Public Advocate Jumaane Williams joined “In Focus” to discuss what it was like growing up with Tourette's syndrome.

Tourette’s affects the nervous system and can cause a person to make sudden movements, such as shoulder jerks and vocal tics. According to the CDC, about 1.4 million people in the U.S. have persistent tic disorders, including Tourette’s.

Williams was diagnosed with the neurodevelopmental disorder as a teenager and has been an advocate for those living with Tourette’s since. He explained when he was diagnosed and first noticed symptoms.

Williams said if it wasn’t for his mother, he would have ended up in special education classes instead of the gifted and talented program he tested into, the Philippa Schuyler Middle School for the Gifted and Talented and Brooklyn Technical High School.

A majority of children with Tourette’s also have another mental, behavioral or developmental disorder. According to the CDC, five in six children with Tourette’s have another mental, behavioral or developmental disorder.

Williams was also diagnosed with ADHD at a young age. He dispelled some of the common myths about Tourette’s and discussed how the city is bridging the gaps in knowledge to help young people.