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Tourette Syndrome (TS)

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurological condition. The main signs of TS are motor and vocal tics.


Motor tics can be repeated movements, such as shoulder shrugs or touching things. Vocal tics can include repeated sounds, such as throat clearing or making a specific noise.

Coprolalia, or saying rude words or swearing, is perhaps the most well-known sign of TS but in fact only affects a few individuals with TS - NHS.

While there are areas in which individuals with TS may experience challenges, such as hyper-arousal (which can then lead to tiredness), or distractibility, many individuals with TS have increased ability in areas such as creativity, verbal communication, hyper-focus, and many more.

Facts

  • over 300,000 children and adults are living with TS in the UK
  • the involuntary sounds or movements associated with TS are called Tics
  • TS is a genetic condition that often runs in families
  • many famous people have TS (for example, Dan Aykroyd, Tim Howard, Howie Mandel, Seth Rogan, David Beckham, Billie Eilish, Lewis Capaldi, Jamie Grace, and Lele Pons)