Tourette syndrome: a psychoeducational presentation

Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a neurological disorder with onset prior to age 21. The wide range of difficulties associated with TS present significant barriers to both the positive school functioning of students with TS and the ability of their teachers and peers to cope with the sometimes difficult classroom behavior which results from this syndrome. Since TS children with teachers knowledgeable about TS and its effects on learning fare better than those whose teachers are not knowledgeable, dissemination of this information to school personnel is crucial. Health teaching is a significant contribution within the nursing role. In order to ameliorate some of the stressors and academic problems experienced by children and adolescents with TS, the TS Clinic of St. Boniface General Hospital is composed of a multidisciplinary team whose mandate includes the provision of educational awareness audiovisual presentations to schools and the general community throughout Manitoba. This presentation will include the historical, psychosocial, educational, symptomatological, and treatment aspects of TS.