I find myself once again being so thankful to Kenny and Steve Wallace for coming forward and sharing with NASCAR fans everywhere that they have the neurological disorder known as Tourette Syndrome. I am in no way celebrating the fact that they have any kind of problem at all; if it were up to me no one would have anything that you have to look up in a medical book. The fact remains, however, that they do have Tourette, and as a family member of people who have it and advocate for the rights of anyone afflicted with it, I am thrilled that, by their admissions, they have people interested in learning about it. The end result of otherwise compassionate folks like NASCAR fans knowing what Tourette Syndrome is when they see it can only be a positive thing for themselves and the people they may meet with the disorder.

The most identifiable symptom of Tourette Syndrome is physical tics, or involuntary movements. These can take the form of repetitive eye-blinking, shoulder shrugs, opening and closing of the mouth, grunting, or adjusting of clothing. There are many kinds of tics, and they wax and wane, get replaced by others, or may disappear completely (for more complete lists of tics, visit the National Tourette Syndrome Assn.’s site, or just put ‘Tourette Syndrome’ in your address bar and follow the links). Generally tics appear around the ages of 7-9, and may or may not last a lifetime.

If you have read this so far, I commend you for your interest. Perhaps you are now thinking about someone you know that has a habit of making some kind of odd movement that you now think may be a tic. There is a chance it is a symptom of Tourette, and, if it is, the person may or may not know they have it. Unfortunately Tourette is still often misdiagnosed or undiagnosed altogether. The reality is that there are still many doctors who are unable to identify it, or have no idea how to treat it or where to send a patient to receive the correct care.

Therefore I would like to help you if you ever are in the presence of someone with the disorder. Imagine if you were attending your favorite racetrack and ended up sitting next to someone with Tourette. Let’s say the person constantly jerked their shoulder and cleared their throat. As this would be happening often enough that you realize that it isn’t that they have a cramp in the shoulder or the beginning of a head cold, you might think to yourself, “I don’t think this person can help what they’re doing. Maybe this is Tourette Syndrome.”

If you consider this, and decide this might be the case, then what? Perhaps the shoulder-jerking occasionally invades your space and the constant throat-clearing breaks your concentration.

It is likely that you are not alone in noticing the movements, or being affected by the sounds. Other people will notice, too. They may be pointing and staring. Some may even be discussing it amongst themselves; some may not be talking in a whisper, either. I can assure you that the person with the tics is keenly aware of the reactions of others around them. Living in a body that is not under your control for any amount of time teaches you harsh realities that others remain oblivious to.

The advice that I offer is this: every time the movements offend you, remember that the person with the tics cannot help what they are doing, anymore than you can hold back hiccups or a sneeze. You might be able to delay it, but ultimately the movement in question wins. Think of your shoulders that remain under your control, or how every limb of your body only moves when you want them to. Imagine for a moment having the unbearable physical compulsion to do something that might irritate someone sitting near you, and how embarrassing it would be to be unable to do anything about it. Think of the possibility that if your body had to move like some people with Tourette have to, that you would require pain killers at night to be able to sleep, from all of the sore muscles that have had to move involuntarily all day long.

I would suggest that you turn to the person in question, extend your hand, and introduce yourself. Kindly ask them anything you might ask any other fan you have the chance to meet, such as who their favorite driver is, or how far they had to drive to get to the track. If you are at ease, you will make someone with Tourette feel at ease. And you may even bring them a feeling of camaraderie that is not always in abundance in their life.

If all goes well you may leave the track with a better opinion of people with disabilities, and a higher opinion of yourself. There are no losers there, my friend.