Tourette syndrome in severely behavior disordered mentally retarded children

Although generally overlooked in mentally retarded individuals, the occurrence of Tourette Syndrome (TS) in seven such children is documented here. These subjects also shared a very early and persistent severe behavior disorder consisting of hyperactivity, agitation, aggressivity, and noncompliance. Correct diagnosis of TS is important to appropriate treatment, rather than assuming that motor and phonic tics and other associated TS symptoms are necessarily a function of a more pervasive developmental disorder in a disturbed mentally retarded person.