{"id":1295,"date":"2012-09-11T10:26:27","date_gmt":"2012-09-11T14:26:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/njcts.org\/tsparents\/?p=1295"},"modified":"2012-09-11T10:26:27","modified_gmt":"2012-09-11T14:26:27","slug":"another-rant-about-people-who-just-dont-get-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/njcts.org\/tsparents\/another-rant-about-people-who-just-dont-get-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Another rant about people who just don’t get it"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tonight I had to write the letter below to Stink\u2019s teacher. Apparently, this is the week of honest correspondence. Spineless salespeople\u2026. ignorant gradeschoolers\u2026 at least I knew Stink\u2019s teacher\u00a0would be receptive.<\/p>\n

From our first conversation last year in the halls \u2013 before she was even Stink\u2019s teacher \u2013 she\u00a0demonstrated not only humor\u00a0and smarts but an emotional\u00a0intelligence that\u00a0I\u2019d been dreaming of in an educator.<\/p>\n

Still,\u00a0those fears I had when he was diagnosed five years\u00a0ago \u2013 worries that included being teased and\u00a0harrassed for noises and twitches he couldn\u2019t control \u2013 were\u00a0finally being realized.\u00a0It was a somber moment.<\/p>\n

At the same time, it was liberating. Because\u00a0although I wished I didn\u2019t have to deal with this, I wasn\u2019t scared. And\u00a0my son wasn\u2019t too upset either.\u00a0Sad an annoyed? Yes. But broken? Hardly. The past five years had been spent\u00a0concentating on Stink\u2019s strength, not his weaknesses.\u00a0No fourth-grader was going to\u00a0take\u00a0him down.<\/p>\n

So with strength (I fake it sometimes) and lack of fear (anxiety will hit later when I\u2019m PMSing or out of Zoloft or Day 6 of my no nightly glass of vino quest) I give you the letter which all mothers of tickers worry about writing:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Hi \u2013<\/em><\/p>\n

So I hate to be THAT mom, but I was saying prayers with Stink tonight and he mentioned feeling sad about some kid named who always asks about his tics. Stink doesn\u2019t care if people ask, and he gives the standard, \u201cOh, I have Tourette and make tics. I can\u2019t help it!\u201d and that usually suffices.<\/em><\/p>\n

But apparently this kid keeps saying, \u201cYou CAN help it. You CAN help your TS.\u201d He will move out of line if he\u2019s next to Stink and say he does not want to stand next to him because of the sounds.<\/em><\/p>\n

There\u2019s 3 things going on in my opinion:<\/em><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Of COURSE people are going to be annoyed sometimes. As a mom, I get annoyed myself but\u2026<\/em><\/li>\n
  2. It\u2019s an opportunity for kids to be more accepting of others.<\/em><\/li>\n
  3. Stink needs to educate the class on his condition. It might make his tics calm down.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Is there any way, sooner than later, my son can have the floor and just give an update to the class on what it is to have TS? I can get a video about it if that will help. <\/em><\/p>\n

    Or maybe Stink can talk about it in a PLC? (TRANSLATION for my blog readers: PLC stands for \u201cPeaceful Learning Circle.” My kids go to an amazing public charter school. They call teachers by first names. They used to have an assistant T.A. who wore mismatched socks named who sported a fro and went by \u201cChaChi.” I can\u2019t make this stuff up. Now back to the letter to Stink\u2019s teacher.)<\/em><\/p>\n

    I feel bad hitting you with all this on the 3rd week of school. I just want to nip the \u201csocial\u201d stuff in the bud now so I can really focus on, well, getting Stink to FOCUS and be the best he can be.<\/em><\/p>\n

    Thank you \u2013<\/em><\/p>\n

    Andrea (and Rex!)<\/em><\/p>\n

    My question for you readers:<\/strong> So what would you do? No, kicking some kid to Mars is not an option. Stink doesn\u2019t want meds for his tics. He says he feels sad, but not enough for more medicine. He thinks this kid just needs to deal with it. Do you? I see both sides, honestly, but most of all, I\u2019m happy my kid is confident in himself. Still\u2026 where do I make choices for him where his social life is at stake? You know, like being invited to a party by an ignorant dumb ass who only hangs out with ignorant dumbasses? Oh, wait\u2026<\/p>\n

    \n\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t <\/div><\/div>\n\t\t