| My views concerning TS and ADHD come entirely | | | | for example, in an effort to focus consciousness |
| from my own experiences. I am not in the medical or | | | | away from one's self and onto the outside stimulus he |
| mental health fields. I did not take medications as a kid, | | | | or she is expected to observe. Verbal tics are |
| and I have no expertise on the subject and thus have | | | | analogous to a karate expert's practice of yelling while |
| no view on the topic one way or the other. If your | | | | breaking a board with his or her bare hand, as both an |
| child's mental health practitioner feels as though | | | | effort to increase concentration and avert attention |
| medications will benefit your child, then by all means | | | | away from physical pain. Through repetition, these |
| proceed in that light if both he or she and yourself feel | | | | aberrant practices become virtually involuntary. |
| as though it is best for your youngster. | | | | People born with a greater sense of "self-awareness" |
| My views are predicated upon what I think would have | | | | have a correspondingly greater sense of trying to |
| helped myself as a child, as my young character is | | | | defend themselves, seeing threats, real or imagined, |
| described within my story. In no way am I asserting | | | | sooner than others. Thus, their naturally nervous or |
| that any "one size fits all" solution will benefit every | | | | "high-strung" dispositions. Anxiety is their constant |
| child. On the other hand, one lesson I have learned | | | | companion. This often provokes stress which |
| from life with absolute certainty is that one should | | | | aggravates the condition, resulting in a vicious cycle. |
| never think of one's self as being entirely unique. | | | | As with any other condition, the sooner it is recognized, |
| Whatever problems one might have, it is a certain bet | | | | diagnosed and treated the better the eventual |
| that someone, somewhere is suffering the same. | | | | outcome will be. Much of the advice I would have |
| In the wake of reported tragic cases of youngsters | | | | given myself as a kid is reflected within my story. |
| taking their own lives after having experienced | | | | What kids like these need most is structure in their |
| profound bullying at school, individuals affected have | | | | lives and to learn self-discipline, patience and increased |
| taken up what might be termed the "anti-bullying" | | | | concentration. |
| cause. Their approach to this problem has been to | | | | Because these kids tend to be bright-even in spite of |
| attempt to change the school environment by holding | | | | often mediocre school performances due to ADD-, |
| schools accountable to maintain a safe atmosphere | | | | they are often very defensive when it comes to |
| for kids to learn. They have been successful in | | | | criticism. ("Had anyone else spoken to twelve-year old |
| educating school administrators and teachers and in | | | | Bobby Schultz like this, the boy would have reacted |
| passing anti-bullying legislation on a state level. Some | | | | defensively from pride and dismissed the advice out of |
| give lectures at schools in an attempt to educate | | | | hand. Others had made similar comments in the past.") |
| students as well. | | | | A parent must therefore appeal to the child's intellect |
| I commend such individuals. It must be acknowledged | | | | and gradually lead him or her in the direction of |
| that some kids have problems that make them | | | | self-realization and, hopefully, self-improvement |
| potential victims of bullies that they cannot adjust, such | | | | practices. |
| as aspects of their physical appearances or intellectual | | | | Basically, any activity that will tend to increase a |
| abilities. It is therefore incumbent upon schools to be as | | | | youngster's poise and self-confidence will be |
| vigilant as possible in protecting such kids. | | | | extremely beneficial, along with a parent's gentle but |
| Nevertheless, I believe that in regard to many other | | | | firm persuasion that he or she sticks to it. Youngsters |
| kids, such as the one in my story, this is only half the | | | | like this tend to gravitate towards those relatively few |
| equation in solving the problem. A child can never be | | | | activities which can successfully command their |
| completely sheltered from a harsh world with harsh | | | | attention away from themselves. In my day, it was |
| individuals inhabiting it. So, whenever possible, teaching | | | | reading escapist fare like *The Hardy Boys* and then |
| coping and social skills should be the other half of the | | | | science fiction. Today, I would imagine it is video |
| equation in ultimately eliminating the problem. | | | | games. Excessive engaging in such pastimes is, in my |
| Such an approach should not be seen as "blaming the | | | | opinion, a form of "self-medicating" and is detrimental to |
| victim." The more a child learns to act in a socially | | | | the child's well being. |
| graceful manner, the better his or her chances will be | | | | Two activities I would suggest-if possible-are martial |
| for success and happiness throughout life. The | | | | arts and acting lessons; especially from a teacher who |
| formative years of childhood are all-important in | | | | holds to the "method acting" technique where one is |
| deciding a person's destiny and lot in life. | | | | taught to "become" the character one is playing. By |
| My earliest memories begin at around the age of four | | | | doing such, the child might learn to recognize different |
| and one-half. Talking with others, I think this is a fairly | | | | character types and thus might also learn to better |
| typical point when the human mind develops to the | | | | realize his or her own nature and how others see him |
| degree that it is capable of forming long-term | | | | or her. |
| memories. | | | | Martial arts lessons, such as karate classes, are |
| This is the point where I believe a child begins to | | | | excellent vehicles to improve a child's concentration |
| function in more than a strictly reactive manner. The | | | | and self-confidence, as well as his or her physical |
| child becomes fully self-aware and begins to think in | | | | stamina. It also has obvious side benefits when it |
| the true sense of the word. My definition of thinking is: | | | | comes to dealing with bullies, especially for boys. |
| The ability to predict the future from past experience in | | | | Suggesting acting lessons might seem somewhat less |
| intellectualized terms. | | | | practical due to financial or logistical considerations. But |
| In a sense, we might say that this is the point when a | | | | if at all possible, I believe they would be extremely |
| human begins life as an individual. This is when the child | | | | beneficial in teaching a child social skills and poise. As I |
| becomes fully aware of the concepts of "self" and | | | | said, the method acting technique in particular, teaching |
| "not-self" and learns to make distinctions between the | | | | an acting student to "become" his or her character |
| two. This is when the concept of competition with | | | | while playing the part, will help the child develop an |
| others first becomes apparent within a person. | | | | excellent intuitive and empirical perspective regarding |
| No child sits down one day at around that age and | | | | the different natures people have and will help him or |
| reflects to himself or herself: "Well, I'm just beginning life | | | | her learn more about the child's own. Such an insight is |
| now. I think I shall be a nervous, high-strung, impulsive, | | | | invaluable. By learning to act the part of |
| obsessive-compulsive person;" any more than another | | | | another-perhaps a character with far more |
| decides: "I'm going to be a calm, cool and collected and | | | | self-confidence than the child exhibits by nature-he or |
| self-confident person." A child simply begins to act in | | | | she might learn to try to incorporate within himself or |
| accordance with his or her genetic nature. Children | | | | herself such positive traits. By practice and repetition, |
| have very limited senses of self-analytic abilities and | | | | such a transition might become virtually "second |
| do not ask themselves, "Why am I acting this or that | | | | nature" to the youngster. |
| way?" | | | | The mere fact of performing before others will do |
| Lambasting a child for simply acting in accordance with | | | | wonders for a child's self-confidence, poise and |
| his or her nature would make as much sense as | | | | self-esteem. I know of at least one professional actor |
| buying a cat and then complaining when it doesn't bark. | | | | afflicted with Tourette's Syndrome. He has appeared |
| We all have certain proclivities towards certain traits. | | | | on primetime network television programs; thus, yet |
| There is a link between Tourette's Syndrome and | | | | another possible side-benefit. Your youngster might |
| OCD, and it is my belief that TS should be classified as | | | | one day become very successful as an actor and |
| an emotional disorder within the OCD grouping of | | | | repay the costs of such lessons many times over! |
| disorders. As exampled on the hilarious television | | | | The major point to bear in mind is that such |
| comedy *Monk*, people with obsessive-compulsive | | | | youngsters must learn to control their minds and |
| traits tend to be very bright. It is my belief that they | | | | bodies rather than allowing them to control and define |
| process external stimuli more rapidly and efficiently | | | | them. As it is oft said, knowledge is power. By learning |
| than does the average individual. They also arrive at | | | | on an intellectual level to understand their inherent |
| different conclusions than do others; rapidly dismissing | | | | natures, children can be forewarned and thus |
| stimuli that do not interest them; then reverting to the | | | | forearmed and will be better able to face life on |
| chronic self-reflection which is the hallmark of the | | | | successful terms. As stated within my story, breathing |
| condition. | | | | exercises and a daily period of silent meditation, |
| It is my theory that the root cause of all emotional | | | | gradually increasing the time, will be extremely |
| disorders within OC pathologies is what I term to be | | | | beneficial. |
| "acute self-awareness." | | | | If I could choose one passage from my story that I |
| Some people have much better vision acuity when it | | | | consider the most important, it would be: "He told the |
| comes to color than does the average person, and | | | | boy that he simply had to learn to be patient and do |
| such individuals often make great artists. For those of | | | | things in their proper place and time and to do so with |
| us with more average color vision acuity, it never | | | | care. He explained that the youth had to learn to have |
| occurs to us that those with a superior sense see the | | | | confidence in the future and to stop acting like now |
| world more vividly than we can. Although I, of course, | | | | was the only time he would ever have to play or do |
| have had no experience with being anyone other than | | | | something else he enjoyed." |
| myself-and therefore can never test the theory-, it is | | | | In the case of all people who suffer from what I |
| my belief that most people have somewhat less of a | | | | consider to be "acute self-awareness," which is often |
| sense of "self" than do people with OC emotional | | | | accompanied by acute anxiety, there is always an |
| disorders and are better able to focus their attention | | | | underlying, often subconscious and unspoken fear that |
| away from themselves and onto outside stimuli. Being | | | | tomorrow will indeed never come. Thus, the present |
| less self-conscious, they are more poised. | | | | moment takes on undue importance in the case of |
| The result of this is that individuals with OC disorders, | | | | such youngsters. Teaching a child to learn to cultivate |
| because of their greater sense of self-awareness (or | | | | the virtue of patience is paramount to the child's |
| self-consciousness), develop defense mechanisms to | | | | chances of success throughout life. A parent must |
| protect that acute sense of self not common to | | | | insist on this and not give in to the child's demands for |
| people with a more normal sense of self. Protecting | | | | immediate gratification when such is not appropriate. |
| self becomes paramount to the point of becoming | | | | One will not benefit his or her child if a parent folds. |
| counterproductive. | | | | Once again, appeal to the child's intellect and explain |
| Thus, those with OCD, for example, develop elaborate, | | | | your reasoning. Listen to the child's almost certain |
| seemingly bizarre rituals akin to superstition in the belief | | | | rebuttals with patience yourself, but stand firm in your |
| that if this or that seemingly mundane task is not | | | | reasoning with him or her. |
| constantly attended to, and performed with a precise | | | | A parent must resist the temptation to baby such kids. |
| protocol, then some terrible threat to the self will surely | | | | A parent must use his or her wisdom of years to |
| emerge as a result. Through learned behavior by | | | | gently, but firmly guide a youngster into the path of |
| repetition, the condition can persist to the point of | | | | right direction and insist that he or she sticks with these |
| becoming debilitating. | | | | activities or others that might prove beneficial to the |
| For those with TS, I believe the analogous defense | | | | child's entire life. |
| mechanism is tics. The person will jerk his or her head, | | | | |