Austin Horn
I have lived most of my life with tourettes and it is definitely been an amazing experience. Though some of my tics have caused me pain and emotional distress, I have learned how to look at the world in a totally new way and appreciate each day more than the next. I can easily see now that just because someone has a disability, does not mean they are unable to think on the same level as a genius. I have learned that I am very skilled with electronics and can work with most mechanical devices, despite my tourettes.
Before I was diagnosed with tourettes, not a single person that knew me, my parents, or the rest of my family, had ever heard of tourettes. After the neurologist explained to my mother what was happening, she still did not completely grasp what was going on. So during my years of english classes in school, I turned all of my research papers into a way to learn more on what was going on with me. It turned out to be the biggest learning experience in my family’s life. When I finally got around to explaining and helping everyone understand exactly what tourettes was, it opened people’s eyes and made them really look at what was happening around them.
Because of that, a family friend learned that her child also had a slight form of tourettes and she was concerned because both her and her son did not quite understand tourettes like I did. So my mother set up a meeting between me, the other mother and her son. I was able to sit down and speak with them about what was going on and inform them that what was happening was nothing to worry about. Tourettes does not mean that a person is mentally retarded! She was so relieved that she was able to learn so much that she actually cried. It was one of the best experiences in my life and it is one that I will never forget.