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Dear Friends from the TS Chat Room,

 

I hope to share these few "observations" from the TSA meeting in Alex. VA, last week. I've divided them into two groups: NEW THINGS (new for me, that is) and INTERESTING OR IMPORTANT THINGS (that I already knew, but felt that were important to share). I will also post some things from the medical and educational symposiums if possible, soon. Hope these things are of some use!

 

Bonnie/Baby a.k.a. BB

 

NEW THINGS---for me..

  1. A new med is in the works.....less side effects....and is called....
  2. Complete info on Executive functioning dysfunction (CLUE-less-ness) and it's FAR reaching affects on our kids.
  3. The term "benchmarks" in the IEP = major milestones
  4. HIGHLIGHTING TAPE exists..Yippeee....for texts..and can be removed.....
  5. 20% to 35% of all the TS kids seen at Dr. Cathy Budman's clinic for ts suffer from RAGE SYMPTOMS...(SHE and others are NOW studying rage..as a comorbid symptom and how it is related to TS and TS+)
  6. Our children's organizational abilities are aprox. 2 to 3 years behind... ex. 8th grader has about a 5th or 6th grader's organizational ability.
  7. A good idea for assignment sheets, that keep getting lost, is to laminate them and chain them to the book bag...use a wipe off marker to write down the assignments, then clean as finished...
  8. This tip is going to go to the teachers at my school down here...on lending out pencils to those, who never seem to have a pencil....."Take a shoe 'hostage' when you lend a pencil"....
  9. This is Scary...but in a way a relief...MY son's handwriting is YUK and inconsistent......well, up to 90% of TS kids have dysgraphy....!
  10. THIS IS IMPORTANT...MODALITY ASSESSMENTS should be done on ALL students...(this is an assessment to see "HOW" a student learns...visually, tactile, auditory...combination... etc...
  11. There is now a new Curriculum for training about TS ...It is going to SPREAD the WORD... so to speak, more efficiently as it is easy to use and complete for educators, professional and anyone, who needs to KNOW about TS related disorders and strategies for coping...A copy was sent to each chapter.....

 

IMPORTANT OR INTERESTING (although I already knew and suspect that most of you may know also, but may want to re-investigate...)

  1. We should be careful about the term "time out" as a negative thing...our kids HAVE to learn to REMOVE themselves from imminent loss of control, in situations that may be triggers..they need a SAFE place and permission hall pass) to get to a "safe place" and a "safe person". Because "time out" has usually had a negative ring to it as punishment... it is important that the kids don't perceive it as punishment....but as a way HE can CONTROL the situation....
  2. Pro-active Behavior Management (I'll give more on that in a later post)
  3. The ratio is at 3 to 4 vs the before mentioned 5 to 6 Males to Females with TS RATIO
  4. Some mention changing the term "rages" of TS to "storms" of TS (For lack of a scientific, descriptive term...such as "seizure" etc...)
  5. When a BIG selection of meds are being used in a child, and no significant benefit is being seen, it was recommended that the meds be slowly retired and then "Systematically" introduce possible meds...one by one, giving an adequate TRIAL... before adding more meds... Trial and error...
  6. When a teacher says....that signing of the assignment sheet shouldn't be needed in 6th grade or up,.... that the child should be learning to be responsible...... well, just remind them that just because a child is in 6th or so grad, he or she doesn’t just STOP NEEDING GLASSES to Compensate for a lack of acute vision....he cannot JUST STOP NEEDING ORGANIZATIONAL strategies.... to compensate for his ":problems"
  7. Make full use of the neuropsychologist in order to isolate all LD's
  8. Use a "trick book" with the teacher....keep a written account of all the "tricks" or specific strategies that have worked for your child....and share that with the teacher .
  9. "YOU CAN GIVE KIDS ROOTS OR YOU CAN GIVE KIDS WINGS!" I loved that one...it is sooo true...

HOPE THESE NOTES HAVE BEEN OF SOME USE TO YOU! SEE YOU IN THE ROOM!

BB