Scholar interaction of a child whith Tourette disorder by the perspective of parents and educators: case study exploration

Abstract

The syndrome of Gilles de la Tourette (ST) can cause marked distress in several areas of functioning. The literature indicates that children with TS may present diffi culties in relationships with teachers and peers. This case study exploration aimed to discover and describe the perceptions of parents and teachers of child with TS enrolled in regular school, regarding the child-school relationships. Interviews were conducted with parents of a 8 years-old child, diagnosed with ST and three educators. Participant observation of everyday children’s school was also performed. The set of reports reveals doubts on the part of respondents to identify involuntary behaviors of the child or to identify intentional actions. It was observed that there is still no connection between parents and educators in meeting the needs of the child. It is assumed that intervention strategies in a multidisciplinary perspective could help parents, educators and health care professionals act in a coordinated way in order to improve the school and social interaction of the child.