So, This week Baby Mermaid gave a presentation about Tourettes to her class. I was really nervous but we had practiced and gotten a power point ready for her. I was so proud that she got up and told everyone how things worked in her brain and everything, SHE DID A GREAT JOB!!!! Here is her talk! We got part of it from http://tskids4.tripod.com/TS1.htm
First, let’s talk about the brain. We all know that our brains are kept in our heads. Did you also know that the brain is kind of the BOSS of your whole body? The brain has to keep track of what every other part is doing and then try to fix it if a part isn’t doing what it’s supposed to do. If you want your hand to move over and pick up a glass of juice, it’s your brain that is in control of every movement that is needed to get that juice into your hand. But your brain is also responsible for things you don’t even pay attention to. Did you know that when you’re reaching for that glass of juice, your brain is also talking to the muscles in your legs and waist, making them move ‘just right’ so that when you do reach out for the glass, you don’t fall over? I’ll bet you didn’t even think of that!
So, I’ll bet if you try to think of all the things the brain has to pay attention to, you can imagine that it is very, very busy! Since the brain is so busy, it has helpers. You can think of these helpers as little messengers. The messengers carry the brain’s message to the right part of the body. For example, if the brain decides it’s time for the toes to wiggle, it tells a messenger “Hey, go tell those toes to start wiggling!”.
Sometimes people are born with TOO MANY messengers. After all the messengers have been assigned their job, there's a bunch of these messengers left over. They want to help too, but the brain says 'No, I've already got enough helpers. Go sit yourselves in the corner over there and occupy yourselves and stay out of our way."
Well, of course, the extra-messengers soon get bored and angry and decide they're going to help whether the brain likes it or not. So THEY start telling different parts of the body to do stuff. Now, these parts don't know there are extra messengers. They just know that when they're told to do something, they do it EVEN IF THE OWNER OF THE BODY DOESN'T WANT THAT PART TO DO IT.
If you don’t believe me, try to not blink as long as possible. Pretty soon the brain will decide it's time to blink and send down a messenger. The poor eye will be confused.
"Here's the kid I belong to telling me not to blink, but at the same time, here's one of the brain's messengers telling me that I HAVE TO blink. Well, I better listen to the messenger before the brain gets mad at me!"
So then, of course, your eye will blink because it thinks it’s doing what the brain tells it to do.
There’s a lot of silly things these extra messengers make me do. Most the time they make me cough, but sometimes I blink my eyes or clear my throat.
Now I want you to hold on to this candy and don’t think about it, just hold it in your hand, don’t think about how yummy it is…That’s how Tourettes is for me, when I try not to cough it makes my brain think about it more. Just like when you try not to think about the candy, your brain thinks about it more
Then she answered questions from the class and had a good time. I think that is one of the hardest things is just telling EVERYONE, It seems like every time we feel like we are just about over telling and getting on with our lives we have to tell someone else! I just face booked it to the world. I know that sounds insensitive but it was easier than telling everyone personally. well just my two cents!
Heather
That is the best most profound presentation Tourettes I have heard. Thank you so much for sharing.
ReplyDelete