Tourette syndrome is a neurological disorder that affects the nervous system. It begins to develop very early on in life, during childhood. Tourette syndrome causes repetitive movements or sounds that cannot be controlled. They are referred to as “tics” and are usually unusual movements or odd sounds that a person has no control over doing or making. An example of a tic is when a person repetitively jerks their head for a brief period of time. Another, more common and stereotypical example is when a person unintentionally yells out offensive words.