{"id":3858,"date":"2014-09-10T07:30:57","date_gmt":"2014-09-10T11:30:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/njcts.org\/tsparents\/?p=3858"},"modified":"2014-09-10T07:30:57","modified_gmt":"2014-09-10T11:30:57","slug":"spotting-tourette-in-the-classroom-part-1-what-sets-ts-apart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/njcts.org\/tsparents\/spotting-tourette-in-the-classroom-part-1-what-sets-ts-apart\/","title":{"rendered":"Spotting Tourette in the Classroom, Part 1: What sets TS apart"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Spotting<\/a><\/p>\n

Everyone remembers that kid in class who made weird noises to annoy the teacher.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd now we\u2019re going to review the Pythagorean Theorem\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBeedew, beedew, beedew!\u201d<\/p>\n

*Annoyed\u00a0look at Johnny*<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026which we learned about last week.\u201d<\/p>\n

*Thump, thump, thump*<\/p>\n

\u201cJohnny, that is interrupting and inappropriate. Please stop making those sounds.\u201d<\/p>\n

*Tap, tap, tap*<\/p>\n

\u201cJohnny!\u201d<\/p>\n

And so on, and so forth. I can\u2019t tell you how many times I\u2019ve turned around in a classroom to address\u00a0strange sounds and have\u00a0seen that ornery grin that says\u00a0guilty<\/em>.<\/p>\n

But what about those instances where the noises aren\u2019t meant to drive the teacher crazy? Is it possible a student might be dealing with\u00a0Tourette Syndrome<\/a><\/strong>? How do you know if it\u2019s a Tic Disorder, Tourette, or just another attempt to annoy everyone around him? Today we\u2019re going to discuss some telltale signs of Tourette in the classroom.<\/p>\n

What Sets Tourette Apart<\/strong><\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t stop with discipline<\/em>.<\/span> No matter how much you threaten, scare or punish a child with Tourette, he or she will not be able to stop. I\u2019ve heard the command, \u201cStop that,\u201d numerous times as an adult, and even at this age, ticcing is something I really struggle to control. I might be able to delay it, but I can\u2019t stop it completely.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not wrong for a teacher to attempt to correct children who are making inappropriate sounds in a classroom. When a child continues to make sounds, however, it\u2019s something to make note of. Talking to a child can never be underrated either. When initial discipline doesn\u2019t work, simply pulling a child aside and asking him or her about the sounds. While a teacher isn\u2019t allowed to diagnose a child, it\u2019s always important to understand\u00a0children personally, to treat them as well as possible. A child with a true Tic Disorder or Tourette will truly be incapable of stopping them simply because he\u2019s in the classroom.<\/p>\n

Other children might tease the child about their movements or sounds<\/em>.<\/span> As much as teachers utilize the eyes in the backs of their heads, there are just some things they don\u2019t see. Often, however, the children are very aware of those things that slip teachers\u2019 notice. When a teacher\u00a0 notices other children focusing taunts or teasing on one student, it\u2019s probably something the teacher would do well to quietly investigate. A watchful eye is one of the best gifts a teacher can give her students.<\/p>\n

\"Common<\/a>Common sounds or movements to look for<\/span><\/em>.<\/span> From my experience, as well as the\u00a0National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke<\/a><\/strong>, says that\u00a0common tics might be<\/p>\n