TOURETTE'S SYNDROME
INTRODUCTION
Over 100 years ago, the French physician Georges Gilles de la Tourette wrote an article in which he described nine individuals who, since childhood, had suffered from involuntary movements and sounds and compulsive rituals or behaviors. In his honor, this constellation of symptoms was named Gilles de la Tourette's Syndrome.
 
Today, we recognize that Tourette's is a spectrum disorder, with some people having a few tics and others having tics plus features of other conditions such as obsessions, compulsions, inattention, impulsivity, mood variability. On this site, you can learn about Tourette's and the other conditions that may accompany it as part of the spectrum.

Once thought to be a rare condition, Tourette's is a fairly common childhood-onset condition.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Overview of Tics and Tourette's
Leslie E. Packer, PhD, 1998 (last revised, 2006)
A primer on tics and Tourette's including life span changes, psychosocial consequences, the role of stress, and much more.

Chart of Common Tics (PDF File)
Leslie E. Packer, PhD, 1995 (revised 2000)
A listing of common motor and vocal tics.
(Versión española, PDF)

Try This Awareness Exercise
Leslie E. Packer, PhD, 1998, revised 2004
Parents: try these exercises to increase your awareness. Teachers: there's an additional exercise for you in the Education section.

Letter to Parents (PDF File)
Leslie E. Packer, PhD, 1998 (last revision 2004)
For parents of children newly diagnosed with Tourette's

"The Animals Inside Me" (PDF File)
A poem written by a 9 year-old with Tourette's Syndrome that can be used as part of peer education or to help you talk with your own child or young patient

Reflections (PDF File)
A collection of poetry and creative writing about Tourette's Syndrome by children and adults. Last revised February, 2006.

Famous People with Tourette's Syndrome
Leslie E. Packer, PhD
Just for inspiration

Treatment of Tourette's Syndrome Overview
Leslie E. Packer, PhD
Overview of medications and nonmedication alternatives

Research Studies Seeking Participants
Investigators seeking participants. Any study posted on this page has submitted a copy of their Institutional Review Board's approval for the study, but the investigators are solely responsible for the studies and information is posted on this site only for informational purposes. Last updated March 3, 2008.

For Your Reference Shelf
Books and videos on Tourette's Syndrome

Links
Links to other web sites with information on Tourette's Syndrome.

TOURETTE'S SYNDROME - ONLINE SURVEY RESULTS PUBLISHED

"Tic-Related School Problems: Impact on Functioning, Accommodations, and Interventions" was published in the November 2005 issue of Behavior Modification. If you participated in the online survey that was the basis for the article, or if you would like a copy of the article, use the contact form on this site to request a reprint.

TOURETTE'S SYNDROME - POINTS OF INTEREST

Looking for school-related issues for Tourette's? You'll find them in the Education Information Section of this site.

TOURETTE'S SYNDROME - OF SPECIAL INTEREST TO PARENTS

Looking for a summer camp for your child for 2006?  The Tourette Syndrome Camping Organization has posted its information for this year's camps. They are also running a small reunion mini-camp in February 2006.

EN ESPAÑOL
Los tic habituales en el Síndrome de Tourette (PDF)
Consejos para manejar los tic en el aula (PDF)
Educar a compañeros de niños y jovenes con Sindrome de Tourette (PDF)

Tourette Syndrome "Plus" © Copyright 1998 - 2008, Leslie E. Packer, PhD. except as noted.
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This page last updated March 3, 2008. Reprint Policy. Privacy Policy. Contact.