Tim Howard’s ‘The Keeper’ Tells That Athlete’s Story

Tim Howard

CreditEverton Football Club

If you want to know what one of his spectacular crashes feels like, Evel Knievel once told a reporter, strap on a helmet and sit on the hood of a car. Have someone get that car up to 90 miles per hour. “Then you hold your nose and fall off,” he said.Continue reading the main storyShare This Page

If you want to know what it’s like to be a professional goalkeeper, I’ve long suspected, arrange for a line of cannons to fire twisting soccer balls at your head and private bits at speeds approaching 100 m.p.h. A miss can be disastrous.

This is a reality Tim Howard confirms in his new memoir, “The Keeper.” He describes watching his onetime teammate Landon Donovan kick a ball so hard that, had the opposing team’s keeper not ducked at the last second, “his head might have gone into the goal along with the ball.”

You’ve got to be cool and quick to be a high-level goalkeeper, and few are cooler or quicker than Mr. Howard. You remember him. He was the bearded keeper on the United States men’s national team during last summer’s World Cup in Brazil, a man who made so many dramatic saves (and set a tournament record during a game against Belgium) with such a nonchalant affect that he became a hero to millions, this writer included.

Mr. Howard writes about that surreal time: “My assistant, Amber, showed me the ‘Things Tim Howard Could Save’ memes that had been popping up all over the Internet. There I was, saving the Titanic. Saving a swimmer from the shark in ‘Jaws.’ Saving Janet Jackson from her Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction.” On the Wikipedia page for secretary of defense, someone briefly substituted Mr. Howard’s name for Chuck Hagel’s.

There were many reasons to root for Mr. Howard. He was raised by a single mother in an apartment complex in North Brunswick, N.J. His father, a long-haul trucker, had moved out before his son could form any memories of him.

Mr. Howard grew up with obsessive-compulsive disorder and Tourette’s syndrome. His disorders have manifested themselves, throughout his life, in facial and speech tics, in compulsive behavior and in extreme sensitivity to noise, touch and light.

You root for his book, too. While soccer memoirs are a staple on international best-seller lists, we don’t see many of them in this country. Soccer is a second- or third-tier sport in the United States, and books about it are mostly aimed at the coaches of children’s leagues.

I don’t want to oversell “The Keeper.” It’s a quickie, composed in a few months with the help of a co-writer, Ali Benjamin. To read the book, you will require a certain tolerance for sports clichés. But a good story gets told. My 13-year-old self would have read it straight through three times. My 49-year-old self was happy enough to polish it off in an afternoon, with lumps forming only two or three times in his throat.

Don’t come to “The Keeper” for the gritty and libidinous details about what it’s like to play professional soccer in the English Premier League, where Mr. Howard was a goalkeeper for Manchester United before moving to Everton, his current team.

This isn’t a soccer-world update of “Ball Four.” There are no nightclubs, no drugs and — despite the fact that Mr. Howard gets married and divorced in the course of the book — no WAGs, the British term for the often eye-popping “wives and girlfriends” of players. Mr. Howard’s book is mostly about hard men on a difficult mission, and as such it can be nearly as single-minded as Ernest Shackleton’s diary.

Mr. Howard was 10, and doing poorly in school, when symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder and Tourette’s began to appear. He was compelled to clear his throat constantly, to roll his eyes and to jerk. At one stage he had to touch people before he could speak to them.

“With each of them, it was the same pattern: that awful sensation welling up, the one that could only be relieved, inexplicably, by some action,” he writes. “As soon as I did it, I felt normal again. Seconds later, the cycle would repeat itself.”

A doctor tells his mother that there is often “a flip side” to Tourette’s, an unexpected benefit. In Mr. Howard’s case, it was a kind of Zen calm and an ability to see things on the soccer field that others seemingly could not. “I could see the flicker of a striker’s eyes before he pivoted,” he writes. “Sometimes I even saw it in time to warn my defender.”

He was a big, strong kid on the field, and he caught the eye of coaches. His mom drove him everywhere to play, often staying in third-rate hotels and eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches made with store brands because she couldn’t afford anything more.

Mr. Howard played for America’s Youth National Team and skipped college (he was still a poor student) to sign with a low-level professional team, the New Jersey Imperials. He earned $13,000 a year and felt rich.

After a few years, he caught the eye of Manchester United, where his salary leapt to more than $1 million a year. The British news media greeted his arrival with tittering headlines like this one, from The Guardian: “United Want American With Brain Disorder.” He won over Manchester fans, however. In the stands, they began to sing a ditty about him, to the tune of “Chim Chim Cher-ee” from “Mary Poppins”:

“Tim Timminy, Tim Timminy, Tim Tim-eroo We’ve got Tim Howard and ... ”

Well, the rest is unprintable here.

Mr. Howard eventually lost his starting position in Manchester, and he never felt truly at home until he went to play at Everton, a smaller, scrappier Premier League team in Liverpool. He’s gone on to be an importantadvocate for children with Tourette’s syndrome.

He’ll be 39 by the time the next World Cup rolls around, ancient for a soccer player, yet he hopes to be on the field. He remembers a phone call from President Obama after the last one. “I don’t know how you are going to survive the mobs when you come back home, man,” he recalls Mr. Obama saying to him. “You’ll have to shave your beard so they don’t know who you are.” We’d know Tim Howard, either way.

Source:NyTimes

Daniel Gipson: Tourette Syndrome Hero

Wasilla store manager Merry Holmes presents hardware sales associate Daniel Gipson with his wings for winning Home Depot's Angel Award after performing the Heimlich maneuver on a choking child last month. Gipson is the fourth Alaskan out of 50 heroic employees nationwide to receive the award.

The success of Home Depot hardware sales associate Daniel Gipson’s CPR training all hinged on one moment.

Last month, as he stood by the returns counter making holiday decorations, Gipson heard a young boy crying nearby. He said he saw the 8-year-old and his mom in his peripheral vision, but didn’t think much of it at first, figuring she had everything under control.

“You know kids, I thought he was just getting upset,” Gipson said. “Then I heard him say, ‘Mom, I’m choking!’”

Gipson immediately stopped what he was doing and “went into safety mode.” A quick assessment of the situation told him the boy was choking on a piece of candy, and he did his best to calm the child.

“I’ve been in that situation before, myself,” he said.

After Gipson performed the Heimlich maneuver four or five times, the boy swallowed the candy and began breathing normally, he said. The mother thanked Gipson and left the store.

“It was a surreal moment,” he said.

Several employees in the area had witnessed the entire incident, and not long afterward, store manager Merry Holmes got wind of her associate’s actions.

“Superman,” she called him, though soon “angel” would be a more apt title.

Tuesday morning, Gipson received Home Depot’s prestigious Angel Award, presented only on (hopefully) rare occasions “for exceptional acts of heroism by company associates,” according to the press release.

“The associates that watched the entire situation were amazed by his quick response and by his calm demeanor. He saved a child’s life,” Holmes said during the presentation.

Gerri Sumpter of U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s office read a letter from the senator applauding Gipson for his exemplary customer service during the presentation, and Kenai store manager Michael Olson also complimented the man for his contribution to the community “culture” of the Wasilla store.

But if not for some important training, the end result of the November incident may have been quite different.

Gipson said he and his wife, Jessica, became certified in CPR and first aid in 2008 as a requirement for working at a children’s home in Texas, where they lived at the time. He had not been required to know CPR when he worked at a Home Depot store in Idaho prior to that, and he never anticipated having to use those skills when he came back to Home Depot in Alaska five years ago.

“All this preparation just for this one moment,” Gipson said, reflecting on being in the right place at the right time. “If I’d been anywhere else in the store...”

Gipson’s actions and calm behavior during the crisis are perhaps even more noteworthy due to a neurological disorder he overcomes every day.

At a young age, Gipson was diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome, a condition associated with small, sharp, uncontrollable movements. When people not “in the know” hear the word “Tourette’s,” they often think of loud outbursts and a significant lack of control, but that’s not always the case, and certainly not with Gipson. On the contrary, he is known around the store for his light-hearted attitude and frequent telling of jokes.

He has his own kind of therapy to make life easier, though. Gipson said he has been a freelance artist for more than 30 years, finding the most enjoyment in simply drawing. His father was an oil painter, and his uncle also was an artist.

“It’s just one of those God-given things that gets passed down, I guess,” he said.

And he even gets to use those talents at Home Depot, making signs, special displays and hand-painted employee of the month awards, for example.

Gipson is one of four Alaskans to receive the Angel Award out of a total 50 recipients nationwide in more than 10 years of the award’s existence. (Chris Strickland of Anchorage, Mary Cisney of Juneau and District Manager Jeremy Wallace received awards in January 2014, June 2013 and May 2012, respectively.)

“I’m just glad I could be there,” he said.

Source:.frontiersman

Tim Howard inspires others with Tourette syndrome in new role as commentator

Elsa / Getty Images

After starring for the U.S. men's national team in this past summer's World Cup, Tim Howard, who has been a role model for those with Tourette syndrome, is serving as an analyst on NBC Sports' Premier League broadcasts this season.

Growing up with Tourette syndrome, the last thing Tim Howard could have imagined was that one day millions would listen to him serve as a commentator on a live television broadcast.

The hero of the run by the U.S. men’s national team during the World Cup this summer has played in the most pressure-packed soccer atmospheres on earth as a goalie, but admits that his role as a Premier League soccer analyst for NBC brings challenges that would have seemed much more daunting when he was younger.

“I get nervous and anxious when I’m on TV for a big game,’’ Howard told TODAY.com. “When I play I can let loose because I don’t have to worry when a tic or twitch happens, but obviously on TV, I’m much more conscious of it.”

Tourette syndrome is a neurological disorder that causes frequent involuntary movements in the face, arms, limbs or trunk, according to the National Tourette Syndrome Association. It can also cause vocal tics like uncontrollable cursing, but Howard’s only vocal tic has been a strong cough.

“It’s a challenge to control it until we’re not live on air, so I just try to keep my composure until then,’’ Howard said.

Courtesy of the Howard Family

Tim Howard endured cruel taunts of others while growing up with Tourette syndrome and used it as an opportunity to educate people about the condition.

While Howard, 35, has long been a role model for kids with Tourette syndrome through his stardom on the soccer field, his work in the broadcast booth also has shown them not to put limitations on what they can achieve. His latest broadcast for NBC Sports Network is coming up on Sunday when Liverpool takes on Arsenal at 11 a.m. ET in the Premier League.

“It’s true that (serving as a commentator) is part of the awareness and the advocacy and helping to motivate the next generate of kids with TS,’’ Howard said. “I’ve always said when it comes to Tourette’s syndrome advocacy and awareness, I have the easiest job in the world. All I have to do is be me.”

Howard has also helped educate others about the disorder, particularly when he was first signed by the famous British Premier League team Manchester United in 2003. Headlines in the British tabloids labeled him “disabled” and called him the “cursing goalkeeper.” 

Courtesy of the Howard family

Howard (upper right) was a soccer standout while growing up in North Brunswick, N.J., and has become a symbol of Tourette syndrome awareness during his rise to soccer's biggest stages in the World Cup and Premier League.

“It was just a ton of ignorance in those headlines, so as long as I kept being myself, people were going to get an understanding of what TS was or is,’’ he said.

His presence alone helps educate those curious about Tourette syndrome.

“If I have a tic or twitch in front of a global, international audience, people see it, and it raises awareness,’’ he said. “The higher profile I get, the more awareness there is.”

Howard’s profile couldn’t have gotten much higher this past summer after he saved a World Cup-record 16 shots in a 2-1 loss to Belgium in the Round of 16, keeping the Americans in the game with one brilliant save after anotherbefore their run came to an end. It was the latest high point for a player who grew starring in soccer in North Brunswick, N.J., before becoming a member of the U.S. men’s national team in 2002 and playing on one of soccer’s biggest stages in the Premier League since 2002. During his rise to stardom, Howard endured the taunts about his condition while growing up but used them as opportunities to educate others.

Tim Howard: US World Cup journey ended 'just a little too soon'

“That’s the hardest part about TS is that it’s a very visual thing,’’ he said. “It’s not a rash or a scratch, it’s there for everyone to see. As a kid, kids are cruel and make fun of everything, so part of growing up was dispelling the myths around TS. I also was surrounded and insulated by a great family and group of friends.”

While his work with NBC is not only an inspiration to those with Tourette syndrome, it’s also unique because unlike most analysts who are retired as players, Howard is still an active player in the Premier League as the goalie for Everton F.C. That means the players he may be criticizing or analyzing are ones he could face on the field in a game.

“One of the things we talked about was that being the first active (Premier League) player to do announcing was part of my concern,’’ Howard said. “We need to find a middle ground, and we just felt that honesty was the best policy. I just say what I see, and I think part of that is not being overly critical of players. I don’t have an agenda. If it’s a bad play, I have an ability to help explain to a broader audience why these things happen.”

Considering his ability to still play at a high level at the age of 35, it’s not out of the question that Howard could be around for another run with the U.S. men’s national team when the next World Cup rolls around in Russia in 2018.

“My plan is obviously to finish playing out my current contract (with Everton), which takes me to 39 (years old), right around World Cup time,’’ Howard said. “That’s the plan, and I don’t know what I’m going to do after that (contract ends). Television has become a good and viable option, and it has taken me by surprise how much I enjoy it. It’s good to have the opportunity to make a decision down the road.” 

Source:today.com

"But Miss, I’ve got Tourette’s!”

"But Miss, I’ve got Tourette’s!”

Ruth Wadman and Georgina Jackson discuss the problems pupils with Tourette’s face in the classroom, and what schools can do to help

Tourette’s syndrome (TS) is an inherited neurological condition involving involuntary movements and vocalisations, “tics”, which persist for a year or more. As many as one school child in every hundred will have TS and boys are three to four times more likely to have TS than girls. Many will have only mild symptoms and may not have received a diagnosis. You may not think you have met a young person with TS, but you probably have.

The popular portrayal of adults with TS uttering obscene or socially inappropriate words and phrases (known as coprolalia) is unhelpful and misleading. Many children with TS find their tics lessen or disappear by the time they are 18 and only ten per cent of people with TS have coprolalia.   

Some individuals with TS do have symptoms that are disabling and that affect their education, social lives and economic prospects. However, milder symptoms often go unnoticed but still can have a detrimental impact on learning and relationships in school.

Our research, in partnership with the national charity Tourettes Action and funded by the Big Lottery Fund, has examined the personal, social and educational impact of TS. Students with TS, parents and school staff shared their experiences and insights by taking part in detailed interviews. We present some key findings from the research in this article. Crucially, our research has shown that TS is a complex condition that can be difficult to understand, and that schools can play a key role in helping students with this condition.

“A few of my teachers don’t really understand it. They don’t really know what tics I have, and some of them are like ‘stop it’ and I’m like ‘it’s a tic and I can’t help it’”. 11-year-old

Tics

Tics are sudden, rapid and uncontrollable sounds and movements. Tics can be simple, such as blinking, head jerking or coughing. Even simple tics are tiring and can cause damage to joints or self-injury. More complex tics, such as jumping and twirling, can seem purposeful but they are not. Complex vocal tics can involve uttering whole phrases that appear to be directed at others. These can be hugely embarrassing for the individual and it is important to remember that these utterances are not intentional.

“One of his tics was a racially offensive word. He didn’t even know he was saying it, and he certainly didn’t want to be saying it”. Mother

People with TS can feel an irresistible urge to tic, like the urge to scratch an itch.

“The feeling before the tic, it’s like a sneeze ‘cause you can’t really hold it back”. 16-year-old

However children, especially younger children, may not be aware of having these feelings. Some young people can hold back their tics for a period of time, but this is very effortful and feels uncomfortable.

Tics wax and wane; they can change in type, frequency and severity. They can get worse for a few weeks and then get better. Different tics can come and go for no reason.

“He tries to control his tics, but he can just get up one day and have a whole new different tic – so he has to start all over again”. Mother

Tics can be affected by periods of stress or stressful events. Many individuals report that their tics are different in different settings or at different times of day. Some students will have more tics at home than they have at school. Young people also report a reduction in tics when they take part in exercise or a pastime they enjoy such as playing music.

The changeable nature of tics can be confusing. It is important to understand exactly how TS affects the individual student.

Associated features

Most people with TS will have, or may develop, other conditions. Some students with TS will have one or two other diagnosed conditions, most commonly attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), but also autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). Other problems associated with TS include anxiety, self-injury, sleep disturbances and outbursts of anger. Therefore, a young person with TS may have a cocktail of symptoms.

“Teachers don’t understand the link between Tourette’s and all these other things – obsessive-compulsive stuff, attention issues and anger issues. They don’t grasp the connection and it’s a big connection”. 16-year-old

Tourette’s does not affect IQ and is not a learning disability.Tourette’s in school

TS does not affect IQ and is not a learning disability, but it can present barriers to learning. Tics tend to become most severe between the ages of ten and 12, so the transition into secondary education is a potentially difficult time. Our research focused on the experiences of students with TS in secondary school. The majority of young people we interviewed reported having difficulties concentrating in school.

“When the tics are really bad I can’t really concentrate on the work; I have to concentrate on keeping the tics in”.13-year-old.

Negative experiences with a small number of staff were, unfortunately, also a common experience. Students with forceful vocal tics can be seen as disruptive and may be told off or asked to stop tics. Young people do not find this helpful.

“He’s a clever boy and sometimes he is not able to produce very much at all but then other times he can do very well. Unfortunately we’ve had a few incidents with teachers telling him to stop ticcing or to ‘shut up’”.SENCO

TS can affect students in many different ways. Classwork, homework and examinations can all be adversely affected by tics. For example, hand or eye tics can interfere with writing, making it hard to complete work on time.

“She just couldn’t control the tics to do the homework… so we’d sit for three hours just to do a thirty minute piece of homework”. Mother

Some young people with TS will need support for learning. However, simply improving awareness and understanding of the condition in school can really help a student with TS to cope.     

Friends and peers

Most young people will have a good group of friends who understand TS and this group can help buffer against other social difficulties such as teasing. 

“He has some good friends, but when it comes to his peer group, they see him as a bit of a target because he stands out”. Father

Student with TS are vulnerable to ridicule, bullying and social exclusion but our research indicates that often this goes on unnoticed in schools.
Young people with TS also report having to deal with feelings of anxiety or feelings of anger in school, and these can also affect their relationships with others. Some students with TS may need social and/or emotional support in school.    

“He does get comments from other students and I know that they do mimic his noises, his tics – and that is something that we try to work with a lot now.”  Head of Year

Future prospects

Young people with TS worry about what will happen in the future, particularly about their employment prospects.

“I don’t want to be grown-up and still have Tourette’s ‘cause I’m scared that’ll stop me from getting a job or something”. 14-year-old

Positive work-related experiences in school can be very beneficial to young people with TS and their families.

“He had work experience and it went really, really well. I think that him and his parents were thinking is he ever going to be able to work, so work experience gave them a bit of hope”. SENCO   

How to help

TS is a complex condition and can affect young people in many different ways. Often, TS can affect students in ways that are not particularly noticeable in school.

“On the surface you wouldn’t think there was anything different about him; he’s good at hiding it. But I’ve learnt that it’s more than just tics and there is a lot of stuff going on in his head. So he may not always be fully engaged”. Teacher

Schools can find it difficult to understand which behaviours are involuntary tics and what may be more purposeful behaviours. 

“He sometimes makes animal sounds in lessons and then he gets in trouble. I need to explain that his noises are involuntary – he can’t help what he is doing”. Mother

Establishing good communication with the young person and the family can help schools to better support the student with TS:

• ask the student and the family about how TS affects him/her and how you can help
• find out what helped the student in his/her last school. Looking at how tics have been managed in the past can provide useful ideas about supporting the student
• it may be helpful to observe the student during the school day as tics can worsen in certain settings
• tics get worse when students are anxious, so good communication is crucial to explore concerns and create a sense of safety.

In the classroom:

• refrain from commenting on or responding visibly to tics whenever practical
• do not ask a student with TS not to tic
• consider appropriate behaviour management in light of the extent to which certain behaviours are not in the student’s control
• allow the student time out of lessons and a safe place to release tics, if needed
• be alert to potential mimicking, teasing and bullying
• be aware of any behavioural treatments or medication the student receives so that you can take account of any side effects and support the management strategies they have been taught.

Further information

Professor Georgina Jackson, lead investigator on the study discussed above, is Professor of Cognitive Neuropsychology, Division of Psychiatry and Applied Psychology, University of Nottingham. Dr Ruth Wadman, a Research Fellow in the department, carried out the research in schools and with families and young people:
www.nottingham.ac.uk

Advice and information on Tourette’s syndrome for teachers and parents is available from the charity Tourettes Action:
www.tourettes-action.org.uk

Source

Rare genetic mutation discovered in Tourette syndrome family

Courtesy Jeffrey Kramer

Jeffrey Kramer and his three sons. Kramer and two of his grown-up sons have been living with Tourette for decades. He’s excited by the new findings, but realistic about their impact on patients with the syndrome.

A rare genetic mutation that disrupts the production of histamine may help researchers unravel the mystery that surrounds Tourette syndrome.

The mutation discovered by Yale researchers can cause the kinds of tics and other abnormalities that are the hallmark of the syndrome, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Neuron.

Thus far the genetic anomaly has been discovered only in nine members of a single family: a father and all eight of his children who have both the mutation and Tourette syndrome.

“We know that Tourette is about 90 percent genetic,” said study coauthor Dr. Christopher Pittenger, an associate professor of psychiatry and psychology at the Yale University School of Medicine and director of the Yale OCD research clinic. “But it’s been incredibly hard to find any genetic abnormalities that cause the syndrome. We have proven that this gene really is the cause of Tourette in this family and also looked at some of its downstream effects.”

If found in other patients, it would raise the possibility that Tourette syndrome might someday be treated with drugs that bump up the brain’s levels of histamine, a compound that’s involved in inflammatory and immune responses and causes many of the symptoms of allergies.What isn’t known yet is how, or if, this finding can be extended to other people with Tourette, Pittenger and other experts said.

Jeffrey Kramer and two of his grown-up sons have been living with Tourette for decades. He’s excited by the new findings, but realistic about their impact on patients with the syndrome.

“I think this is a step forward,” the Los Angeles TV producer said, “but I think it’s going to be a long road. It may take another generation until they can finally utilize the knowledge they have found.”

One hopeful sign, Pittenger said, is that researchers have found other histamine-related mutations in people with Tourette. “Now there are two genetic studies that looked at many people with Tourette and found other abnormalities in the histamine system,” Pittenger said. “This mutation is extremely rare, but histamine abnormalities in general are less rare.”

Once Pittenger’s team had isolated the histamine mutation, they created a group of so-called knock-out mice who didn’t have the gene at all and others who had just one copy instead of two. Those mice displayed many of the symptoms that are signatures of the syndrome, Pittenger said.

The scientists also learned that low or no histamine in the brain led to higher levels of an important brain chemical, dopamine, which is involved in movement.

The next step was to determine how important histamine is in producing Tourette-like symptoms in the mice. “We had to squirt a little directly into the rodent brains,” Pittenger said.

While that seemed to ameliorate symptoms in the mice, it’s not an option for people with the syndrome since there’s no way to squirt histamine on the brain in a non-invasive way.

But, Pittenger said, there are several drugs that had been developed to treat other conditions that might turn out to help with Tourette because they bump up histamine levels in the brain. The catch is that those drugs never made it all the way through the testing required to get approval from the Food and Drug Administration because they didn’t work for the conditions they were designed to treat.

But it would be possible for drug companies to start trials of those drugs in Tourette patients now, Pittenger said.

In the meantime, the researchers did note that there are dietary supplements that contain histimine, a precursor to histamine. It’s possible that those supplements could boost histamine levels in the brain, but no one knows if those products would have that effect.

“I think it’s a very nice study that was well done,” said Dr. Carol Mathews, a professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, and a member of the medical advisory board for the Tourette syndrome Association. “It might be worth it for drug companies to look at [some of the medications that affect histamine production]. But my personal opinion is that this needs to be explored a little more before any clinical trials.”

As for the dietary supplement suggestion, Mathews said, “I wouldn’t do that. It’s really a stretch.”

“It’s not like everyone should get more histamine in their diets,” agreed Dr. Anthony Rostain, a professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. “But this research does give us a little window onto how the circuitry of the brain works in people with Tourette.

“The bottom line is this is a genetic mutation that is very, very rare. It can be used to study mice to learn more about the mechanism of brain circuits that are affected in Tourette. But I’d be very, very hesitant to say it gives any answers that would immediately help people with Tourette syndrome.”

Source

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Canadian teen with Tourette's Syndrome permitted to use medical cannabis on campus

The teenage years are an awkward time for everybody. High school can be especially tough, just trying to fit in, particularly if you have any sort of disability. 15-year-old Noah Kirkman, a 10th-grade student at Western Canada High School knows about these pressures all too well, growing up with attention-deficit disorder and Tourette syndrome.

While he is far from the first high school student to have to deal with such issues, he appears to be one of the first students to have been granted permission by his school to use medical marijuana, while on campus, to treat his ailments. That's right, three times a day the young man walks right past the Principal's office, and into the Vice Principal's office for a quick rip, or two or three, off of his handheld herbal vaporizer. 

Before school, at lunch, and after school, Kirkman is able to gratefully pass up ineffective prescription pills in favor of inoffensive vaporized cannabis, which he says, "doesn't have any withdrawal effects and I can't (overdose) on it."

"It helps me keep calm, it helps me keep focused," he added in his interview with the Metro in Calgary.

Kirkman has been a licensed medical marijuana patient since September, and he and his mother immediately approached the local Calgary school board to try to determine how he could legally and discreetly get his head right a few times a day while on campus. Apparently, "hotboxing the Veep's office" was the best plan.

Kirkman was cool with puffing on his vaporizer out in front of the school, but cold Canadian weather and fear of controversy led school officials to invite him inside the administrator's office. He doesn't see what all the fuss is about, saying, "Usually, I'm not that discreet about it. My friends are very accepting of it, I've dealt with no discrimination or anything like that."

That is certainly no shocker, that his friends think that him seshing on kush three times a day while they stand in line for juice cups and taco snacks is cool. Marijuana use among high school aged American kids continues to rise, and the trend only goes...ahem...higher when you look at Canadian teens. Still, though, Kirkman's is the only case we could find where a teenager has been permitted to use medical marijuana on campus, in any country.

Back in the U.S., even for adult college students, aged 18 and up, on campus marijuana use - for any purpose - is strictly prohibited, more often than not. Any school that receives any federal funding is forced to respect the fact that marijuana is still a Schedule I controlled substance on the federal level, or risk losing much needed federal funding.

Signed into law in 1990, the Clery Act requires all colleges and universities that get any form of federal aid keep, and disclose to the feds, detailed records of all crimes committed on or near their campuses - including the buying and selling of crappy dorm-room dimebags.

In most cases, the best you can hope for is that your school allows you to at least carry your meds on you at all times. Unfortunately, the more common route is to completely ban any and all marijuana possession anywhere on school grounds - even for students required to spend their first year living on campus.

This ridiculous dangling of federal funds in front of cash-strapped universities like a carrot on a stick is evenhappening on college campuses across Colorado, where in the 2012 election, more people voted to legalize limited amounts of weed for adults 21 and up than voted for Barack Obama, who trounced his opponent in the state.

The bravery displayed not just by Kirkman, but by the school board who is allowing him to make such history, might end up being the template eventually used to end the widespread cannabis prohibition on campuses at all levels of education, across the globe.

With luck, stories like Kirkman's will continue to make headlines, simultaneously downplaying the fabricated threats of marijuana use, and further instilling its legitimacy as a true medicine in the mind of the general public.

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Coprolalia, Part 3: Taking Action on Coprolalia

In case you missed them, part 1 of this series discussed the nature of coprolalia. Part 2 talked aboutcoping with coprolalia. In part 3, we’ll mention some action steps you can take when dealing with coprolalia.

Use positive language

Planned ignoring of coprolalia is not just ignoring the symptom altogether especially if the behavior is having a negative or harmful impact on the individual or other members of the family.  Be sure to define what negative or harmful impact means for your family.

An individual can contribute to the family’s well being whilst consistently ticcing “F**k, f**k”.  It is not harmful just because you or someone else does not  particularly want to hear it.  In fact, a tic as harmless as this example may actually be helpful in directing the individual’s attention away from more harmful forms of coprolalia.

When helping to redirect behaviours that are harmful or have  negative impact, use positive language at all times. If coprolalia is loud enough or involves another person you can use positive language to help modify the behavior or make it less hurtful.

For example, “You may say “F**k” but you need to increase the distance from your brother’s ear when you say it”. If coprolalia hurts another person’s feelings you can use positive language to teach responsibility. For example, “You looked at your brother and called him a name.  You didn’t mean to, but you hurt your brother’s feelings.  You should apologize and make sure he is OK.”  Note: This is not apologizing for having Tourette Syndrome and for having tics, it is an apology for having potentially hurt someone’s feelings (a natural consequence).

Use substitution words

Substitution words are words or phrases that can be strategically placed to modify coprolalia.  The important aspect of this technique is that the child must be involved and the word or phrase must satisfy the tic.  The individual using this technique must also be highly motivated to attempt to modify the behavior.  If they are not invested, this strategy  will not work.

Always investigate motivation and the ability to invest mental energy into this task.  A child who suppresses tics all day and is mentally exhausted will not benefit from mom or dad saying, “Now Johnny, say Fruit Cake, not F***.” Willingness and readiness is essential and it is okay to put this task aside indefinitely if necessary.

If there is enough motivation and investment from the individual, involve them  with coming up with words that are similar enough to satisfy the tic but may be less offensive. For example, “Shitake” or “Fruit cake”. If the tic is not satisfied the individual is essentially suppressing the tic, causing more focus on the actual tic and increasing stress.  Increasing stress on the individual is counter-productive to managing coprolalia.

Be Accountable and Responsible

At first glance, being accountable and responsible for your own or your child’s symptoms of coprolalia may seem harsh.  Coprolalia is an uncontrollable symptom of a neurological disorder.  This is true.  They can’t help it and it is not their fault.  However, consider that being accountable and responsible does not involve finding fault or laying blame.

For example –  you step on someone’s toe while waiting in line.  It was an accident, the other person will assume it was an accident and it wasn’t done on purpose.  You would apologize and ask if the other person was OK.  You take responsibility and you are accountable for the action however unintended and unwanted.  If you sneeze, you may apologize or excuse yourself, if you trip and bump someone you would apologize, if you were startled and screamed and scared someone else you would apologize and or explain.

The same should apply to tics and coprolalia which have an impact on others.  It does not imply that the individual is willfully or maliciously doing the act.  For example, my son has a screaming tic and when his screaming tic and his coprolalia occur together he is screaming profanities.  Everyone in our home knows that it is unintentional and an uncontrollable symptom of his Tourette Syndrome.

However, sometimes it hurts!  It can hurt our ears, it can startle us, it can shock our neighbours and it can hurt our feelings.  As a mom with a young son who has a “f***ing b**** a**hole” tic, being barraged daily with these words, I can say that it hurts, it wears me down, and it makes me sad.  No harm is intended and no blame is laid but if he apologizes, it does a few positive things for us all.

Being responsible and accountable for his neurological symptoms gives him power!

• He can teach others about his symptoms and his disorder and promote understanding.  ”Sorry,  I didn’t mean to scare you.  I have Tourette Syndrome and that was something I can’t control.  I can tell you more about it if you would like.”
• He can control the affects of his symptoms on others.  He can change how others feel and think about him.  ”Sorry, that was an accident.  I have Tourette Syndrome.  I sometimes do things I don’t mean to do.  I didn’t mean to do that.”
• He will become a powerful social thinker!  He learns to care about what others see of his actions and how they feel about him.  Being accountable and responsible means “I know I did something that may have affected you negatively, I care, I am sorry and I did not mean to do that to you”.  He will grow to be a caring and kind adult.

Being responsible and accountable for his neurological symptoms makes others feel better!

• Just like stepping on my toe, my son saying sorry to me for saying “F**k you” makes me feel better.  I know he can’t help it but by apologizing I also know he didn’t mean it and that he cares about my feelings.
• Apologizing or acknowledging the coprolalia also enlightens others, makes them smarter and more tolerant of others.  They probably didn’t know it was unintended until there was the apology and explanation.  How could they?
• Promote understanding by educating others.  Promote tolerance through understanding.  Please share.

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