The addition of Tourette's sufferer Angus Phelps to Shortland Street last week has seen some colourful language pepper the television soap's script, but not everyone has been amused.
Jackie Brown, who runs tourettesnz.com and has an 11-year-old son with the syndrome, contacted the Herald regarding Shortland Street's portrayal
of the condition.
Though she commended the soap opera for raising awareness of Tourette's, she said it was frustrating that the scriptwriters had made Phelps a coprolaliac - someone who swears compulsively.
Shortland Street viewers were introduced to Phelps last Thursday night, when he called his teacher a "bitch, whore".
Only 10 per cent of Tourette's sufferers had coprolalia, Jackie Brown said, yet the media often focused on swearing when addressing the syndrome.
After watching actor Elliott Christensen-Yule make his on-screen debut, Jackie Brown said her son turned to her and said: "Another one that swears."
Jackie Brown said it was much more common for Tourette's sufferers to experience vocal tics, such as sniffing and throat clearing, rather than swearing outbursts.
Shortland Street producer Jason Daniel said the character had been researched thoroughly and all the scripts were screened by a psychologist to ensure Phelps was true to life.
"We wanted to make sure we were getting it right, that the tics were portrayed accurately."
Mr Daniel said he had been contacted by one Tourette's sufferer before Thursday night's episode who expressed concern over how the soap would portray the syndrome.
However, Mr Daniel said he had not received any complaints regarding the character since last week's debut. "Our aims our positive. We didn't just write this in for the hell of it," said Mr Daniel, who described Phelps as "an heroic character".
Last week, Christensen-Yule told the Herald he had spent hours researching the role including watching video footage of Tourette's sufferers.
Jackie Brown commended the actor on his performance in a difficult role.
But she said it was important for people to realise that most people with Tourette's were not like Phelps. "They're not freaks. People don't need to stare at my son and wait for an outburst."
