Local Teen, Noah Oakes, Brings Attention to Tourette's Syndrome

Noah Oakes met with Youth Ambassador Caitlin Barber in an interview for "Tuesday Newsday". Noah is a Montana State Youth Ambassador for Tourette's Association of America. Noah, who has Tourette's Syndrome goes to Washington D.C. every year to speak with senators and representatives to help him and many others with Tourette's Syndrome. Noah is going to be doing a presentation about the syndrome at the Roundup School sometime this year.

Tourette's Syndrome is a neurological disorder which impairs fine motor movements which can be expressed in small hand gestures, facial "ticks", verbal ticks, or other muscle movements from small to big "ticks". Anxiety can increase ticks for someone with a Tourette's. The ticks are involuntary, and Noah encourages people who might meet someone with Tourette's to not bring attention to the tick, but also not pretend that it isn't there. Attention on the tick can increase the anxiety that can increase the tick.

If you would like to see the full interview with Noah, follow Musselshell Media on Facebook, where the September 5th "Tuesday Newsday" has been uploaded by Musselshell County Prevention.