....Duncan
McKinlay was the featured speaker of the afternoon, and what an afternoon
it was! Truly dynamic.
I had been fortunate enough to meet Duncan prior to the October conference
in Winnipeg, when my family and I took part in a study he was doing,
to apply towards his masters degree in educational psychology, at
the University of Waterloo.
Duncan visited the homes of many families in the Ontario region compiling
information on the reaction of Touretters and their family members
to issues affecting their outlook on TS.
It
was with great pleasure that I got to hear Duncan speak at the conference.
I was aware of his keen interest in helping people deal effectively
with Tourette's Syndrome, but the more I listened to him speak,
the more I learned how truly well versed he was on the subject of
TS. It's impressive and moving that he gives so much of
himself in order that others may be able to overcome obstacles present
in dealing with the disorder.
Duncan's
winning approach was infectious as he spoke about strategies he had
made his own, in order to live and cope with TS. In educating
people about what triggers certain behaviours in TS, he delved deeply
into the feelings of those who have it. I particularly enjoyed
hearing him reveal information on such obstacles he has faced like
concern over pleasing people and fitting in, an often turbulant mind,
and whether or not to reveal "the big secret" to others.
What
one tends to quickly appreciate about Duncan is his upfront, hands-on
approach to dealing with the issue of TS, particularly as it relates
to children. He believes in getting down to what's going
on in these children's heads. He teaches the importance
of 'asking' them, rather than assuming.
His
presentation displayed many positive coping designs; the most profound
I believe was his demonstration, first-hand, of a wonderfully constructive
'attitude'. Along that vein, he stressed the importance
of being able to "find a back door to get through the front door."
In watching and listening to him, I concluded that it was a necessity
to be able to develop an appreciation of the good in TS, and to be
able to live with it well.
Editor's note: [one overhead Duncan used] is entitled
'DSM (Duncan's Subsitute Manual) Diagnosis of Tourette's
Syndrome" In real life there is a DSM, a book with diagnostic
criteria for various disorders which includes Tourette's Syndrome.
The audience enjoyed and appreciated Duncan's lighhearted 'alternate':
what if the DSM said this...
"Both
multiple acts of energetic spontaneity and one or more acts of creativity
have been present at some time, although not necessarily concurrently.
Intense feelings occur openly many times a day, which can lead to
fun, motivation, and strong friendships. There is never a period
of dullness or non-genuineness. These symptoms can cause marked intelligence,
original perspectives, or significant talents in social, occupational,
or other important areas of functioning."
©Duncan McKinlay, 1998.
The
difficulties many with TS and/or associated disorders face are not
minimized, but Duncan's alternate "DSM" helps us understand
that by turning negatives into positives helps to improve one's
attitude towards TS, either personally or as an outsider.
In
[another] overhead Duncan talked about "The Effort Reservoir"
©Duncan McKinlay. The 'bubbles' say: "don't
shake your head, sit still, pay attention, and stop thinking about
that". We soon learn that while this is all going on, the
person with TS is trying to cope in the classroom, the workplace,
or trying to finish that long assignment. We learn that as adults,
or as parents helping our children we have to get to know our 'effort
reservoir' and learn how to conserve and best utilize it's
sometimes limited quantities. Duncan did a magnificent job explaining
this to the audience and shared much of his professional experience
and expertise.
