World Autism Awareness Week 2020

Posted on 30 March 2020

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Tics are the primary symptom of Tourette Syndrome (TS); yet up to 85% of the TS population will also experience co-occurring features and conditions. These can be just as, if not more challenging to manage than tics. One such co-occurring condition can be Autistic Spectrum Disorder(ASD).

Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), or autism, is a lifelong, developmental condition that affects how a person communicates with and relates to other people, and how they experience and interact with the world around them.

A recent paper titled ‘Tourette syndrome and other neurodevelopmental disorders: a comprehensive review’ looked at previous studies of TS and ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorders). They concluded that there were only a few studies which have analysed the prevalence of comorbid TS in large ASD clinical samples. The reported TS rate in ASD population varies from 2.6 to 11. In patients with TS and comorbid ASD, the rate of additional comorbidities increased considerably.

You can read more about ASD and other co-occurring features and conditions here.

If you have TS and ASD and would like to share your story, please get in touch; perhaps you could write a blog or vlog that we can publish on our website or You Tube channel.  You might wish to consider whether your experience of both conditions feels separate or interrelated?  Do other people make a distinction between your TS and autism?  In your experience have you received more help for one condition compared to the other?  These are just some discussion points but we'll be really interested to hear your ideas and what you'd like to share.  Please contact helen@tourettes-action.org.uk

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