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Life's A Twitch! Celebrating 15 years.
1998 - 2018
Life's A Twitch! Celebrating 15 years.

 

Question 37: I am a graduate student in Rhode Island, currently studying Meeting the Needs of Special Children and writing a 5-10 page research paper on TS. I am very interested in your biography and your success. were you in special ed at all, and if yes, for how long? Any other comments you may want me and other general ed teachers to keep in mind when working with a TS student in our class. C.D., RI, USA.


Good evening C.D.:

First I want to applaud you for doing a part in raising awareness of, and assistance for, individuals with TS and its associated disorders -- thank you!

Second, to answer your question: no, I was never in Special Ed. The short answer would be that it didn't exist in my small town even if I needed it (which I did early on), my obsessive-compulsive tendencies eventually channeled into academic perfection, I had more of the hyperactive-impulsive type of ADHD rather than the attention-deficit part, and I was not diagnosed with anything until I was out of the public school system. Finally, I had an overachieving sister ahead of me and a father who was chairman of the school board -- two factors that insured that a VERY big spotlight was on me so that I could not slip through the cracks even if I wanted to (not that I received special treatment -- there was simply going to be no 'letting up' until I was doing what everyone 'knew' I was capable of.

Your questions around 'things for teachers to keep in mind' is a massive one, not easily or quickly answered. A number of my presentations (A Disordered Mindframe I and II, Symptom-Specific Strategies) talk about the essential components to working successfully with individuals diagnosed with these disorders, and helping them to succeed themselves. One of my presentations (Victim To Victory) talks about the most important ingredients in my own life to going from suicidal teen to Ph.D. You can read about my various presentations (and see the handouts for them) and find out how to book me (perhaps through a local school board or organization) at www.lifesatwitch.com/booking.html

Hope this helps! Have a good evening,
Dr. Dunc.

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Last updated on March 25, 2022

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