I’m always interested in how children react to and understand my tics. I’m very aware when explaining Tourettes that I need to be clear and accurate without worrying or confusing them. This afternoon at work, I spent a lot of time playing with a boy of about three who was visiting the project with his mum and siblings. He was a bit young for a verbal explanation but nevertheless seemed unfazed by my tics. To start with, every time I banged my chest he would tap his own or reach out and tap mine. He soon forgot about this and became more absorbed by the games we were playing. Another child said that I was, “A bit like a robot because you don’t control your body.”

I enjoy hearing children put Tourettes into new contexts because it makes me think about it in different ways. I’ve also been compared to the dog Dug in the film Up. Apparently he also mentions squirrels a lot.