe. Of course, TSers can fall anywhere between any of these.
There are times when a TSer might find they typically enter a waxing period. During/after an illness, during allergy season, shorter after the beginning or ending of a school year or break, near time of exams, and so on. Stress is a great factor for waxing of tics.
My oldest son led to our learning of TS. He would have been about 8 when dx'd. His TS is stronger than anyone else's in our home.
I would strongly recommend a support group. A good place to share experience and TS facts (lots of misinformation out there as you've probably noticed <g>).
Now, if you Homeschool, I can recommend a good group to join (for HSing kids just like ours). Wonderful people there!
For simple TS support... I'll recommend TSersLife. The people there do know a lot about TS, though the activity is quite low.
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/T...
Two very good and active groups are: TSparents and TSparents-2.
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/T...
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/T...
And you're absolutely welcome to email me if you'd like. :o)
The other dx's (diagnoses) you mention in your family... any chance any are along the lines of OCD, AD/HD, various learning disorders, sensory disorders, other anxiety disorders, etc? It's all in the genes. :o)
Hang in there... it's going to be okay. :o)
(Geomum2@yahoo.com)
Tourette syndrome (also called Tourette's syndrome, Tourette's disorder, Gilles de la Tourette syndrome, GTS or, more commonly, simply Tourette's or TS) is an inherited neurological disorder with onset in childhood, characterized by the presence of multiple physical (motor) tics and at least one vocal (phonic) tic; these tics characteristically wax and wane. Tourette's is defined as part of a spectrum of tic disorders, which includes transient and chronic tics.
Tourette's was once considered a rare and bizarre syndrome, most often associated with the exclamation of obscene words or socially inappropriate and derogatory remarks (coprolalia). However, this symptom is present in only a small minority of people with Tourette's.[1] Tourette's is no longer considered a rare condition, but it may not always be correctly identified because most cases are classified as mild. Between 1 and 11 children per 1,000 have Tourette's; as many as 10 per 1,000 people may have tic disorders,[2][3] with the more common tics of eye blinking, coughing, throat clearing, sniffing, and facial movements. People with Tourette's have normal life expectancy and intelligence. The severity of the tics decreases for most children as they pass through adolescence, and extreme Tourette's in adulthood is a rarity. Notable individuals with Tourette's are found in all walks of life.[4]
Genetic and environmental factors each play a role in the etiology of Tourette's, but the exact causes are unknown. In most cases, medication is unnecessary. There is no effective medication for every case of tics, but there are medications and therapies that can help when their use is warranted. Explanation and reassurance alone are often sufficient treatment;[5] education is an important part of any treatment plan.[6]
The eponym was bestowed by Jean-Martin Charcot (1825