What is Tourette Syndrome?
People with Tourette's have tics. Tics are involuntary movements or cry out, so without anyone that wants. People with Tourette can make different kinds of tics. For example, someone makes jerky movements, he makes gestures, he calls (bad) words or he repeats words.
Tension makes the tics worse. Also aggravate the tics after someone is a while. They usually go away when someone concentrated or relax. Also while sleeping they disappear.
Tourette syndrome usually starts with a habit-tic in a child. The child can also make strange noises, as often sniffing or rattling. In the course of the time more tics in. Reduce the tics usually after puberty.
People with Tourette's often also have ADHD or a compulsion disorder.
Tourette syndrome is not curable. Certain medications and cannabis reduce the tics. Medications can have nasty side effects. Psychotherapy can help to learn to live with the tics. In addition, behavioral therapy anyone learn to ' normal ' words in place of swear words.
Tourette syndrome is four times more common in men than in women.
What causes Tourette syndrome?
The body of men with the syndrome of tourette syndrome carries out tasks that have not at all given the brains. Why is that, exactly, is not clear.
Tourette's syndrome is probably hereditary. Often, many people in the family tics, OCD or ADHD.
How do you know if your child tourette syndrome?
Tourette syndrome has the following characteristics:
- The first tic begins between the second and the fifteenth year of life.
- The child makes involuntary, purposeless, rapid movements and/or sounds in succession.
- The tics are sometimes very much and sometimes almost gone.
- The child may suppress the tics a few minutes to hours. Then it has a while more bothered by the tics.
- When the child is concentrated or relax with something busy, reduce the tics. When under stress, they are worse.
- While sleeping the tics go away.
- Repeat someone's words (echolalia).
- Repeat someone's movements (echopraxia).
- Each repeat their own words (palilalia).
- Swearing (coprolalia).
- Obscene gestures (copopraxie).
Advice for parents of a child with Tourette syndrome
How do you deal with the behavior of your child with Tourette's? Some advice:
- It is important that you understand your child. Let them know that you accept him with all his tics.
- Make sure your child knows he can count on you when needed. Teach your child do that for him the same rules as everyone.
- Give your child a place to be alone when it wants to handle stress by expressing tics.
- Tell the teachers at school about the illness of your child. Then they know what to expect. In addition, the teacher can tell classmates about the 'strange behavior'. So you can prevent bullying.