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.”

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I can make a few easy assumptions about the readers that come by this website. The vast majority of them are NASCAR fans, and they most likely came here through a link from the premier website for all things NASCAR, www.jayski.com.

There is a much smaller chance that visitors here are familiar with what my son, Joshua, and I are all about. Not only do we do weekly Cup race breakdowns (‘HeartRacers~HeartBreakers’), but Joshua has been known to interview such personalities as Mike Joy, Dave Despain, or Artie Kempner. Fairly regularly I write about something in NASCAR that stirs something in me that irresistibly draws me to the keyboard. We enjoy it all very much, and hope to continue doing so for a long time into the future.

Occasionally we also give in to our passion for Tourette Syndrome awareness (and the disorders that many times accompany it), and do our best to provide information about it in a way that our readers would be open to and enjoy. It is difficult, though, to discuss a medical disorder without turning away people who otherwise have no desire to learn about it. If something doesn’t personally affect a person, there isn’t a lot of motivation to want to be educated about it.

For the years that we have been writing our articles, we have expressed our desire for the NASCAR drivers that are touched by Tourette Syndrome to please come forward and say something (and once you become knowledgeable about Tourette, you can recognize it in others, even when other people are otherwise oblivious to it). Not because we want to embarrass, confront, or otherwise make someone uncomfortable. But the truth is when a famous well-liked person comes forward and discusses medical issues, suddenly it becomes interesting to people. I can talk my head off about what Tourette is (and I have, trust me), but I am just humble me.

Read more Now that Kenny and Steve Wallace have let the Tourette Syndrome cat out of the bag… ...

In the winter of 2004, I penned an article entitled, ‘The responsibility of a disability�drivers with Tourette Syndrome, will you please step forward?’ . In it I entreated any NASCAR drivers who have been diagnosed with this neurological disorder to publicly acknowledge it. I did it not to embarrass them, or to make them a public spectacle. It was a simple but deeply felt request to do so on behalf of the many families in the United States touched by it.

We all know the compassion and support that NASCAR drivers give to many charitable causes such as The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, or The Autism Society of America Foundation. One look at Jayski.com’s Charity Page and it will confirm for you that drivers and teams have big hearts, and help bring awareness to many organizations that benefit those touched by diseases of all kinds. It is my dream that one day the National Tourette Syndrome Assoc. will be on that page as well.

As evidenced by such famous figures as Mike Wallace (the host of ‘60 Minutes’, not one of the three Wallace brothers of racing fame) who has openly discussed his clinical depression, when someone well-known comes forward and admits that either they themselves have been touched by an unusual or misunderstood diagnosis, or one of their family members has, it inspires people to learn about the disorder in a way that no average person can.

I know that it was very difficult for Hermie Sadler to discuss his daughter, Halie’s, Autism. No parent likes to publicly talk about such personal family matters, but in the instances of diseases and disorders not so well-known about, it is important to do so anyway. Being open, honest, and willing to educate people about these issues is one sure way of opening people’s eyes about them, which helps lead to the next step, the one all special families crave: acceptance. It is an unfortunate fact that what people make up about things they see and don’t understand is most always a whole lot worse than the truth.

As a family member of someone with Tourette Syndrome, I am able to recognize the hallmark of the disease, tics. These are uncontrolled repetitive movements that include anything from a shoulder jerk to eye blinking, to squinting or grimacing (for a detailed list of tics, please visit the National Tourette Syndrome Association’s webpage or many of the other web pages devoted to this disorder). Being in the presence of someone with moderate to severe tics is a daunting experience, most especially if you do not understand what you are seeing. On the same coin, if you would see someone with mild tics, you might tend to chalk up those movements to stress or nervousness. Either way, you would be a better person if you knew what those body movements meant, and, I’m certain, be much more comfortable (and your ease would register with the person with Tourette, making it a win-win for everyone).

Read more Revisiting a two-year old request: Drivers with Tourette Syndrome, will you please step forward? ...

Circumstances in my life have caused me to become educated about areas of parenthood and children in general that many other people are unaware of. While there have been difficult times and extra responsibilities set before me, I am very grateful to have been chosen as one of the parents that God felt could handle it all.

I have belonged to several parent support groups for children with various disabilities, and now chair one myself for families that are touched by Tourette Syndrome. Through these groups, a previous job working with special families, attending a variety of conferences, and being at other areas of congregation for parents in similar situations, I have met many special children. It is my opinion that they are the stars that shine the brightest in the universe, and the ones that God keeps His closest eye on.

NASCAR racing is tailor-made for these special kids. For the sleepy-brained children with A.D.D. (Attention Deficit Disorder) the action, the colors, and the constant motion is a perfect match. (Oh? You thought children with A.D.D. were hyperactive because they have excess energy? No, their brains are putting them to sleep and they must move and keep moving to stay awake… which is why stimulants are the prescribed medication for them.) For the kids that can’t handle a lot of technical rules and regulations, what could be simpler than ‘the fastest car wins’? For the kids with O.C.D. (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) and who, for example, are preoccupied with a certain color, they are sure to take delight in at least one of the ultra-bright and flashy racecars.

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