Going into highschool with Tourette's

[Heyitskorie]

Ok, so I'm a 14 year old girl (about to turn 15) and I'm going into highschool in September. I was homeschooled throughout middle school because I was bullied for having Tourette's,selective mutism and OCD. I've also been diagnosed with hdhd an, anxiety, and depression. I'm really worried about going back to school. What if I can't control my tics? What if I completely stop speaking again? What if my OCD/ADHD freaks people out? I'm on special diets and a few different mess for some of this stuff but it's not gone (I'm not expecting it to leave) and it does make my verbal tics and ADHD a little better (I'm also on meds for anxiety and depression so I'm not to worried about that, OCD too but I'm nervous about it) but my motor tics are awful and even though I can suppress them more, my verbal tics are still very noticeable. And then there's the whole deal with selective mutism. I still can't talk on the phone or talk to complete strangers, andin highschool thats going to be a BIG problem. I don't know anyone going into my school because we also just moved (to virginia) PKEASE HELP!

[Pierce]

Ok. Slow down my friend. Take a moment to relax. It is a frightening time for you and you have lots to deal with. I want to point out that itmight would appear your anxiety is making this harder for you. I understand this is going to be a huge transition for you. Please be strong and know that everything you are worried about at this time are simply thoughts in your head. They are all 'ifs' 'buts' and 'maybe'.

Do you have anyone you can talk to about this and try and work it through in your mind before you start school?

I would say take things 1 hour at a time. Is there a place you can go to in school to let your tics out? My son finds that really helpful. It might help to have a little debriefing about your day at school. That way you can focus on the positives and learn from any negatives, put action plans in place etc so it won't happen again.

Well done for writing on here. Its a really positive thing. I hope you get some handy tips.

[Heyitskorie in reply to Pierce]

Thank you so much, My mom just got off the phone with my new therapist actually.

[EsJaySea]

Hi,

I'm in the UK, but hopefully some of this will translate to the USA system. My son, who has TS and OCD, is 16 and just completed the standard 5 years at secondary school. We had input from the school learning support team - they kept an eye on him and ensured that the teachers were aware of the things he found difficult. He was also given a 'green card': this is a pass that meant he just had to show it to the teacher and he was allowed to leave the classroom immediately, no questions asked. He rarely used the card. Just knowing he could leave class if his tics got too much took the pressure off enough so that he didn't need to!

He was bullied for a while, but as soon as they became aware of it the school acted very promptly and firmly. Children can be cruel to each other, but he made friends and what we found was that people who knew and understood about the tics and OCD soon stopped noticing.

You need to meet with your new schools learning support team (counsellors?) and explain all your problems and fears: write them down before you go to bypass the mutism. Perhaps the school operates a buddy system for new students?

It will be tough for you and the loneliness will be making your anxiety worse. You should contact the US Tourettes charity and find out about support groups in your area (or the other conditions you have). Meeting people with similar difficulties will take that part out of the equation and allow you to be you.

Best wishes.

[Heyitskorie in reply to EsJaySea]

Thank you so much!!!! We are going to talk to my school about giving me something like a "green card" I think that will help a lot! Thanks again!