and poor family dynamics were just a few of the speculated causes of that era. (Shimberg, 1995, p.66) It wasn’t until the mid 1960’s that researchers work helped our present understanding of Tourette came to be. It was finally acknowledged that the disorder was biologically based, thereby changing the belief that TS was a psychological or psychogenic disorder. (Shimberg, 1995, p.66)Tourette syndrome, also called Tourette’s Disorder, is known to be a neurobiological tic disorder involving both motor and phonic tics. TSA is not a psychological illness or psychosis. The disease is biochemicall6y base4d and is genetically transferred, that is, a person is born with it, and it is not contagious. (Shimberg, 1995, p.81) TS is characterized by repetitive, sudden, and involuntary movements.Although there is no known medical, biological, or psychological test to diagnose Tourette Syndrome, specific guidelines were compiled in the 1980’s by the American Psychiatric Association. According to the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, also known as DSM-IV, five symptoms must be present.1. Both multiple motor and one or more vocal tics must have been present at some time during the illness, although not necessarily concurrently. A tic is defined as a sudden, rapid, recurrent, non-rhythmic, motor movement or vocalization.2. The tics occur many times a day, usually in bouts, nearly every day or intermittently throughout a period of more that one year. During this period, there must have never been a tic-free period of more than three consecutive months.3. The disturbance caused marked distress or significant impairments in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.4. The onset of the disease’s symptoms occurs before the age of eighteen, and5. The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance or general medical cond...
