​Each participant had a chance to enter in our free raffle event by answering a question about Tourette syndrome. Winners were chosen only if their answers were correct. We would like to congratulate our raffle winners, Mr. Van Tran and Mr. Ninh Nguyen, for participating and answering our questions correctly!

Ninh Nguyen

Van Tran

What is Tourette syndrome?

1. ​A neurological disorder characterized by verbal and physical tics
2. A gastrointestinal disease
3. A language disorder

Tourette syndrome consists of verbal and physical tics. Tics are involuntary muscle or vocal spasms.
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When does Tourette syndrome typically first appear?

1. At birth
2. During elementary school years
3. During toddler years

Tourette syndrome typically first occurs between 6 and 10 years of age. The verbal and physical tics peak in adolescence.

Which of the following is a common tic found in children with Tourette syndrome?

1. ​Swearing
2. Rapid eye blinking
   
3. Kicking
   

Children with Tourette syndrome commonly experience rapid eye blinking, throat clearing, and hand flapping.
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Children with Tourette syndrome are at risk of developing:

1. ​conduct disorder
2. obsessive compulsive disorder
3. a learning disability

Many children with Tourette syndrome also develop obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). The reason for this link is not well understood.

Children with Tourette syndrome typically endure:

1. ​teasing and bullying
2. lower academic achievement
3. ​both of the above

Children can be mean. Unfortunately, children with Tourette syndrome are prone to frequent teasing and bullying by their peers.

Trying to prevent a tic is similar to: 

1. holding in a sneeze
2. holding in a full bladder
3. ​both of the above

Many children with Tourette syndrome explain that attempting to prevent a tic is like holding in a sneeze. It may be possible to hold in a tic for a short period of time, but it becomes impossible to always prevent them.

Tics increase in frequency when a child feels:

1. stressed
2. excited
3. both of the above

Children may have a better ability to control their tics when calm. Tics, however, increase in severity when a child is stressed, upset, or excited.

Extremely frequent and intense tics can result in:

1. ​muscle soreness
2. sleep disturbance
3. ​both of the above

Frequent and intense tics can result in muscle soreness, bruising, dental problems, skin irritation, blisters, and sleep disturbance.

Behavioral therapy for Tourette syndrome focuses on:

1. relaxation exercises 
2. OCD-related behaviors
3. both of the above

Tourette syndrome can be effectively treated with behavioral therapy, which includes teaching children relaxation exercises and addressing OCD-related behaviors.​
​

Tourette syndrome may go misdiagnosed as:

1. vision difficulties
2. a verbal delay
3. ​both of the above

Most doctors are not aware of the signs and symptoms of Tourette syndrome. Therefore, your child may be misdiagnosed as having vision problems if he or she has a blinking tic, or as having a verbal delay if your child has a verbal tic.

How do many schools attempt to manage a child with Tourette syndrome?

1. School-wide education
2. Placing the child in a special-needs classroom
3. Individualized attention from a teacher's aid

Many schools have little idea how to handle a child with Tourette syndrome. Many schools will simply place a child with Tourette syndrome in a special-needs class, even though there are no academic difficulties.

Habit-reversal therapy involves:

1. ​replacing tics with other behaviors
2. learning new habits
3. both of the above

In habit-reversal therapy, children with Tourette syndrome are taught how to replace their noticeable tics with less noticeable behaviors.

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True or false? Tics usually start around the age of 5 to 10 years old. The first tics are usually motor tics.

1. True
2. False

True or false? There is no cure for TS, and there is currently no drug out there specifically made for TS.

1. True
2. ​False

True or false? A misconception is that people can learn to stop their tics. They can, at times, suppress them, but eventually have to release them. Holding them in often results in tension and/or physical exhaustion.

1. True
2. False

 True or false? TS does not affect the intelligence of a person. Most children with TS have above normal to high intelligence levels. 

1. ​True
2. False​

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True or false? TS is an inherited neurological disorder named after Gilles De La Tourette.

1. True
2. False

True or false? Less than 10 percent of people with TS swear, which is known as coprolalia.

1. True​
2. ​False