Sources of Impairment for TS Individuals

It is very difficult for the individual to be understood most of the time because of behaviors they are not intending to do but causes trouble in most cases. Because of this, the family needs to be educated and needs to provide further support and understanding for individuals who are afflicted with the disorder.

For individuals who are diagnosed with TS plus Associated Behavioral Problems specifically ADHD, poor impulse control, inattention, and explosive behavior are common problems. For poor impulse control the common behaviors are social failure, disruptive and aggression. Because of this, in some cases, individuals who are manifesting these specific behaviors are casted as "troublemakers". For inattention problems, school failure is a common scenario. Finally, in explosive behaviors, the family is definitely strained. And according to Dr. Scahill, this is most common in the home rather than in school.

For individuals diagnosed with TS plus Obsessive- Compulsive Disorder or symptoms of OCD, anxiety comes in. More often that not, there's social failure because they tend to avoid social interactions or engagements. They also become disruptive if prevented from doing the ritualized behavior. NAGGING them will not do any good. Inattention is also common for individuals with TS+OCD which can lead to school failure because they are often distracted by worries and rituals. And finally, explosive behavior problems are also evident.

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Reference: Scahill, 2008