Question: What does TS stand for?
Answer: TS is the common abbreviation for Tourette Syndrome.

Question: What are the types of motor tics?
Answer: Simple motor tics can be eye blinking, shoulder shrugging, or head jerking. Complex motor tics can be jumping, smelling, or touching.

Question: What are verbal tics?
Answer: Simple verbal tics can be whistling, humming, or throat clearing. Complex vocal tics can be repeating words or phrases or coprolalia.

Question: I don't see many tics in my student during class. Why?
Answer: Some children with TS do not tic as much during class because they are suppressing the tics for when they are in a "safer" place, such as at home or at recess.

Question: Can people with TS control their tics?
Answer: While people with TS can sometimes suppress their tics for periods of time, for the most part, the movements are involuntary and out of their control. In fact, after a period of suppression, the tics often emerge more intensely.

Question: Is TS contagious?
Answer: No, you cannot catch TS from anyone.

Question: Can you die from TS?
Answer: No, the disorder is not fatal. People with TS live normal, healthy lives.

Question: Is there a cure for TS?
Answer: No, there is no cure at this time. However, medications can diminish the frequency and severity of tics.

Question: Does TS ever go away?
Answer: The disorder is characterized by periods of greater or lesser intensity. Sometimes, people are completely free of tics, and sometimes, their tics are at their worst. Some people find that during late adolescence, their tics subside considerably.

Question: Do people swear who have TS?
Answer: Sometimes, but actually, this type of tic, called coprolalia, is relatively rare. It occurs in less than 15 percent of all cases of TS.

Question: Do people with TS lead productive lives?
Answer: Of course! You will find people with TS in every profession and enjoying every recreational activity.

Question: What does TS feel like?
Answer: Remember how it feels when you have to sneeze. You can hold a sneeze back briefly, but after a while, you just have to do it. That's how having a tic feels. Tics are things that a person can not help doing.

Question: Where can I get more information about TS?
Answer: You can obtain more information about TS from the Tourette Syndrome Association of Ontario and a number of Websites on the Internet. Please refer to the Links page on this Website for more resources.

Question: Where does the name "Tourette" come from?
Answer: Tourette Syndrome is named after the French neurologist Dr. Georges Gilles de la Tourette, who first described nine cases of Tourette Syndrome in 1885.

Question: Does my student need special education classes?
Answer: This varies from case to case. However, your student's intelligence is not affected by the disorder, and many children with TS are fully capable of meeting the demands of the regular education classroom.

Question: What should I do if my student is being teased?
Answer: If your student is comfortable with the idea, a local TSAO chapter could conduct a classroom presentation for your child. The goal of this classroom presentation would be to educate peers about TS to promote empathy and positive social relationships. Remember to talk to the parents before conducting a presentation. See the Tools section for products that can help.