Question
Tourette Syndrome
A. Gautam
Everyone is different in one way or another. Some have visible, uncomfortable conditions that set them apart. One such condition is Tourette Syndrome or TS. This nervous system condition causes people to have tics.
A tic is a sudden twitch, movement or sound that one repeatedly does. It is not a choice, and the person cannot control the body to make it stop the tic. Some such tics are blinking or grunting again and again. Just as people cannot stop their hiccups or sneezes, those with TS cannot tell their bodies to stop the tics. Sometimes, a person can stop a tic for a moment, but the urge has to be released. While asleep, the physical and verbal tics are fewer and less intense. Some factors cause tics to get worse, like stress, anxiety, excitement, fatigue, and illness. The cause of this condition is yet unknown. Boys are 3-4 times more likely than in girls to have TS.
Diagnosis
In order to be diagnosed with this disorder, a person has both motor tics (at least 2) and voice tics (at least 1). In addition, these symptoms are present for at least a year. Tics are first seen in kids ages of 5 to 7 years. Usually, the first tic is in the head or neck area. Tics become more frequent and intense between the ages of 8 to 12. Generally, the tics of TS decrease in severity in late teen years. For 3 out of 10 people, the syndrome completely disappears once a person is twenty years old or so.
Treatment
Although there isn’t one treatment that cures the syndrome, some treatments work for some individuals. One treatment, CBIT, helps with tics management. It is a behavioral intervention treatment in which a person works with an expert and gets lots of practice to manage tics better. Another treatment is medicine which can help some people.
Misinformation
Only 1 out of 10 people with Tourette syndrome have a complex tic of blurting inappropriate words. The condition they have is coprolalia, and the people with the tic are often very embarrassed by it. Also, remember that just having a tic doesn’t mean a person has Tourette syndrome.
Sometimes young children or young adults with Tourette Syndrome face difficulties of bullying. It is important to be accepting of differences, including neurological conditions. You may not know someone you admire may have overcome, or is fighting, a battle, like a tic disorder. Consider being the oasis of kindness for someone in this world which can be a desert of harsh judgments.
Question
How do paragraphs 1 and 6 contribute to the overall meaning of Tourette Syndrome?
Responses
A They help the reader better understand neurological conditions. They help the reader better understand neurological conditions.
B They highlight the need for a medicine for everyone with TS. They highlight the need for a medicine for everyone with TS.
C They stress the need for more compassion for people with TS. They stress the need for more compassion for people with TS.
D They help explain that TS mostly affects children and young adults.
A. Gautam
Everyone is different in one way or another. Some have visible, uncomfortable conditions that set them apart. One such condition is Tourette Syndrome or TS. This nervous system condition causes people to have tics.
A tic is a sudden twitch, movement or sound that one repeatedly does. It is not a choice, and the person cannot control the body to make it stop the tic. Some such tics are blinking or grunting again and again. Just as people cannot stop their hiccups or sneezes, those with TS cannot tell their bodies to stop the tics. Sometimes, a person can stop a tic for a moment, but the urge has to be released. While asleep, the physical and verbal tics are fewer and less intense. Some factors cause tics to get worse, like stress, anxiety, excitement, fatigue, and illness. The cause of this condition is yet unknown. Boys are 3-4 times more likely than in girls to have TS.
Diagnosis
In order to be diagnosed with this disorder, a person has both motor tics (at least 2) and voice tics (at least 1). In addition, these symptoms are present for at least a year. Tics are first seen in kids ages of 5 to 7 years. Usually, the first tic is in the head or neck area. Tics become more frequent and intense between the ages of 8 to 12. Generally, the tics of TS decrease in severity in late teen years. For 3 out of 10 people, the syndrome completely disappears once a person is twenty years old or so.
Treatment
Although there isn’t one treatment that cures the syndrome, some treatments work for some individuals. One treatment, CBIT, helps with tics management. It is a behavioral intervention treatment in which a person works with an expert and gets lots of practice to manage tics better. Another treatment is medicine which can help some people.
Misinformation
Only 1 out of 10 people with Tourette syndrome have a complex tic of blurting inappropriate words. The condition they have is coprolalia, and the people with the tic are often very embarrassed by it. Also, remember that just having a tic doesn’t mean a person has Tourette syndrome.
Sometimes young children or young adults with Tourette Syndrome face difficulties of bullying. It is important to be accepting of differences, including neurological conditions. You may not know someone you admire may have overcome, or is fighting, a battle, like a tic disorder. Consider being the oasis of kindness for someone in this world which can be a desert of harsh judgments.
Question
How do paragraphs 1 and 6 contribute to the overall meaning of Tourette Syndrome?
Responses
A They help the reader better understand neurological conditions. They help the reader better understand neurological conditions.
B They highlight the need for a medicine for everyone with TS. They highlight the need for a medicine for everyone with TS.
C They stress the need for more compassion for people with TS. They stress the need for more compassion for people with TS.
D They help explain that TS mostly affects children and young adults.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The answer is **C**: They stress the need for more compassion for people with TS.
Paragraph 1 introduces the reader to Tourette Syndrome and emphasizes the uniqueness of individuals with visible conditions, while paragraph 6 discusses the bullying and the need for acceptance and kindness towards those with TS. Together, these paragraphs promote an understanding and compassionate perspective on the challenges faced by individuals with Tourette Syndrome.
Paragraph 1 introduces the reader to Tourette Syndrome and emphasizes the uniqueness of individuals with visible conditions, while paragraph 6 discusses the bullying and the need for acceptance and kindness towards those with TS. Together, these paragraphs promote an understanding and compassionate perspective on the challenges faced by individuals with Tourette Syndrome.