Tourette Syndrome

When my son was seven he was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome. Although the first seven years of his life were not without problems, with that diagnosis, I knew our lives had been changed forever. I know this may be hard to believe but when the doctor confirmed our fears, I actually was relieved. Many things went through my mind when my son started to blink his eyes and make little humming noises. My husband thought he was doing this to annoy him and felt it was his duty to break him of the habit. I felt that we should just leave him alone and not draw attention to the noises or eye blinking. The eye blinking and noises changed to other things and then other things. I found out these were called tics. It was true that we shouldn't bring his attention to the tics because when we did, they became worse. I learned all I could about the disorder and eventually joined a support group. It has been a strange and sometimes difficult trip but things are good now. I have met the most wonderful people along the way. Some of these people became my closest friends. My son is now an adult. He is a talented drummer and percussion instructor. He has patience and admiration from his students as well as from his mom.

To visit the Tourette Syndrome Association of Michigan's web site please visit: TSA-Michigan