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Question 37: I am a graduate
student in Rhode Island, currently studying Meeting the Needs of Special
Children and writing a 5-10 page research paper on TS. I am very interested
in your biography and your success. were you in special ed at all,
and if yes, for how long? Any other comments you may want me and other
general ed teachers to keep in mind when working with a TS student
in our class. C.D., RI, USA.
Good
evening C.D.:
First I want to applaud you for doing a part in raising awareness of,
and assistance for, individuals with TS and its associated disorders
-- thank you!
Second, to answer your question: no, I was never in Special Ed. The
short answer would be that it didn't exist in my small town even if
I needed it (which I did early on), my obsessive-compulsive tendencies
eventually channeled into academic perfection, I had more of the hyperactive-impulsive
type of ADHD rather than the attention-deficit part, and I was not diagnosed
with anything until I was out of the public school system. Finally,
I had an overachieving sister ahead of me and a father who was chairman
of the school board -- two factors that insured that a VERY big spotlight
was on me so that I could not slip through the cracks even if I wanted
to (not that I received special treatment -- there was simply going
to be no 'letting up' until I was doing what everyone 'knew' I was capable
of.
Your questions around 'things for teachers to keep in mind' is a massive
one, not easily or quickly answered. A number of my presentations (A
Disordered Mindframe I and II, Symptom-Specific Strategies) talk about
the essential components to working successfully with individuals diagnosed
with these disorders, and helping them to succeed themselves. One of
my presentations (Victim To Victory) talks about the most important
ingredients in my own life to going from suicidal teen to Ph.D. You
can read about my various presentations
(and see the handouts for them) and find out how to book me (perhaps
through a local school board or organization) at www.lifesatwitch.com/booking.html
