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Tourette’s syndrome
Classroom support for Tourette’s Nancy Doyle explains how schools can be made more productive and manageable for pupils with Tourette’s
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ourette’s syndrome is a much misunderstood condition. It attracts a lot of sensationalist press coverage, without receiving the same level of understanding that is often accorded to other conditions such as autism or dyslexia. It is thought that roughly one per cent of the UK population has Tourette’s syndrome (TS), which is about the same as autism, although far fewer people understand what TS is and how it affects individuals.
Trying to stop a tic has been likened to attempting to prevent a sneeze
Having TS means that both physical and verbal tics are present, these being movements or sounds that the person cannot control. Most people with TS have simple tics, such as eye blinking, throat clearing or cracking their knuckles. These are common in childhood, with as many as 10 to 20 per cent of children developing some isolated tics, typically around Key Stage 1 and 2, which they then grow out of in adolescence. Educators are therefore likely to encounter children with minor tics, a few of whom will go on to develop TS. Complex tics occur in around 0.25 per cent of the population, with even fewer developing coprolalia, which refers to tics that are rude or insulting in nature, such as swearing or making obscene hand gestures.
Suppressing tics
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TS most frequently co-occurs with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety. Children are likely to appear anxious and jumpy, and may be self-conscious about their tics, not knowing why they occur. Trying to stop a tic has been likened to attempting to prevent a sneeze; it requires an enormous amount of effort and is often impossible. Suppression of tics can lead to exhaustion, stress and lack of focus on the task at hand. Eventually, the tic will need to be released. Initially, children may try to suppress tics in an attempt at compliance, especially if they feel they will be chastised for senmagazine.co.uk
