Driving with Tourettes

Today is day 6 of Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month.  Since the weekend was incredibly busy for me, I figured I'd stick with a smaller post for today.  I was thinking about a question that someone recently asked me, and I thought I'd answer her question here in case anyone else has asked that same question.  "Can someone with Tourette Syndrome drive?"

In most cases, the answer to that question is yes.  Tourette Syndrome in itself is not a cause for someone being unable to drive.  There really isn't much reason as to why someone with TS couldn't drive, unless there are other medical issues that are co-existing along with the TS, or unless the tics make it too hard to concentrate on the road or drive safely.  In fact, I've talked to several people that have said the concentration it takes to drive is a good distraction from the tics, giving the ticcer a break from their usual tics.  One person I talked to said that they wouldn't tic while driving, but would have to release their tics (in this person's case, severe head shaking) at every red light and stop sign.  As soon as he was able to drive again, the tics would be controlled until the next chance to stop.

Not only can people with Tourette Syndrome drive a car, but they can also race a car.  I've mentioned before about the racing record that was accomplished by Trey Shannon for TS Awareness.  I may also have mentioned that NASCAR drivers Kenny Wallace and Steve Wallace both have Tourette Syndrome.  They offer hope to ticcers like Monster Man who have dreams of one day racing a car themselves.

When He grows up...

Sometimes I listen to the things that Monster Man talks about being when he grows up, and it almost makes me want to cry. So many of the things he mentions involve the things that he has recently become so scared of.

For years, he has talked about being a racecar driver. He wants to be a part of Nascar, driving right alongside some of his favorite drivers. He has made plans of how to get the money for his car, who to turn to for sponsorship, even what colors he wants his car to be. He has drawn pictures of his dream car, posting them all over his room. He has created his own version of a Nascar magazine for kids. I would love to see him meet this dream that he has put so much effort into, but then I think back to the fact that he's scared of the possibility of accidents, that he doesn't even like to sit on the driver's side of the car anymore, and it makes me wonder how he will ever be able to reach this dream.

He has also started taking an interest in outer space. He often talks about becoming an astronaut. He draws pictures of space shuttles sometimes, but he doesn't put as much effort into this dream as he does into his dream of becoming a Nascar driver. Still, though, I can't help but wonder about how he can achieve this goal. He's terrified of heights, busting into tears at the thought of being in a high space (though we can usually help him become more comfortable if we allow him to take time to adjust and if we stay patient with him. Even the thought of getting on an airplane scares him, so how could he handle getting into a space shuttle? And what about his reaction at the space center, when he was scared the rockets would fall over on top of him and crush him. He didn't even want to go near them, so how is he supposed to get into a shuttle? He talks about saving up to send himself to Space Camp, but I just don't know if I'd be able to let him go knowing how much these things scare him.

I want so badly to support Monster Man with his dreams. I've always wanted to encourage my children and to help them reach the goals that they hope to achieve. It's so hard to support Monster Man with all these questions in my mind, though. All I can do is pray for his fears to be relieved.