May 15 - June 15 is National Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month
Please take advantage of TS Awareness month to proactively engage members of your community in a dialog that fosters awareness and dispels prevalent misconceptions about the nature of Tourette Syndrome and those that it effects.
Although coverage on the air and in print has led thousands of children and adults to proper diagnosis of the condition, many more are troubled by symptoms which remain undiagnosed. Additionally, Hollywood and the media perpetually misrepresent TS as a disease resulting in random outbursts of profanity. Although this symptom of TS, known as coprolalia, does afflict a very small percentage of those living with Tourette Syndrome, this portrayal diminishes the public awareness of the majority of TS symptoms which leads to an under-diagnosis of the condition.
The aim of TS Awareness Month is to encourage people who may be, or know someone who may be, suffering with this disorder to seek medical attention and a support group in their local community. Marked by involuntary body twitching and vocal tics, it is estimated that some 200,000 Americans have the disorder, with millions more manifesting associated conditions. Research into the genetic basis of Tourette Syndrome has been given new impetus by a multi-million dollar grant award from an agency of the National Institutes of Health and by the much-heralded deciphering of the human genome.
Headquartered in Bayside, New York, the Tourette Syndrome Association is the only national voluntary organization dedicated to education, research and service for the TS community. Our Florida chapter has helped many people both understand and come to terms with TS.
Join us by contacting a local support group in Florida and getting involved in your community. |
