Tourette's syndrome

[magicfan]

I think I just talked to someone with it. It kind of freaked me out (no offense to anyone who has it.)

I was talking to a businessman that I have spoken to a couple of times before but this time, shortly after we started talking, he started to act a little "odd", making weird gestures with his hands. Then, he started making really strange (unnatural) faces while he was talking. Then he started making these barking noises. He would do all three at once, or one at a time. All the while we are trying to hold a conversation, and I was trying my very best not to make it obvious that I noticed what he was doing. It was so awkward. I am just assuming he has tourette's syndrome since I have seen programs about this disorder. It wasn't just fidgeting, I am convinced he has Tourette's Syndrome, but I am no expert. Has anyone else had experience with people with this? Do you acknowledge that they have it, or just try to pretend you don't notice? I know I will be in contact with this person sometime in the future.

 

[DawnCt1]

There was a boy in DS 20's class with tourettes. Its a tic disorder that is expressed in vocal, involuntary utterances. The milder forms are noted by repeatedly clearing the throat or sniffing. More severe cases are noted by swearing and shouting profanities as well as facial tics and twitching. There is medication available that can limit the symptoms.

 

[Rozzie]

we had a patient on our floor with it. I really felt sorry for him....I can't imagine the issues that comes along with always standing out and talked about.

It sounds like you handled it very well.

I would think they would like to be accepted and treated the same as if they didn't have it. I hope someone posts that is closer to someone with it, as I would also like some more insight on it.

 

[JudicialTyranny]

I have a friend whose 11 year old son has it. He makes honking sounds, sort of like Felix Unger on the Odd Couple made when his sinuses were acting up.

He is taking some medication to help suppress it.

Sometimes my wife thinks I have it, but it's really just me trying to annoy her and the kids...

 

[mum4jenn]

I used to work with someone that has it. Made noises like the above poater mentioned. He never made these noises when he was away from work but when he was at work it was almost constant.

My step daughter is married to a guy that has it but it seems to be pretty mild from what I have seen.

 

[Nite0wl71]

There is a teacher at my DD's school who has it, it must be a mild case. He tells his students about it on the first day of class. I have spoken to him several times, my daughter has been in his class for 3 years he teaches only science. He doesn't make any noises but rocks back and forth and fiddles with a paper clip.

He remembers everything. Last year my daughter didn't type her outline for her science project, he gave her a lower grade and she was upset. At Open House this year we stopped by to see him and when I mentioned her name he told me she was mad at him because she didn't type her outline

 

[marybrat]

Myself, my daughter, and my son all have Tourette. I would be happy to answer any questions.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

My son, who is almost 16yo has TS. I don't have time to type it out right now, but tomorrow I'll explain more and/or try to find a thread that I posted on not long ago explaining a little about my son.

 

[Hollister]

I was volunteering at Habitat for Humanity when a woman with TS came in. She wanted to see this elvis statue. She would talk for a little bit then she would turn away and say a swear word then turn back then talk a little more then swear a few more times. She would fidget a little also.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I found the thread that I recently posted on--I'll copy and paste since I'm a slow typist. This gives a little insight to my son. To answer your question, it sounds like you did fine. Treat him like you'd treat anyone. You wouldn't stare at someone who is in a wheelchair or help someone speak who stutters.

My `15yo son was diagnosed with TS when he was in 3rd grade. He started vocal and motor tics when he was 6yo, in first grade.

To be diagnosed a child has to do at least one motor and one vocal tic over the course of a year (or something like that). Ben's tics have waxed and waned throughout the years, but when he got closer to puberty they got a lot worse. We don't know what the future holds as far as his tics go, but there is much more to him than his his tics.

He is a bright, imaginative, loving, creative boy. He has been learning how to design websites and is interested in graphic design. He is also absent minded and gets lost in his own world, common in someone with ADD, which a lot of TS kids have. He's also a normal teenager, so he can drive me up a wall at times.

This summer he had the wonderful experience of volunteering at a week long sleepaway camp for kids with Tourettes run by Children's Hospital. Kids came from all over the east coast. To put it mildly, it was an eye opening experience. He got to see how severe TS can be (I would say that Ben's TS is moderate) and what some of these kids have to deal with. Some of them have a lot of anger and many of them are very sensitive to any comments said to them from other kids. Like I said, many kids have ADD/ADHD and OCD is also not uncommon. One boy just finished chemo for cancer (I think a brain tumor)--how much should one kid have to handle?

One thing that I'm thankful about with my son--his personality is such that he doesn't normally get down when people say things to him. It must hurt sometimes, but he doesn't internalize it. He knows that he can't help it and he really handles it well. If it were one of my older two kids I think it would be much harder on them.

My son told us about a pro golfer who spoke at the camp that he volunteered at. The golfers parents (or maybe his dad) never accepted his TS and wanted him to stop doing the tics. Can you imagine that kind of pressure on a kid? I know that can be the initial reaction of a parent before a diagnosis, but after it's clear what's going on, that seems criminal. Would someone punish a kid for needing insulin or eyeglasses?

 

[Pugdog007]

The Big Brother that just finished up in England had a guy on it with TS. He won! He seemed to have an extreme case.

 

[HoneyPooh]

Both of my sons have TS. They were diagnosed very young. My husband has it and wasn't diagnosed until our sons were! The neurologist said because it was very mild in my husbad it wasn't very noticible and only someone trained would probably know what it was caused by.

My son's had very mild tics thank goodness, so the medications were not very strong, just enough to help them to control things and concentrate in school. On weekends and school holidays they did not medicate. My oldest at 21 still has one of his tics but even though he no longer medicates there are no problems in his everyday life except that his girlfriend and I get tired of cleaning up little fuzzballs where he picks clean (and I do mean absolutely NAKED clean) every blanket, hoodie or anything with fuzz! My youngest barely has any tics left at age 18. You wouldn't notice a thing different about him(he talks to himself a little but most people do anyway). My hubby only really has the hand thing left. By that I mean that he can't concentrate on speaking and explaining something like say ordering food whitout putting his palms together and rubbing his hands back and forth while he speaks. If you were to hold his hands still he would be completely tounge tied.