Make sure your discussion is appropriate for your child.
What you say and how you say it will depend on your child’s age and ability to understand. Use age-appropriate language and examples.
* Younger children need concrete examples and explanations; they have a harder time having a direct discussion. Give them the facts about TS, without medical jargon. Try reading a book about TS with them or ask them to draw a picture of how they are feeling.
* With older children and adolescents, you can conduct more detailed discussions about TS. In addition to talking with them, maybe buy them a journal to write their feelings down in, recommend a book for them to read, or suggest our Website to get more information.

Be sensitive.
Whether your child is just learning about TS or has questions about it, it’s a very sensitive subject to them. Make sure to ask if they have any questions, and address their concerns in a way that makes it less scary and more understandable to them.
TS is even more difficult for your child if he or she is having trouble with peers or is embarrassed by tics. Be sensitive to these potential trouble areas, and try to discuss them with your child.
o Be aware that your child may feel down or stressed, and he or she may not be aware that the tics or TS are causing these feelings.

Keep an open dialogue.
Children will often have many questions that cannot be answered at one moment. Make sure your child knows you are available for questions or just to listen whenever he or she needs you.
If your child has a bad day at school, it may be related to ticcing in class or teasing from peers. Ask them about their day, and see if their tics are affecting them. You may want to follow up with their teacher if the problem persists.
Older children may not want to share everything with their parents. This is perfectly normal. Just communicate to them that you are available if they need you; do not pressure them to tell you everything that might be bothering them.

Know information about TS.
It is important to know accurate information about TS to answer your child ’s questions appropriately.
Make sure you can explain what TS is, what it means, how it will affect your child’s life, and what your child and you can do together to help.
Click on the following links to learn more about TS: What is Tourette Syndrome (TS)?, FAQs. You may also want to direct your child to the "Kids Zone" section of our Website to obtain more information.

"Special Concerns for Teens"

As a parent of a teen, you know that adolescence is a time of many changes. As they move from childhood to adolescence, children experience substantial changes in their physical, social, academic, and psychological lives. These transitions can be difficult for any teen to negotiate— because of the nature of the disorder, teens with TS may face particular challenges. Below are some examples of some developmental changes that occur during adolescence and brief examples of how teens with TS may face additional challenges in these areas.

Relationships with Peers
Teenagers spend more time with peers and friends than they did when they were younger, and friendships become more important to them. They may also begin to try out romantic relationships for the first time.

Teens with TS may have more difficulties in making and maintaining friends. For example, they may be embarrassed by their tics or worried their peers think they are strange or different. They may feel excluded by peers because of their tics. They may also worry about going out in public and being seen exhibiting tics by strangers or other teens.

Each teen is different and may react differently to these added challenges in their social relationships. Some teens may feel depressed or down and may restrict their activities to avoid embarrassment in public, thereby isolating themselves socially. They may also avoid trying out romantic relationships for fear of being rejected due to their tics and TS. Other teens may develop “acting out” behaviors or feel angry a lot of the time in reaction to their inability to control their tics. These behaviors may lead to problems in school and in their relationships with peers and family. Although there are medications to treat the tics of TS, these may have unpleasant side effects, such as sleepiness or weight gain, both of which may cause teens to feel self-conscious or bad about themselves around peers.

Development of Self Identity
Adolescence is the time in life when children begin to think about who they are and to develop a personal identity. To do this, teens often try out new peer groups, join different clubs at school, or work part time. Teens with TS have the added challenge of figuring out how TS affects who they are now and what their future goals will be, and then managing the TS while trying out these new life tasks.

Academic Transitions
As they transition from elementary school to secondary school settings, teens face higher academic expectation and often have to accomplish this with less support from adults or teachers.
For teens with TS, it may be especially difficult to succeed in meeting these higher academic demands and to transition from receiving more to less support from teachers, counselors, and other school personnel.

What can you do to help?
Most teens rise to meet and overcome these challenges, particularly if they have support from key adults in their lives. Therefore, it is very important for caregivers, teachers, friends, and other supports to be aware of these issues and to know how to help. Look for more resources on this Website specifically designed for parents, teachers, and friends to describe ways to provide this additional valuable social support for teens with TS.