Activities That Are Good for Kids With Tourette's Syndrome

Tourette's syndrome is a neurological condition characterized by repetitive involuntary vocal and physical tics. Symptoms usually appear in childhood and parents might be left wondering what kinds of activities their children can participate in. Children with Tourette's can typically engage in any activities their peers can but certain pastimes are able to help the child keep tics under control.

  1. Sports

    • What do Steve Wallace, Jim Eisenreich and Tim Howard have in common? These stars of NASCAR, baseball and soccer, respectively, all have Tourette's. The National Tourette Syndrome Association reports that many people with Tourette's find physical activity helps keep symptoms under control. The best results come from sports and exercises that are both physically and mentally engaging such as soccer, tennis, rock climbing and dancing. Exercise also reduces the stress many people with Tourette's feel dealing with the disorder, and fights the weight gain that is a common side effect of Tourette's medication. Be careful, though. Overdoing any physical activity can increase tic activity.

    Puzzles

    • Keeping your child's mind focused can reduce the tics from Tourette's. A child absorbed in book of difficult puzzles won't tic as much. Activities that require attention such as needlework will have the same effect. Anything that is fun and distracting helps as well. An MP3 player loaded with dance music or a hand-held computer game keeps the child's mind occupied and reduces Tourette's symptoms. These activities can be particularly attractive to children who are embarrassed by their symptoms in public because they not only reduce tics but prevent the child from seeing impolite stares, according to KidsHealth.

    Creativity

    • In addition to sports stars, many creative figures, including Mozart and British writer Samuel Johnson, are believed to have had Tourette's. Creative activities such as writing, painting and composing not only focus the mind and help children keep their symptoms under control but they also help your child's brain develop. Creativity gives these kids an important outlet for their emotions and can help them deal with stress from the disorder.

    Volunteering

    • Dealing with Tourette's can give children more empathy towards others. No matter how old your child is, this sensitivity can make them ideally suited to work with people dealing with Tourette's, other medical disorders or different kinds of challenges, according to KidsHealth. Volunteering can help children who are socially isolated by Tourette's make connections with other people. It builds self-esteem, fights depression and helps them stay physically active, according to HelpGuide.org.

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