We were pleased to see the article on Tourette Syndrome (TS) children ("Tourette Syndrome kids need more assistance," Feb. 26, page 2). Children who suffer from this disorder certainly need more assistance and understanding from the education system, and the school system needs training in how to do that. That not only includes schools in Taiwan, but also those in the US in general; and we would guess the same would hold true in many if not most places around the world.
Although we were happy to see this article in your newspaper, we were disappointed by some of the incorrect and/or misleading content.
The article stated that "The condition cannot be treated by medication." This is simply inaccurate. Many people with TS, including our son, are treated with medication.
Of course, everyone is different and some respond better to medication than others. TS can be a very complex disorder, affecting different people in different ways and to differing degrees.
We believe that it is a very gross oversimplification of the disorder to state that "as long as patients learn how to release their energy, they should be able to lead normal lives," as Dr. Wang Hui-hsiung (
We hope to see more articles of this nature in your newspaper in the future and we would also hope to see a more balanced perspective, with quotes from other experts in the field.
Michael and Sharon Wright
Taichung
[Editor's note: The story should have reported Wang as saying that "The condition should not be treated with medication unless necessary." Taipei Times regrets the error.]
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