Virginia AHPERD_SpringSummer2026

Social Benefits of Recess for Students with Tourette Syndrome Eva Clawson-Keeton , Elementary Special Education Teacher, Fairfax County Public Schools. Matthew D. Lucas , Professor, Department of Health, Recreation, and Kinesiology, Longwood University

Scenario A Kindergarten student named Billy goes to recess with the rest of his class. He is thought of as “weird” by his class mates. This is because in class and at lunch he sometimes does “unusual” things. Billy’s classmates notice him blink ing his eyes “all the time”, shouting out “things that don’t make sense” and grunting. The other children don’t talk to Billy on the bus, during class, or at lunch. They also don’t play with him during recess. Billy simply sits by himself and does not play with the other children. His teacher, Ms. Dooley worries about him. What should she do? She often asks this question to herself. Introduction Educators have a responsibility to stay informed of ba sic special education law, characteristics of disorders and their possible effects on students in educational and social situations. One such disorder is Tourette Syndrome. The student in the beginning scenario displays characteristics of this disorder. The parents have also shared the diagnosis with the teacher. The recess setting is very important for children be cause of the potential social and physical benefits. This manuscript focuses on the social benefits for children with Tourette Syndrome in the recess setting. This manuscript will address the definition, symptoms, causes, and preva lence of the disorder. The authors will then address the social characteristics and accommodations for students diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome to help them succeed in recess. Definition, Symptoms, Causes, and Prevalence of Tourette Syndrome Tourette Syndrome is defined as “a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects children, adolescents, and adults. The condition is characterized by sudden, involuntary move ments and/or sounds called tics.” (Tourette Association of America - a, 2025, p.1). The Mayo Clinic (2025) states that tics typically appear in children ages 2 to 15. According to the To urette Associaton of America (2025), individuals who have Tourette Syndrome have two types of tics which include: • Motor Tics. These tics can be observed as movements. Some examples are, eye blinking, facial grimacing, jaw movements, and arm jerking. • Vocal/Phonic Tics. These tics can be observed as sounds. Examples of Vocal/Phonic Tics include: shout ing, throat clearing, grunting, and sniffing (Tourette Association of America - a, 2025, p.1).

For a diagnosis of Tourette Syndrome, the items below both need to be evident: 1. At least one vocal tic 2. Two motor tics have been present for more than a year. These do not have to occur at the same time (To urette Association of America - a, 2025, p.1). This standard helps to determine if the individual has Tourette Syndrome. This should be determined by a doctor as teachers are not qualified to make a medical diagnosis. The teacher in the scenario has never worked with a child with Tourette Syndrome. The teacher begins to read about the disorder so she can “help” the student in the recess setting where she notices him not interacting with other children. There is no known cause of Tourette Syndrome (Center for Disease Control, 2025). The syndrome often occurs within families and studies have concluded that genet ics are a factor. Tourette Syndrome a calculated to take place in more than one in 300 young children in the United States ((Gunturu et al., 2025). All races, ethnic groups, and ages are affected by Tourette Syndrome. More boys are af fected than girls (Tourette Association of America-b, 2025). However, Jaffee (2025) points out that girls are usually un derdiagnosed because of a variety of characteristics. Social Characteristics of Recess for Students with Tourette Syndrome As the reader can imagine there are many social charac teristics associated with children with Tourette Syndrome. However, all of these characteristics may not be observed on a regular basis. The reader should also note that many children without the disorder may be observed exhibiting these social characteristics, often to a lesser degree. Simp son (2015) notes the following social concerns, all of which are pertinent in a school setting, especially in a less-struc tured environment such as recess, that may be exhibited by children with Tourette Syndrome. Again, not all symp toms are observed in children with the disorder. • Difficulty with initiating peer engagement and making friends • Difficulties with using impulse control in social situa tions such as running away in public or grabbing items off of the shelf at a store • Difficulties with maintaining eye contact and use of ap propriate body language when engaging in conversa tions

SPRING/SUMMER 2026 • Virginia AHPERD • 33