Me and Em



Walk on the Pier with by baby girl!

Missing you...

Bracelets

Was looking for something to post about TS, and I came across this picture of a bracelet.  It reminded me of the beautiful bracelets that Emily used to make.....



I hope she starts making them again!  They are one of a kind.  I bet they would sell great on her web site!

Faith Matters

This is so true - it is refreshing to see this reminder!

Spreading the Word about TS - Even More...

Emily's new website - http://supporttswithemilyadams.webs.com/ - Check it out!!!!!

Proud of You Emily

Missed a day of posting something in honor of Tourette's syndrome Awareness.  Been busy moving - just a little to do!!

Here is today's....

Emily - I am so proud of you and how you a are standing up for this cause.  You are such a STRONG person.  You can do ANYTHING you put your mind to!!!  Keep up what you are doing!!!   I LOVE YOU!!!  ~Mom

Em's T-Shirt

Don't Judge...

It's Just a Tourette's Thing!

TS Bracelets

Emily is doing GREAT at spreading the word about Tourette's Syndrome!! I am so proud of her.  She is selling bracelets to raise money for TS awareness!  I don't know how many she has sold, but they are going like hot cakes!!!!  Only $2.00 for one of these very stylish green bands!!!!

Vocal Tics in the Classroom

This is a GREAT article!!!!!

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Understanding and Dealing
with Vocal Tics in the Classroom

by Susan Conners, M. Ed.

One of the criteria for a diagnosis of Tourette Syndrome is vocal tics. The word vocal is a key word because it indicates that these are tics that someone can hear. Vocal tics can be a very difficult part of life with TS for people who have the disorder. These tics can be simple noises that a person makes, i.e. sniffing, throat clearing, snorting, squeaking, barking, humming, coughing, etc. But vocal tics can also be quite complex. They can include meaningful utterances that a person says and can be taken totally out of context, Or, they can seem at times very contextual and purposeful. I taught a young boy who would suddenly yell out, “I’ve got a chicken in my pants.” I have heard people with TS who repeat a phrase over and over or some whose vocal tics are triggered by something in their environment. One young girl had vocal tics where she would describe each of her teachers in a not so nice fashion. Her English teacher, who happened to be one of her favorite teachers, became “bubble butt.” Her science teacher was “hairy ears.” She did not want to say these very uncomplimentary things about her teachers, but each day as they walked into the classroom, she had to yell out their particular phrase. Immediately she would apologize because she felt so badly – even though the tic was completely involuntary.

A minority of people with TS have a vocal tic called Coprolalia which takes the form of a curse word or something socially inappropriate. It could also be a sexual comment, an ethnic slur, or a comment on someone’s appearance. Since it often occurs at the most inappropriate time, many teachers incorrectly believe that it is willful behavior which needs to be punished. For example, a young boy developed a vocal tic whereby he would yell out “whore” every time a girl in the class answered a question. I have heard many teachers say that they know it’s voluntary, because, immediately after saying the word or phrase the student looks around to see everyone’s reaction. This is a misreading of the situation. The students look around to see everyone’s reaction because they have uttered something completely involuntary, inappropriate and are very embarrassed.

As a result, educators often ask, “How do I deal with these disruptions in my classroom?” and “How do I allow one student to use such inappropriate words and phrases and not punish them as I would any other student who said the same thing?”

Remember the old adage, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder?” One good approach is, “Tics are only disruptions in the eyes of the beholder.” It is first and foremost your understanding of and secondly your attitude toward the vocal tics that will make or break your success of having a child with TS in your classroom. Tics are involuntary. They are in no way willful. All tics, both motor and vocal, are believed to be the result of a chemical imbalance in the brain. Persons with Parkinson’s Disease have involuntary movements because of a similar chemical imbalance. We would never accuse a person with Parkinson’s of being disruptive and we certainly would not punish them for their uncontrollable movements. Tourette Syndrome is involuntary as well. People with TS are sometimes able to suppress some symptoms, but frequently this requires extreme energy and attention and – it only can be done for short periods of time. Suppression should not be confused with control. Typically when a person is expending so much energy suppressing, they are unable to concentrate on anything else. Tics when suppressed will almost always worsen in the long run when they are expressed later.

With vocal tics, the more a student is told not to do them, the more difficult it is to suppress them. It would be similar to telling you not to blink for the next two minutes and reminding you every 20 seconds not to blink. Reminding you would only make this even more difficult to accomplish and require more of your attention and energy. Also, when a person with TS knows that vocal tics are more unacceptable in a certain setting, the more likely it is that they'll occur in that setting. Tics almost always worsen with stress, anxiety, excitement and fatigue.
So now that we better understand the involuntary nature and the complexity of vocal tics, what do we do in our classrooms?

The most effective plan is simply ignoring the tics. This can be role modeled by the teacher. Another effective strategy is to educate everyone including the other students in the class. TSA has wonderful resources that can be used for this purpose which will be listed at the end of this article. Once classmates understand TS and why the student is doing what he/she is doing, the tics usually calm down naturally because the stress is lessened. Kids can be very understanding when we just tell them the truth, “The world is filled with differences” The sooner students realize this, the more tolerant and empathetic they become. They will make fun of and even fear what they don’t understand.

Giving the child with vocal tics frequent breaks out of the classroom to release tics in a more private, less embarrassing environment is also very helpful. I always send kids with these disorders on errands or give them a special pass to leave the room for a short break whenever necessary. I would not recommend suggesting to the child the he or she “needs to leave the room,” because that in itself can be stressful. Errands are great ways to let kids leave without them feeling like they’re not wanted in the classroom. Providing a safe private place for the child to go when tics are particularly difficult can also help tremendously, e.g., the nurse's office, the counselor's office, etc. This does not mean that the child will not tic in class, but the tics will be lessened.

Finally, vocal tics only appear to be disruptive because they are different from what we are used to experiencing in a classroom. I have frequently used a form that I created to perform classroom observations when a teacher appears to be having difficulty dealing with vocal tics in the classroom. In one column I have a list of interruptions that occur in classrooms across the country every day such as coughing, sneezing, blowing one’s nose, sharpening a pencil, intercom announcements, things falling on the floor, etc. In the other column I track the vocal tics of the student with TS. In 100% of the many observations I have done, the normal classroom interruptions far outnumber the vocal tics. So we return to the notion that, “Vocal tics are disruptive only in the eyes of the beholder.” Once everyone understands the disorder they will become as accustomed to the vocal tics as any other noises that they are used to hearing in the classroom.

I once conducted an experiment during a presentation on TS that I was giving to the entire staff of a very large public high school. There had been outrage on the part of several teachers because of the vocal tics that a student was exhibiting. Prior to beginning my presentation, I had arranged for the student and his mother to come into the back of the auditorium about 10 minutes after I had begun to talk. Shortly after they entered, we all heard a rather loud vocal tic. The entire audience turned toward the back of the auditorium. I kept talking. About five minutes later, we heard another loud vocal tic and this time about half of the audience turned around. The third time about 10 people turned around. After that we heard eight or nine more vocal tics before I finished my presentation and absolutely no one turned around. They understood what the noise was and just got used to it. The point was proven.

Teachers, you are the role models in your classroom. You can escalate or deescalate a situation simply by your reaction to it. You can either role model to the other students that being different is indeed not to be tolerated or you can allow a child to thrive and be accepted by his or her peers. What will you do?

Sited:
http://www.tsa-usa.org/aeduc_advoc/UnderstandingVocalTicsintheClassroom.html

What is Tourette Syndrome?

Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (Tourette Syndrome or TS) is a neurological disorder which becomes evident in early childhood or adolescence before the age of 18 years. Tourette syndrome is defined by multiple motor and vocal tics lasting for more than one year. The first symptoms usually are involuntary movements (tics) of the face, arms, limbs or trunk. These tics are frequent, repetitive and rapid. The most common first symptom is a facial tic (eye blink, nose twitch, grimace), and is replaced or added to by other tics of the neck, trunk, and limbs.

These involuntary (outside the patient's control) tics may also be complicated, involving the entire body, such as kicking and stamping. Many persons report what are described as premonitory urges -- the urge to perform a motor activity. Other symptoms such as touching, repetitive thoughts and movements and compulsions can occur.

There are also verbal tics. These verbal tics (vocalizations) usually occur with the movements. These vocalizations include grunting, throat clearing, shouting and barking. The verbal tics may also be expressed as coprolalia (the involuntary use of obscene words or socially inappropriate words and phrases) or copropraxia (obscene gestures). Despite widespread publicity, coprolalia/copropraxia is uncommon with tic disorders.

Neither echolalia (echo speech) or coprolalia/copropraxia is necessary for the diagnosis of Tourette syndrome. However, for a confirmed diagnosis of TS both involuntary movements and vocalizations must be present. Echo phenomena are also reported, although less frequently. These may include repeating word of others (echolalia), repeating ones own words (palilalia), and repeating movements of others.

Although the symptoms of TS vary from person to person and range from very mild to severe, the majority of cases fall into the mild category. Associated conditions can include attentional problems (ADHD/ADD, impulsiveness (and oppositional defiant disorder), obsessional compulsive behavior, and learning disabilities. There is usually a family history of tics, Tourette Syndrome, ADHD, OCD. Tourette Syndrome and other tic disorders occur in all ethnic groups. Males are affected 3 to 4 times more often than females.

Most people with TS and other tic disorders will lead productive lives. There are no barriers to achievement in their personal and professional lives. Persons with TS can be found in all professions. A goal of TSA is to educate both patients and the public of the many facets of tic disorders. Increased public understanding and tolerance of TS symptoms are of paramount importance to people with Tourette Syndrome.

Sited:

http://www.tsa-usa.org/aMedical/whatists.html

Georges Gilles de la Tourette

Georges Gilles de la Tourette (born Georges Albert Edouard Brutus Gilles de la Tourette!) in 1857 was a French physician (today he would be described as a neurologist) who made several valuable contributions to medicine and literature. The first reported case of Tourette syndrome was by another French doctor named Itard in 1825. Dr. Itard described the case of Marquise de Dampierre, a woman of nobility who was quite an important person in her time. In 1885 Dr. de la Tourette described nine patients with the syndrome of multiple motor and vocal tics. His major contribution was to define these patients as having a movement disorder that now bears his name

Sited:
http://www.tsa-usa.org/aMedical/whatists.html

Jeremiah 29:11

Jeremiah 29:11

New International Version (NIV)

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Tourette's Syndrome Awareness Month May 15 - June 15

Tomorrow is the first day of Tourrette's Syndrome Awareness month!

I support my Emily and all others with Tourrette's Syndrome! 

I am going to do my best to post something every day for the entire month to show my support!

Twin Sisters... Best Friends

Jenny posted this picture of me today on Facebook.  She took it at the preschool where I helped her do cap and gown pictures.  The words she wrote are beautiful - I love you Jenny!!!!

XOXOXO

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Jenny Waring

5 hours ago

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I wish...........for one day............everyone had the opportunity to experience what it is like to have an identical twin. There is nothing like it. I love my other half so much and I thank God every day that she is here with me! Jeannie Sheaffer Adams

— with Jeannie Sheaffer Adams.

Super Mom

Just Having Fun!!

Daiquiri Deck to open in downtown Venice

I saw this article on Facebook and thought WOW - a fun place to go in VENICE!!!  We need it!!

conceptual rendering of the proposed
Daiquiri Deck for Venice.  
(Rendering provided by Beebe Design Studio Architects)

By Kim Hackett

Published: Wednesday, May 2, 2012 at 4:45 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, May 2, 2012 at 4:45 p.m.

VENICE - Siesta Key's Daiquiri Deck Raw Bar, known for its beer-pong competitions as much as its mussels and oysters, is bringing its restaurant concept to mature Venice, where the median age is 68.

The owners plan to build a 6,100-square-foot restaurant, the third in the Daiquiri Deck chain, on a vacant lot adjacent to the Bank of America building near Centennial Park.

It will be the first new commercial building constructed in the downtown historic district in 30 years, said architect Mark Beebe, who designed it.

The planned Caribbean-themed restaurant will seat 218, about half on two outside decks, with sports TVs, live Jimmy-Buffet style music and of course, daiquiris, co-owner Todd Syprett said. It will open at 7 a.m. for breakfast, serve lunch and dinner and close at 2 a.m. — almost unheard of in downtown Venice where the locals joke that the sidewalks roll up at 9 p.m. and most retailers close before dinner.

Syprett said he and the other two owners plan to open in December and employ about 100 people, most above minimum wage jobs. The menu will include coconut shrimp, sandwich wraps, seafood and oysters.

The Venice location will be different than the college-age dominated Siesta Key restaurant and bar, which features "Bar Wars" on Tuesday nights.

"We're a little more than daiquiris and college kids," said Syprett, 45, who opened the Siesta bar in 1993. "Siesta is a creature unto itself."

The Venice restaurant's design was approved by the Architectural Review Board last week. It will have to be approved by the Planning Commission and the City Council.

The owners opened a Daiquiri Deck on St. Armand's last year and were encouraged by local business people to consider a Venice location.

The success of the 15,000-square-foot Pineapple's Restaurant, which opened in 2010, and the recent opening of a Bonefish Grill chain convinced Syprett that the timing was right.

"Everybody looked at Venice as an old blue-haired community but it has become more diversified," Syprett said.

Downtown merchants hope it will encourage more night life.

"It's going to offset the mentality that we are solely a retirement town," said Jeff O'Berry, who owns Nifty Nic Nacs, a nostalgic novelty store and one of the few merchants who stays open late. "It's going to be good for downtown."

S O L D

I'm so happy. 

I sold both of my scrapbook organizers.  I sold the shelf to Kei Kei and the paper racks to Gina!!!  They are both going to VERY good homes!!! 

XOXOXO

Thank you both!

41

41 years ago my Mom and Dad got married. I love you Mom, and am thinking about you today. I miss you Dad, we all do!