I have followed my curiosities this summer and have been watching documentaries on a variety of topics. One topic I'm interested in is Tourette Syndrome. We had a kindergartener at my school last year who was diagnosed with TS, and so I thought I would research a bit more about it before school starts again.
I have learned a lot about TS, but it is apparent that there is still much to be learned about this disability. According to what I have learned thus far, it is possible for people with TS to suppress their tics, but not without physical after-effects. Several of the people (primarily children) likened the sensation of an oncoming tic to the feeling you get before a sneeze; holding back a sneeze does not feel good but it can be done….sometimes. Yet also sometimes they can engage in activities that suppress the tics without the individual actually trying to suppress them. Activities that are new and interesting can do this, but even familiar activities that are practiced can help. Music is one of these.
After watching several documentaries on TS in general, I came across one produced in the UK which was broadcast as a three-part series on the BBC. Each part is about one hour long. Here is a link to the third video of the series on YouTube, which you need to know is NSFW (not safe for work) and you may want to use parental guidance because of language.
A short quote from the article above: "The programme follows the BBC Three documentary I Swear I Can Sing, which followed the moving story of young female Tourette’s sufferer Ruth Ojadi and showed how her singing helped calm her Tourette’s.The show features six young people brought together by Reggie to embark on a remarkable musical journey. They include Ruth, who featured in the original documentary; Steve; Greg; Emilly; Tom and Jake, who all have their own unique story to tell about how they deal with Tourette Syndrome."
I had watched the first video about Ruth Ojadi prior to watching Let Me Entertain You, and prior to that I'd say I watched at least 3 or 4 other videos about people with TS. In a way, I liken this disability to Alzheimer's, and by that I mean, if you know a person with Alzheimer's, you know one person with Alzheimer's. It manifests itself very differently in each individual. I would say the same thing about autism, and after watching these documentaries, I now include Tourette Syndrome.
I'll go ahead and add that I also recently watched a documentary called The Rainman Twins which also touched my heart. Flo and Kay Lyman are autistic savant twins. Anyone who knows a child with autism knows that it is an exhausting job to be their parent. At one point during the twins' childhood, their mother attempted to kill them by turning on the gas oven. Follow the story of Carly Fleischmann and you will find a father that is a true hero in my book. But the reason I brought up Flo and Kay is because music also proved to be a vehicle for connection for them. The touching story of their friendship with Dick Clark and local news anchor Dave Wagner is quite amazing. Watching The Rainman Twins documentary on YouTube is 45 minutes well spent.
Which brings me to say that I don't have a whole lot of wisdom about TS or autism to share. I still have a lot to learn. But I do have one more link to share with you, which has to do with benefits of face-to-face music participation. I have posted this on my blog before but it's such good food for thought. It is just one more way that music provides a way for people to connect to each other and to themselves.
A way to belong.
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