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Tourette Syndrome Plus!
By: Renata Bursten, Dragonfly Staff

Learn more about this common and underdiagnosed condition... plus other related disorders such as obssesive-compulsive disorder, rage attacks, and the autism spectrum disorders.

Johnny is a first-grader who has been blinking his eyes frequently for the last few weeks and occasionally clearing his throat. When his vision exam comes back normal, his parents and teacher wonder if he has allergies.
,Susan is a 7th grader who can't seem to let go of something once she's gotten it into her head. After sending her to the office for lack of cooperation fails to change her behavior, the school principal gives her an in-school suspension and schedules a meeting with her parents to talk about Susan's stubbornness and oppositional behavior.
,Billy is 16 and has been in trouble in school since kindergarten. His teachers say that he could do the work but just isn't motivated. In class, Billy spends much of his time looking out the window and blurting out things that have nothing to do with the class activity. He doesn't do his homework and frequently loses his papers and assignments.
,Nicole is 12 and has been "raging" at home for the past few months, although she's better behaved in school. Her parents describe her as a real "Jekyll and Hyde" person.
,Do these fictional students have a neurological basis for their behavior that needs to be addressed, or are they simply the products of faulty parenting or a faulty school system? And if there is some neurological or neurobiological condition, what role does genetics play and environmental allergies or childhood illnesses? Do such conditions have to be treated medically, or can they be managed via environmental means and supports? These are just some of the many questions that parents, educators, and clinicians ask ourselves on a daily basis.
,Over the last decade, as our awareness of neurobiological conditions has increased, we have discovered that were once thought to be rare disorders are not really rare at all and that a lot of what parents and educators thought was simply "misbehavior" were actually neurological symptoms. Conditions such as Tourette Syndrome (also known as Tourette's Disorder), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, autism spectrum disorders and mood disorders (such as depression or Bipolar Disorder) may impact up to 20% or more of all children or adolescents.
,On this site you will find up-to-date, comprehensive information on a number of childhood-onset conditions, including diagnosis, treatment, parenting, and school-related issues and tips. Learn the signs and symptoms of various conditions and what you can do to help. Much of the material on this site will also apply to adults with these conditions.

Tourette Syndrome Plus!