Tics typically appear between the ages of 6 and 8, and the condition occurs in all ethnic groups with males affected 3 to 4 times more often than females.  The symptoms of Tourette Syndrome vary from person to person and range from very mild to severe, but the majority of cases fall into the mild category.   Often tic frequency and severity diminish significantly during adolescence or adulthood. In addition, for many patients, symptoms may completely resolve by early adulthood.

Most people with Tourette Syndrome lead productive lives and participate in all professions. 

DSM-IV-TR Diagnostic criteria for 307.23 Tourette's Disorder

A. Both multiple motor and one or more vocal tics have been present at some time during the illness, although not necessarily concurrently. (A tic is a sudden, rapid, recurrent, nonrhythmic, stereotyped motor movement or vocalization.) 

B. The tics occur many times a day (usually in bouts) nearly every day or intermittently throughout a period of more than 1 year, and during this period there was never a tic-free period of more than 3 consecutive months. 

C. The onset is before age 18 years. 

D. The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., stimulants) or a general medical condition (e.g., Huntington's disease or postviral encephalitis).