Presented by
Brittany Malta
Georges Gilles de la Tourette
French neurologist who discovered Tourette Syndrome after writing a
paper on nine people with abnormal tics
What is Tourette Syndrome?
 Inherited neurological disease
 Involuntary movements
 Uncontrollable vocalizations
 Approx. 100,000 Americans have full blown Tourettes
 1 in 200 show symptoms of it
Symptoms
 Facial tics
 Blinking
 Nose twitching
 Grimaces
 Motor tics
 Head jerking
 Neck stretching
 Foot stomping
 Strange sounds
 Grunts
 Yelping
 Shouting
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqTrOwPKFd4&feat
ure=related
Additional issues with T.S.
Diagnoses and Treatment
 Description of the tic and family history
 Must be present for a year
 Treatment can be delayed because the symptoms are
easily confused with other diseases
 Most symptoms aren’t severe enough to need
medication
Adapting your classroom for
students with TS
Remember even though their tics may be disruptive they
can’t control them, don’t react with anger !
 Visual motor integration problems
 Write down every other math problem
 Tape their report instead of writing it
 Allow them to write on the tests
 Language problems
 Give oral directions one or two steps at a time
 Have them repeat the directions back to you
 If they get stuck in a loop doing work give them something
else to do
 Attention problems
 Keep them away from windows or any movements
 Put them in a “quiet” work place
 Alternate short periods of work and breaks
Famous People with T.S.
 Dr. Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)
 British poet, essayist, and lexicographer
 Wrote the “Dictionary of the English Language”
 Jim Eisenreich (1959- )
 Retired major league baseball player
 1997 world series champions – Florida Marlins
 Tim Howard (1979- )
 Goal keeper for Manchester United
 Played in the 2000 olympics
 The best thing you can do is to love them and show
them understanding, they can’t control what is going
on with their bodies
References
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http://www.healthnewsflash.com/conditions/tourette_syndrome.php#whatis
http://www.schoolbehavior.com/inspiration.htm
http://www.ericdigests.org/1999-4/tourette.htm
A Physician's Guide to the Diagnosis and Treatment of Tourette Syndrome, 3rd
edition.
Bronheim, Suzanne. (1994). An Educator's Guide to Tourette Syndrome,
Tourette Syndrome Association, Inc., Bayside, NY. ED321467.
Wertheim, Judy. (1994). Coping with Tourette Syndrome in the Classroom,
Revised. Tourette Syndrome Association, Inc., Bayside, NY. ED385075.
This digest was adapted with permission from the Tourette Syndrome
Association, Inc
http://www.latitudes.org/articles/finding_triggers.htm
http://www.nndb.com/people/582/000178048/
Pictures
 http://www.greatplainslaboratory.com/home/span/to
urette/tourette-graphic.jpg
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqTrOwPKFd4&fe
ature=related
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Gilles_de_la_To
urette
 http://www.schoolbehavior.com/inspiration.htm