This entry from AlissaJ originally was posted on the TSParentsOnline blog in response to the Finding The Right Balance With School Can Be Stressful entry. Please welcome her to Teens4TS, as she’ll be posting here from now on!
Hi, I’m Alissa and I’m a sophomore in college. I was diagnosed with TS late compared to others (eighth grade). When I first was diagnosed, I was very embarrassed and refused to go to school for a week. By the time I got to high school, school started becoming extremely difficult.
What helped me most was vocalizing. I arranged for a 504, which made me able to have extended time on exams and projects. This helped a lot. I also was able to have many class absences without being penalized so I could stay home on bad tic days. Most schools are able to accommodate you very well. I was also very friendly with the school nurse. She made it easy for me by letting me rest there when I was tired from my tics or if I just needed a break from class.
Lastly, in my high school freshman year English class I wrote a paper about TS and had a friend read it aloud to the class. The paper was then published in the school’s “journal” for anyone to read. This really helped me because I didn’t feel I needed to hide my tics anymore. I hope this helps!! If you need anymore help, you can e-mail me at alissadjuliana@gmail.com.
