Tourette Syndrome is so much more than tics

Sorry there hasn’t been any posts in a while. All of us are busy with exams at the moment.

I would like to share with you my speech I did for my GCSE English Speaking exam about Tourette Syndrome so here it is:

Tourette Syndrome is a neurological condition which is categorised by “tics”. Tics are rapid and recurrent uncontrollable movements and noises. People who suffer from Tourettes are usually diagnosed at around 6-9 years old. Although, people may be diagnosed earlier or later than this. I, personally, was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome 9 years ago, when I was 7 years old.

I have always been treated differently due to being adopted and, therefore, having older parents. I was always known as “the weird one”. People can be very mean when you’re different. I have always had Tourettes since I was little. I would often do something without realising and then get told off because of it.

I still do occasionally get told off for my tics, but then the person remembers that I have Tourettes and that I can’t help it. Even my parents do this sometimes. I may be tapping on something and they’ll tell me to stop only for me to remind them that I can’t help it. I feel like this only happens due to peoples perception of what a tic should look or sound like, but the thing is that there is no structure to a tic. They can be anything at all. My tapping tic is where I have to tap an object using a certain pattern which I have to repeat in sets of four until it feels right and if I mess it up, I must start the pattern all over again.

I can understand how my parents sometimes do not realise this is a tic, because it isn’t just a tic. It is also due to OCD. The counting part is OCD, and the part where I have to do it again and again if I mess up is also to do with OCD. It isn’t as though I think something bad will happen if I don’t do it, it is that my OCD makes me feel as though something might happen if I don’t complete it.

Due to Tourettes I also have other, related, disorders. OCD is the one I just mentioned.

I also have ADHD which causes me to get distracted very easily, causing me to often get told off in class for not concentrating, and I often miss things the teacher says due to getting distracted by others or writing down notes – I find it hard to concentrate on writing and listening at the same time.

There is also Sensory Processing Disorder. This means that I do not process sensory input in the same way as others do. There are certain noises I do not like and the only way to explain how they affect me in a way you’ll understand is that they hurt me, that is why I have my ear defenders. They protect me from these noises and I can also use them when I need to write and there is too much noise.

Due to this, at dinner time, I tend to sit in a different room to eat or listen to music while I eat so I don’t hear the sound of cutlery scraping on plates. My parents try not to do this, but it is hard to eat without touching your plate with the knife or fork so everyday, except Sunday, I sit in a separate room to eat. Hearing these certain noises that I am sensitive to makes it extremely hard to concentrate as all I end up thinking about is how I want the noise to stop, or that I want to get away from the sound.

All of this is just due to having Tourette Syndrome. People always assume that they know everything about Tourettes but it is so much more and can affect those with it in many different ways. I need people to know that there aren’t only tics that I have to deal with, but there are also OCD rituals as well as concentration and sensory issues too.

Tourette Syndrome is so much more than just tics. I want others to see that. Thank you.

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