When Your Child is Diagnosed with Tourette's

Learning that your child has been diagnosed with an illness, any illness can be confusing and frightening. This is particularly true for parents whose children are diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome. Tourette’s is a disease that that is often misunderstood. Many think that it simply consists of outbursts of inappropriate verbiage. The truth is that this is a serious illness that affects many children throughout the world.

Tourette’s is a disorder that causes tics. Tics are when the child makes movements suddenly that cannot be controlled. These tics can be facial or they can affect various other areas of the body. Tourette’s is more common in males than females and can begin as early as infanthood. Symptoms normally become apparent between the ages of 3 and 8. The tics may be worse as the child’s age progresses and once adulthood is reached, they may go away altogether.

There is no known cause for Tourette’s in children. Researchers believe that it may be a genetic disorder that is inherited through the parents. A family history if the disease makes a child more prone to developing tics. Problems during pregnancy can also increase the risk of Tourette’s in children.

If your child has been diagnosed with Tourette’s, you may have questions. Even if you have not been given a formal diagnosis, if your child has developed tics, you may have questions that you want to ask your pediatrician about the disorder and how diagnosis is reached. Doctors will recommend that you help your child to learn to manage stress. Stress can significantly increase the frequency and severity of tics. Learning to control stress can include meditation, deep breathing and various other techniques that will help your child to become more relaxed.

It is imperative that you learn about Tourette’s and know how to handle episodes when your child may seem incontrollable. There are a number of good books and other research materials that can give you insights into the disorder and teach you more about what can trigger tics and episodes. Touretties by Chris Mason is an excellent read that gives firsthand experiences of the disorder. Patients have written their experiences in letters and these letters have been published into the book. You can learn about how other parents have dealt with their children’s diagnosis and how patients began to experience their first symptoms. If your child or anyone that you love has been diagnosed with this disorder, this book will give you inspiration.

Take the time to read more about the disorder and learn ways of spotting tics and what triggers them. Tourette’s is a completely manageable disorder, you simply have to learn the best way to manage it in your child.