There’s a myth that everyone with Tourette Syndrome walks around blurting out swear words (coprolalia). Movies like Deuce Bigelow have helped perpetrate this myth. In fact, coprolalia is a rare occurrence in those with Tourette Syndrome (TS).

In fact, fewer than 15% of those diagnosed with TS experience coprolalia. Coprolalia is just one of the types of involuntary vocal tics associated with TS.

What are tics?

Tics are involuntary vocalizations or movements.

What exactly is Tourette Syndrome (TS)?

TS is a neurobiological disorder, characterized by tics.

There are two main categories of tics associated with TS:

Motor Tics

• Simple motor tics: fast, darting and meaningless
• Complex motor tics: may be slower or may consist of stereotyped series of movements and may appear purposeful (includes copropraxia and echopraxia)

Vocal Tics

• Simple vocal tics: meaningless sounds and noises
• Complex vocal tics: linguistically meaningful utterances such as words and phrases (including coprolalia, echolalia and palilalia), interruptions in the flow of speech, sudden alterations in pitch or volume.

source: Tourette Syndrome Association

What does all of this mean for my son?

• It means that sometimes my son takes twice as long to cross the street because he has to stop and march three steps before he can continue walking.
• It means that sometimes he blurts out nonsensical phrases OVER and OVER and OVER…even though he doesn’t want to. Even though it’s annoying to everyone around him. Even though it’s annoying TO HIM.
• It means that sometimes his muscles get sore from the repetitive movements, his skin becomes raw from repeated rubbing or biting, and his voice becomes hoarse from the vocalizations.
• It means that at the end of a long day, when he’s fast asleep, sometimes his body is still twitching, despite medication, despite the sound sleep.
• It means that sometimes he gets frustrated with himself, gets irritable, and loses patience with the world and his body.
• It means that sometimes his tics are only a subtle movement or an inaudible gurgle, and he is the only person who knows what his body is involuntarily doing. He is the only person distracted by his tics.