2.  The tics  The twitches  Usually start showing between the age of seven & ten  Males are 3 times more likely to have TS than females  Many children outgrow the condition after their adolescent years  Brain Disorder passed down through the family

3.  The disorder is in STRLK1 gene on Chromosome 13.  X linked Dominant  If a parent has the disorder, boys are at a 20-30% chance of getting it and becoming a carrier to their children as well as daughters having a 5-9% chance of getting it.

5.  Repetitive movements & sounds : blinking the eyes : jerking the head : eye darting : etc.  Vocal tics, yelling, clearing the throat, barking, & hiccupping : Self Injury

6.  Both motor tics and vocal tics must be present, although not necessarily at the same time.  Tics occur several times a day, nearly every day or intermittently, for more than a year. There must not be a break in tics for more than a three-month period.  The onset of tics occurs before age 18.  Tics aren't caused by medications, other substances or another medical condition.  (its really tough to diagnose tourette’s because all symptoms are different)

7.  The survival rate is very high, the only reason for someone not to survive from this is if the tics are complex and it makes them act out and the die of it naturally.  Examples › Stepping out in front of a car › Falling down the stairs › Etc.  This syndrome is not completely treatable but there is medication that can help with the severity of the tics.

8.  There truly is no treatment  There is medication that can help relieve some of the intensity of the tics

9.  There is no way to fight this disease but they are current trying tests to reverse some brain messages being sent out to prevent as many tics as happening daily in some clinical trials.

10.  Genetic counseling is a way of informing parents on what is to come if they don’t already know and different ways of managing their children's disorder or their disorder in some cases.

13.  Jaylen Arnold, a 9-year-old boy with severe Tourette syndrome, OCD and Asperger's syndrome. He started developing tics at the age of two and they are what you would consider complex tics (involuntary). This hasn’t stopped Jaylen from going around to schools almost everyday and sharing his experiences with kids about tourette’s and bullies and saying tourette’s syndrome isn’t going to run his life.

14.  http://www.medicinenet.com/tourette_s yndrome/article.htm http://www.medicinenet.com/tourette_s yndrome/article.htm  http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/tourette -syndrome http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/tourette -syndrome  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tour ette-syndrome/DS00541 http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tour ette-syndrome/DS00541  http://health.howstuffworks.com/pregna ncy-and-parenting/childhood- conditions/raising-child-tourette- syndrome2.htm http://health.howstuffworks.com/pregna ncy-and-parenting/childhood- conditions/raising-child-tourette- syndrome2.htm