One thing that I've learned about TS is just when you think everything is on an even keel, hold on tight and get ready for a storm. As any parent of a young child knows, nothing throws kids off quite as much as the holidays. Kids with TS are especially thrown by change in their routine. In our house, not only are we dealing with the just gone Thanksgiving, fast coming Christmas, but we also are dealing with the unexpected loss of my grandmother.
Yesterday I took Liam to karate and was amazed by how much Liam was squealing in class. We were down to a few times a day, but this was at least once or twice a minute through most of the class. I was very proud of him for telling the other kids during their stretching period about his TS. Not only did he tell them, but he gave them the address for the national TS Association website. Thankfully, the owner of the dojo has had other kids with TS, so he's dealt with it before in his class and Liam loves him. His wife was very sweet and I was so touched to see her want to run in and tell the other kids to not yell at him or tell him to stop.
Today, I happened to be outside to get the kids off of the bus. I heard him squeal very loudly and saw his bus driver tense. I said to her after he got off "Liam told you that he has Tourette's, right?" She told me that he had told the bus monitor. She said that she didn't know if she could take it, and that sometimes it startles her while she's driving. While I sympathize, I bristled at the comment. She said some of the other kids yell at him to stop it. She said that the older kids were good about telling the little ones that he can't help it and the less they yell at him, the better it will be.
I asked him later if he wanted me to drive him to and from school. He said that he'd prefer to take the bus. He likes spending time with his friends on the bus. As much as I want to protect him from others being cruel, I'm proud of him that he's willing to tough it out and try to make them realize that it's something that they need to adjust to, even if it's difficult and annoying for them. I'm trying very hard to practice patience and empathy for the other kids and the driver and the monitor, but sometimes it's tough.
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