TOURETTE'S SYNDROME 

(includes perseverative & OCD traits)

Traits: These traits of one college student with Tourettes may help other students understand themselves.

GENERAL 

Needs a goal to shoot for to make self do well.
Perseveration tendency (exceptional repetition).
Perfectionist. Compulsive characteristics
Response times are slow due to desire for accuracy and need to consider all possible variables.
Multiplicity of options is confusing.
Likes dimmer lighting. (Likes effect of negative ion generator- makes feel more comfortable.)
Feels that interest stimulates part of brain that engages learning. Doesn't understand words-- understands the ideas those words represent.
Loves to listen to test involving auditory discrimination; his inner being registers correctness of matches. Could listen forever to interesting auditory matches.
Loves music, in general. It absorbs person's total being. Listening or other totally absorbing sensory tasks give focused sense of euphoria. Person loses all "tics" in this absorption. 

READING 

Slow, inefficient reader who does not process what is read.
Cannot consistently read rapidly with good comprehension (but sometimes can).
Does better with narrower columns of print
Texts on tape would probably not help (if words are not properly recorded will get stuck on the pronunciation and be unable to continue listening.)
Perseveration tendency (retracing words, going back over reading looking at print rather than meaning, etc.)
Front to back sequence in reading doesn't work for him ("reading through it"); gets caught up in words and loses the meaning. Reading ceases being "automatic;" becomes aware of "reading"- thinks of poor grammar/misspelling/ becomes a proof reader.
Reads best by looking for interesting passages and looking at chapter as a whole; then tries to put pieces back together later. Interest can break down the barrier to obtaining meaning.
Feels that interest stimulates part of brain that engages learning. Doesn't understand words- understand the ideas those words represent. 

LECTURES 

Loves lectures (on ideas) especially if professor really says things like he "loves them" and can feel it.
Hears pieces and puts them together intuitively, not in the "front of his brain" but "back farther".
Tosses the pieces into something like a preconscious. As the person talks person connects with idea and tosses it back into this preconscious area where a powerful link occurs. Ideas click together and become powerful permanent memories. 

TAKING NOTES 

Writing things down is a poor method of attending to lectures (need for perfectionism defeats).
Cannot listen and take notes at the same time. Doesn't know what he's writing.
Looses thread completely.
Gets so caught up in detail that can't see the big picture.
Has no idea what the professor is saying and how it ties in.
Can't have two targets: listening and taking notes. 

STUDYING 

Schedules don't work. Everything must be perfect according to its design. If sets schedule and doesn't keep it person falls apart.
Must believe in his heart what he's doing.
Was an "A" student in elementary school until homework began to be assigned.
A chain inside holds person back from doing his work (this is how it feels).
Even talking about studying causes something inside person "cinch up".
Great difficulty with traditional studying (does lots of diversionary things).
Very easily distracted when studying.
Slow response time due to desire for accuracy and need to consider all possible variables.
Multiplicity of options is confusing.
Confusion leads to disorganization and frustration (gives up and does not study at all)
Can sometimes study when it's quiet.
When thinks about "A", thoughts of "B" intrude and a wall comes down (mental block). No stimulus will bring back concentration on "A". It is like he doesn't want to concentrate too specifically because loss contact with his surroundings. Can sometimes focus; thing being interesting/important/worthwhile sometimes helps. It seems like concentration depends on interest and a roll of the dice. 

SPANISH 

Learning Spanish is like building a house and starting with the second floor- must assemble it with pieces that doesn't understand. What do the pieces mean? This is like telling a color-blind person to assemble by color.  TO TRY

1. Work on one subject per night to avoid fragmented approach.
2. Don't read the whole text. Only read to clarify things you don't understand.
3. Do not feel pressured to take in-class notes. If you want to sketch idea during lectures or later when studying, showing concept relatedness, do, but only if interest is there. 
4. In reading, don't read text sequentially. Giver yourself permission to go only for things that seem interesting and read those. Then try to relate them later as you mind skims over them. (This has worked for him in the past.) 
5. NEED to develop a way to get assignments in on time. Says in writing papers must relax and think about topic. Learn about someone interesting and write, letting ideas flow out. 

Extra time on tests
Separate Quiet location
Use of computer to correct spelling and grammar (esp. for foreign language)
Taping lectures
Borrowing notes from a student
Foreign language substitution and modifications.  © Susan Hice, PH.D; 1998