It's sad to know just how many kids with Tourette Syndrome deal with bullying on a daily basis. Most of the time, it comes in the form of verbal bullying - nasty comments, name calling, and other verbal attacks that the ticcer faces, most often due to ignorance about the disability. Even worse are the physical attacks that those with TS (and other disabilities) can also face.
I take part in several different online communities for families affected by Tourette Syndrome. This morning, I found a post from a parent about the recent bullying her son had experienced. In fact, the bullying is so bad that he has experienced 8 (yes EIGHT!!) physical assaults in one year. Most recently, he was left with a moderate to severe concussion that will have him out of school, on homebound education, for the month of January while he recovers. Of course, the recovery will only be physically. The emotional scars will remain with him for much, much longer.
To make matters worse, he has been punished for his disability by teachers who lack the understanding of his disability, and by a school that falsely believes that the issues he faces as a result of his Tourette Syndrome are behavioral, rather than the result of his neurological disorder.
I invite you to take a stand against bullying, both from peers and from educators, especially in the case of this poor young boy. Please read the post that was written by his father at https://exceptionaldelaware.wordpress.com/2014/12/31/the-last-post-of-2014-will-be-a-huge-part-of-2015/ and has already been making its way through social media, being shared in hopes of helping bring much-needed change to his school district.
I hope and pray that this young boy can finally find peace within his school, that he can finally have the chance to have the normal school experience that he deserves.
