Tourette syndrome (TS) is named for the French doctor Georges Gilles de la Tourette, who first described the condition in 1885. It is thought that in most cases it is a genetic condition that's inherited, or passed on from parent to child. Doctors and scientists don't know the exact cause of TS, but some research suggests that it occurs when there's a problem with how nerves communicate in the brain. A disturbance in the balance of neurotransmitters - chemicals in the brain that carry nerve signals from cell to cell - may play a role in TS. Tourette syndrome is not contagious.

Tics are sudden, repetitive movements or sounds that some people make, seemingly without realizing it. Tics are actually more common than you might think. Many people have tics that go away in less than a year or mild tics that don't interfere with their lives.

But in some kids, tics are more severe or long lasting. If a child has tics for more than a year, it is called a chronic tic disorder. In some cases, these tics can be part of a condition called Tourette Syndrome.

The tics associated with Tourette Syndrome tend to get milder or go away entirely as kids grow into adulthood. Until that happens though, there are a lot of steps that you can take to help you and your child cope with the condition.

source: kidshealth.org