Sunday, November 15, 2009

Tic Talk: Living with Tourette Syndrome



Tic Talk: Living with Tourette Syndrome: A 9-year-old boy's story in his own words was written by Dylan Peters. At the age of 4, he developed tics, in which his head would would violently jerk. After a myriad of tests and observation, Dylan was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome.

In addition to the head jerking, Dylan's other tics include clearing his throat, making a gurgling sound, and double-blinking his eyes. Medication helps relieve the tics, but he will never be able to be fully rid of the disease.

By the end of second grade, Dylan's friend began to notice his tics, and began to ask him about them. When he entered the third grade, Dylan and his mother went in to talk to his teacher, Mrs. Sudhalter, about discussing Tourette Syndrome with his classmates. That first week of school, Dylan's mother came in to help him share about his condition, and to answer any questions the other children may have. Soon after, Dylan created this book, which shares these experiences, in his own words.

Included in the book are illustrations done by Dylan's friend Zachary Wendland, a very talented young man. The foreward was written by Jim Eisenreich, who is a former Major League Baseball Player, an active member of the national Tourette Syndrome Association, and founder of the Jim Eisenreich Foundation for Children with Tourette Syndrome. He, too, has Tourette Syndrome.

At the end of the book is a guide to "10 Successful Strategies for working with children with Tourette Syndrome", written by Brad Cohen, author of Front of the Class: How Tourette Syndrome Made Me the Teacher I Never Had." A list of other resources is also included.

Though it seems unlikely that we will encounter someone with Tourette Syndrome, this book is still very important. Few resources exist for children with TS, and this book allows them someone to whom they can relate, who is closer to their age. The resources and information contained and linked to within are beneficial for any educators or workplace managers who many encounter someone with Tourette Syndrome. It should also be shared with children, simply to make them aware that even though some children may be different, they really are fundamentally the same.

Stay tuned for an interview with Dylan Peters.


Purchase Tic Talk: Living with Tourette Syndrome: A 9-Year-Old Boy's Story in His Own Words

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