Potential Magazine Winter 2015 - Florida Edition | Page 60

happy + healthy overcoming tourette syndrome Finding A Way Through Thanks to a unique therapy offered by Children’s Hospital of Alabama, children and teens with Tourette Syndrome can learn how to live with their condition. Lots of us have annoying little habits, things we do that we wish we didn’t when we’re nervous or stressed. But for kids with Tourette Syndrome (TS), these little things often aren’t so little, and worse, they are extremely difficult to control. TS is a genetic neurological disorder that causes motor and vocal tics like head tilting, excessive blinking, throat clearing or humming. While the exact cause is unknown, it seems likely that there is an issue with the way neurotransmitters communicate in the brain of those suffering from TS. This disorder can affect anyone, but it does seem to be more prevalent in boys. TS’s hallmark tics are its main symptom, often a source of embarrassment for those with the disorder, and they can interfere with their daily lives. But TS kids in Alabama have an exciting option for treatment: the CBIT program at Children’s Hospital in Birm [