I just received a call from a former colleague of mine who is purusing a PhD in Special Education at the University of Utah. She and I stay in contact over various things. I have been asked by her to speak to one of her University Classes in the fall on Tourette’s Syndrome (TS). The reason my friend asked me is because this disorder has been a significant part of my life for about 13 years.
My son, now 21, was diagnosed with TS when he was 9. We have been through hospitalizations, medications, behavior problems, learning difficulties, co-morbid conditions, socialization issues – you name it, we’ve been through it. My son has had some of the more severe symptoms associated with TS. Although he did not complete high school, I am happy to say that he is self-sufficient and has a decent job with salary and benefits. I am quite proud of him and the way he continues to cope with his disability.
I will be happy to share my perspective as a parent with the University students. As I reflect on the past decade+, memories begin to flood back that I haven’t thought about in awhile. Many are painful. Some experiences continue to be painful since my son is about to become a father and is scared to death because he never wanted to pass on his (what he calls) “defective” genes onto any offspring. But my experiences as a parent of a disabled child should bring some concrete-ness to many who can only know about the disorder from textbooks.
As an educator, I feel I possess the compassion to know the difficulties that children with disabilites face in school. As a candidate, I promote the concept of accomodations for all children in our educational system. As a human being, I advocate services and basic necessities for all – all based on my experiences which have given me the knowledge and compassion to advocate for these things.
Deanna Dee-Dee Taylor 