Does Your Child Have Tourette Syndrome?

Parents often come away from the pediatrician’s office with a major question: Does my child have Tourette Syndrome? Because Tourette’s is known to be one of the most common genetic conditions, and it is also co-existent with a number of other, often less-known conditions, the question of whether or not your child has Tourette’s can lead you down a new path of discovery – and help.

Tourette's Disorder or Syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary body movements and vocal outbursts (Tics) for at least 12 months. What can be difficult for parents is the fact that there really is no test for Tourette’s. The diagnosis is currently made by history and observation.

The motor tics involved in Tourette’s are also characteristic in other disorders and a parent should know that further investigation should be done if your child is experiencing tics. An appointment with the geneticist can be a good first step to checking for other genetic disorders. However, an article from the American Journal of Human Genetics by researches from Yale called Progress in the search for genetic linkage with Tourette syndrome reveals a genetic link to Tourette’s. Tics are also associated with taking certain medications.

Some excellent articles such as Tourette Syndrome and Other Tic Disorders and Tic Disorders can help parents to understand and to formulate questions to ask your doctor.

The National Tourette Syndrome Association provides information and referrals from experts with backgrounds in social work, psychology, education or related disciplines. They operate 125 support groups, which can be found through a link on their web site.

We have also assembled links to other online support groups on our main web site , some organizations and other web sites on Tourette's, and we have discovered and collected noteworthy blogs that you can visit about Tourette’s as well. Check the Blogs section to the right of this article to find links to those relevant blogs. Books about Tourette’s can be found by visiting our Our Special Store in the books section.


We are not doctors. The above is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice from your doctor.