Theory/Review Report of a Deaf Child With Tourette’s Disorder

This is a case study of a deaf child with Tourette’s Disorder (TD). Hearing parents and mental health clinicians unfamil-iar with typical behaviors of deaf children may have difficul-ties differentiating the clinical presentation of symptoms of TD from the effects of deafness, as well as in implementing appropriate interventions. This case study reports the history, symptoms, diagnostic process, and treatment interventions. This is relevant for furthering the clinical knowledge of men-tal health professionals working with Deaf, deaf, and hard-of-hearing children and adolescents. Tourette’s Disorder Tourette’s Disorder (TD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that usually first presents in childhood and is influenced by neurological, psychological, and socio-logical factors. TD is a chronic (duration>1 year) neu-ropsychiatric condition involving tics with childhood onset. It often presents with obsessive-compulsive symptoms, yet these symptoms do not always meet the full criteria for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); similarly, it often presents with disturbances of attention that do not always meet the full criteria for attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; Jankovic, 2001). TD is commonly comorbid with learn-ing difficulties (Leckman, 2002). Recent studies have suggested a familial aggregation and hereditary rela-tionship among the three conditions and the combina-tion of tics, OCD, and ADHD has been termed “the Tourette’s syndrome triad ” (Kurlan, 2010). The disorder is typically first manifested around the age of 5 or 6 years, with peak intensity of tics around 10–12 years of age and some lessening in tics by the age of 15–17 years (Jetmalani, 2011). The prevalence of TD among children is estimated to be approximately 1%, with known risk factors including being male and a fam-ily history of tics, OCD, and possibly ADHD (Kurlan