Abstract
Tourettte’s Syndrome, commonly known as simply Tourette’s or TS, is a hereditary condition that is characterized by the regular occurrence of motor and vocal tics (The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 2008). This condition is commonly stigmatized and misunderstood due to its misrepresentation in the media. An interview with an anonymous, mid-aged man who has been diagnosed with Tourette’s allowed us to gain a better understanding of this impressionable disorder. It helped to illustrate how those affected by this condition may have trouble in some areas of development. Research supports its connection patterns of specific aptitudes in functions such as memory, attention, language, and information processing. Evidence supports that for individuals with Tourette’s, these processes can be influenced considerably by select biological and environmental factors.
Interview II: Tourette’s Syndrome
Tourette’s Syndrome is diagnosed when a person exhibits multiple motor and at least one vocal tics over the course of a year, with the occurrence of the onset before the age of 18. Our respondent first noticed his tic at age 6. These tics cannot be an effect of a substance nor another medical condition (The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 2008). Because of Tourette’s varied expression in affected individuals, no specific diagnostic screenings exsist, yet other medical conditions that involve tics must initially be ruled out in a diagnostic assessment (The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 2008).
Features
Tics are the random occurrence of movements or sounds amidst normal behavior. These tics occur differently in each affected individual and vary in frequency, anatomical location, and severity (The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 2008). According to our interview respondent, most cases of Tourette’s are mild and sometimes symptoms may go unnoticed. His symptoms are...