Tourette Syndrome
and Attention Deficit Disorder and ADHD
Tourette Syndrome (also referred to as Tourettes Syndrome and
Tourette’s Syndrome) is a disorder that seems to prefer company.
The two most common disorders associated with Tourettes is ADD and
ADHD. In addition to Attention Deficit Disorder, learning
disabilities, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and sleep disorders
are all fairly common with people with Tourette Syndrome. Children
with Tourette Syndrome are also likely to have a history of anger
control. Children with Tourette Syndrome are also more likely to
stutter.
Tourette’s Syndrome is a disorder characterized by vocal and
motor tics. Tics are sudden, repetitive motor or vocal expressions
or movements. A vocal tics symptom might include frequent clearing
of the throat, coughing or sniffling, compulsive grunting noises
or repeating words heard. A motor tics symptom might include
repetitive eye blinking, shrugging, head turning or leg bouncing.
Tourettes Syndrome can be mistaken for not being able to sit still
or impulsive behavior.
Tourettes occurs in about 1 in 2000 children and the
causes are unknown. Tourette Syndrome occurs most often in boys. In
order to be diagnosed with Tourettes, the child must have
both vocal and motor tics and that Tourette Syndrome symptom
present for more than one year.
In general, tics are a mild symptom at the onset, worsen at or
about puberty and become milder as the person ages. About one
third of children will outgrow the tics by the time they reach
adulthood.
When Tourettes Syndrome accompanies ADD or ADHD, the
symptom of
Attention Deficit often appear first. Although ADHD symptom
presentation typically arrives first, some professionals question
which disorder is responsible for the other.
Does Tourette Syndrome cause ADHD symptom issues, does the ADHD
produce the tic symptom presentation of Tourette. Or, are the two
disorders interconnected at all? While professionals do not agree
on the answer to these questions, the medical community does
acknowledge that ADHD medications can start or worsen tics.
Ritalin makes tics worse in about 40 percent of children who
have Tourette Syndrome. Many parents report the onset of tics
symptom shortly after starting ADHD medication.
Because ADHD medications can worsen the symptoms of Tourette
Syndrome, parents should check family history for Tourettes before
administering medication. If Tourette Syndrome or tics are a
concern, parents should consider using
Attend for the treatment of
Attention Deficit Disorder. Attend does not worsen tics are cause
tics.
There is no cure for Tourettes but symptoms are usually managed
with counseling and school accommodations. The medications most
often used in the treatment f Tourettes are Clonidine, Guanfacine,
Haloperidol and Pimozide, though most children with Tourettes do
not need medication to control their tics.
Back to Archived
Newsletters page
