Clinomorphism

Clinomorphism (from the Greek words klinikos meaning "bed" (see Clinic) and morphos meaning "form") is the deliberate or unintentional simplification, alteration, or amplification of the term for a medical condition (usually for dramatic effect). A caricature to which sufferers of (or care providers for those with) the condition may object is an example of simplification, while frequent over-use of a medical term, in the absence of bona fide symptoms, might be considered an amplification.

Tourette's syndrome is typically clinomorphically depicted as being a condition of involuntary (and often unconscious) outbursts of offensive language or behaviour, usually on account of being unable to repress (or unaware that they are articulating) involuntary responses.

The typical clinomorphism of Tourette's is both an oversimplification and a conflation of various aspects and conditions pertaining to some persons with Tourette syndrome. Some people with Tourette syndrome do have involuntary offensive speech which is termed coprolalia and is sometimes clinomorphised into the term "compulsive swearing" or "compulsive profanity", terms which have clinomorphic currency outside the use of the term "Tourette's". However, coprolalia is actually a relatively rare symptom of Tourette's.

Today, the use of the term Tourette's is deemed incorrect. The correct usage is Tourette Syndrome. This may seem like a minor or nit-picky distinction, but as with other disorders (such as "Down's Syndrome, the possessive is discouraged.

Autism is clinomorphically seen as a condition where the autistic individual is essentially mentally retarded and a human calculator at the same time, a cultural perception exemplified by the movie Rain Man. In reality, although as many as 10% of individuals with autism spectrum disorders may display splinter skills such as memorization of trivia, autistic savant prodigies are extraordinarily rare; conversely, though autism is associated with mental retardation, many individuals with autism spectrum disorders are not mentally retarded. In fact, most individuals with High-functioning autism or Asperger's syndrome have an average or above-average IQ and may be exceptionally talented in music, mathematics, or science. Historical figures such as Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton, who are believed by some to have been on the autistic spectrum, are sometimes used as examples of highly intelligent people who had autistic traits.

...
Wikipedia