Tourette's Syndrome - Books & TV

Tourette's Syndrome is often portrayed in movies and on TV as someone swearing uncontrollably.  Comedians make jokes about it and public figures use it to excuse themselves when they misspeak.   I wanted to point out a couple of books and a show where I have found Tourette's Syndrome portrayed more accurately. If you want to know more about Tourette's Syndrome or want to help a child understand it better, check out some of these:

"Against Medical Advice" is a non-fiction book by James Patterson and co-authored by Hal Friedman.  It tells about the Friedman's son, Cory, and their journey seeking help with their son's Tourette's Syndrome.  When Hal, the father, approached Cory about sharing their personal experiences, Cory agreed, in hopes it would help someone like him.  Thanks to this courageous family and their persistence in seeking answers in a cumbersome medical system, families like mine have had a much easier time accessing appropriate help for our children. This is a great read.

Picture book about Tourette Syndrome.

"I Can't Stop" by Holly L. Niner is a good book for explaining Tourette's to children.  The text gets a bit lengthy for my taste, but it is filled with good information and simple explanations.  As you follow a boy through his normal activities and life, you get a feel for how he copes with his Tourette's, and also how it affects him.  Reading this may give you ideas on how to explain your child's condition to others, and also how to help them deal with Tourette's as they interact with other people.  

Teen Fiction

"Michael Vey:  The Prisoner of Cell 25" is bestselling author Richard Paul Evans' first book for the tween and teen set.  This fictional book is the story of the title character, who happens to have a very unique power to channel electricity.  Oh, and by the way, Michael has Tourette's Syndrome.  Tourette's features in the book as simply a characteristic of Michael.  Evans does a good job of portraying a young man with Tourette's without making it the main focus of the book.  It is refreshing to see Tourette's handled this way in a novel.  Author Richard Paul Evans has Tourette's Syndrome himself, and his descriptions have authenticity.

Image from the Hallmark movie, "Front of the Class," starring James Wolk.

Brad Cohen is a man with Tourette's Syndrome, and also an award-winning teacher.  He wrote about his experiences in a book entitled "Front of the Class," and later Hallmark produced a movie about Brad with the same name.  This is an uplifting film appropriate for the whole family, and shows a man dealing with a disability in a positive way, and not letting it stop him from living a full and successful life.  Brad Cohen also operates the Brad Cohen Tourette Foundation.

Of course there are other good books available dealing with Tourette's Syndrome, including several which give advice for parents.  But this list may give you a good introduction!

Check out my other blog post about parenting a child with Tourette's Syndrome here.

Thought for the Day

Indian Paintbrush, Grand Canyon North Rim

"In hopes of reaching the moon men fail to see the flowers that blossom at their feet."

--Albert Schweitzer

Take time to appreciate the things blossoming in your life today!

Driving the Moki Dugway

View from the top 

We left Natural Bridges National Monument and headed south toward Monument Valley.  We opted to drive on state highway 261.  It includes a stretch known as the Moki Dugway...a series of steep switchbacks on unpaved road.  Some of the descriptions I had read about this road made it sound a bit hair-raising.  I was glad the weather was good, so at least we didn't have to worry about poor road conditions.  We talked to several people (at our motel front desk and at the visitor's center for Natural Bridges) who assured us the road was fine and that it was a good drive, so off we went.

The sign before you begin the descent.

From the top of Cedar Mesa, we began the 1100 foot descent.  Oh the places you can go in a minivan!  The road is not recommended for vehicles over 28 feet in length or weighing over 10,000 lbs.  In other words, large trucks, buses, RVs, and people pulling trailers should avoid this road.  

We could see the line of the road stretching south far below us.

As I looked out the window at the narrow ribbon of road stretching south, I could see tiny vehicles like ants in the distance.  Were we really going down there? 1100 feet in only 3 miles.  I was glad I wasn't driving!  Despite the fact that there aren't a lot of safety features, like guardrails, along this road, I only felt a little nervous on this adventure. We took it slow, and enjoyed the amazing views on the way down.

Switchbacks of the Moki Dugway

I think it is the craziest road I have ever been on.  The most nerve-wracking times were when we encountered another vehicle and had to pass each other on the road.  The views were beautiful, though.  It was hazy that day, which is becoming all too common in this part of Utah.  Still, it was a great drive.  Be sure to use your lower gears on the way down!  

Leaving the Moki Dugway behind!

Once we were at the bottom, we took a minute to look behind us at where we had been.  Only minutes before we were on the top of that high mesa.  This is definitely a beautiful part of Utah, and a great drive to take if you get the chance.  The Moki Dugway is on the Utah section of the "Trail of the Ancients" drive.  As you travel on highway 261, you will see places to turn off to the Goosenecks State Park and the Valley of the Gods.  Because we were fitting so many things into our day, we did not stop at those two places.

Mexican Hat

A short time later we passed this "Mexican Hat" geologic formation, and then we were in the town of Mexican Hat.  We stopped for gas, and then headed out to Monument Valley.  I was very glad we took the drive through the Moki Dugway!  If you are traveling between Blanding, Utah and Mexican Hat, it is the scenic way to go!  

Natural Bridges - Owachomo Bridge

Owachomo Bridge at Natural Bridges National Monument

Owachomo ("rock mound" in Hopi) was our last stop at Natural Bridges.  We walked first to the overlook, then continued on a short hike to the bridge itself.  I am glad we took the time for the hike.  The view from the overlook isn't nearly as good.  However, the overlook walk is paved, only 220 feet long, and completely accessible. 

Paved trail to the overlook.

Owachomo blends in with the background from the overlook.

After seeing the view from the overlook, we started down the trail to the bridge.  Owachomo looks more delicate than the previous bridges we viewed.  Perhaps it eroded more quickly. The river that formed it no longer runs beneath it.  The trail was not too steep, and also not very long.  The trail sign indicates this trail is two-tenths of a mile, and only has a 180 foot elevation change.  It is suitable for a variety of ages and abilities.

Sign showing the trail to the bridge continuing to the right.

Not very far down the trail, the view of Owachomo was improving.  We were eager to reach the bridge.

View of Owachomo from the trail.

The sun was out, and as we descended we got some protection from the wind.  Still, we were grateful for sweatshirts.  We continued on to the bridge, and then spent some time beneath its wide expanse taking in the view and listening for the canyon wrens that are supposed to be common in this area.

Yellow flowers by the trail.

Once you reach the bridge, you can sit on the rocks, or wander a bit further to the river bed.  You can easily walk to see the bridge from the other side.  Owachomo is the oldest bridge in the park, and it was very calming to sit under its 180 foot expanse.  

Sun over Owachomo bridge.

We took photos and walked around for awhile.  This hike is not long, and you could easily visit this bridge in about half an hour.  The views are worth the effort.

Another view of Owachomo.

We headed back up the trail.  By now we had seen all three bridges at the monument, and everyone was getting hungry for lunch.  Because it was still cold and windy, we opted not to eat at a picnic area, but instead made lunches out of the cooler in the back of the van, and ate in the protective warmth of the vehicle.  This was a nice little trail, and visiting the Mule Canyon Ruin and Natural Bridges was a great way to spend the morning.   Owachomo was my favorite of the three bridges, maybe because it is the only one we hiked to!

View of the Owachomo Bridge trail looking back toward the overlook.

After lunch, we packed up, made one last stop at the visitor's center to refill our water jug, use the restrooms, and do a little souvenir shopping, and then we left on our drive to Monument Valley.  It was a beautiful morning at Natural Bridges!  Someday I hope to do the hikes to their fullest, but I was glad we could at least do a little bit this morning!

Uglydoll Dave Darinko enjoys Owachomo Bridge.

Check out our other stops from this day trip:

Visiting Mule Canyon Ruin

Natural Bridges - Sipapu Overlook

Natural Bridges - Kachina Bridge

Birding in Utah - Part 2

Barn Swallow

Our morning visit to the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge began with swarms of swallows flying around us.  As we approached their mud nests, they abandoned their homes and swirled around the area.  I don't know if they were trying to distract us, or were just waiting for us to leave so they could return to their nests.  We saw both barn swallows and cliff swallows.  The cliff swallows had a light colored patch on their heads.

A cliff swallow works on his mud nest.

We saw swallows down near the water getting mud for their construction projects.  These nests were under every eave near bathrooms and under pavilion roofs.

American Avocet

We saw several water birds, including this American Avocet.  The rosy colored head is indicative of breeding season.  In winter, these birds have a white head.

A Black-necked Stilt

The black-necked stilt had bright pink legs!  I enjoyed watching these long-legged birds walk.

Cinnamon Teal

The brightly colored cinnamon teal was a favorite.  It was easy to pick this bird out, even from a distance, because of its rich cinnamon color.  The female on the left is much duller in coloration.

Canadian Geese and Goslings

Driving in to the refuge, we saw several Canadian geese in fields.  As we drove the auto-tour loop, however, we saw families of geese.  They swam away from the shore as we approached, keeping their goslings safely between the parents.  These goslings were much larger than the first ones we saw, and fewer in number.

Franklin's Gull

At first I thought this might be a Bonaparte's gull, but the Franklin's gull has a distinctive red beak.  When we looked through the binoculars, it was clear that this fellow sported the red beak, and therefore, we determined it was the Franklin's gull.  The Franklin's is more common in this area anyway, so it made sense.

American Coot

The American coot looks a lot like a duck, but is not considered to be a duck since it does not have webbed feet.  It has large lobed toes instead.  It is the only all-black bird with a white bill.  We saw several of these, and they became a favorite as they were easy to identify.

California gull

As we drove, we saw several gulls standing on what looked like pieces of wood.  However, as we got closer, we realized the "logs" were really dead carp.  I am not sure why they died.  The water level was lower in this channel, and perhaps these big fish were trapped without enough water.  The gulls were ready for a feast, though!

Western Grebe

During breeding season, the black on the head of a western grebe extends down to its eye, and often below the eye.  It is also identified by its red eye and yellow bill.  The Clark's grebe is similar, but has an orange bill and the black does not extend to the eye.  We saw many western grebes during our drive.  Sometimes they move their necks back so that their heads are practically resting on their backs.  I enjoyed seeing the birds exhibit this behavior.

Western grebe with its head pulled back.

Yellow-headed blackbird.

Yellow-headed blackbirds were everywhere.  The white on the wing was more visible when the bird was in  flight.  I even learned to identify the females which are a lighter brown with a yellow-brown head.  We also saw several red-winged blackbirds.

Red-winged blackbird.

The red patches on the wings are particularly brilliant when these birds are in flight.  

American white pelicans.

I have occasionally seen a pelican, but it was great to see these birds in larger numbers.  We watched them floating  on the water, walking on the shore, and flying in the air.  These are big birds, and it was beautiful to see several of them flying together.

Pelican in flight.

One of the observation decks along the auto-tour route.

Parking is available at several pull-outs along the drive.  The observation deck offered a different perspective of the refuge.  This is a great place to use your binoculars.  The views from the deck were beautiful.

View from an observation deck.

There were lots of mosquitoes, however, and we were always happy to return to the car.  At one point along the drive, we saw a badger look at us, then duck into his burrow.  At another stop, we saw otters swimming in the water.

Otter in the water.

The small killdeer ran along the side of the road.  They were also fun to watch, but blended in well with the dirt and gravel.

Killdeer

I think one of my favorite birds of the day was the snowy egret.  These birds are beautiful. Their white feathers are tufted and soft looking at the back of their heads, and they also scrunch their heads down sometimes, so that their neck almost disappears.  The very best part, however, is the fact that they have big yellow feet.  Really!  Black legs, and big yellow feet.  I wasn't able to get a photo of their feet, as the ones I saw were standing in the water.  However, when they took off in flight, we could see their yellow feet.

Beautiful plumage of a snowy egret

As we finished our auto-tour, we pulled into the parking area by the last observation deck.  I wanted to get a better photo of a white-faced ibis, and one was conveniently posing near the road.  

White-faced ibis

We debated whether or not we should go up on the last observation deck, but we were a bit intimidated by the swarms of bugs.  Also, we felt like we had seen a wide variety of birds, including two great blue herons that we enjoyed watching take off, but were unable to photograph.  The consensus was everyone was tired and hungry, and it was time to finish our tour.  As I looked out the passenger window, however, I spotted a big bird trying to blend in with the grasses.  It stood with its head pointing up, like a weed, and held really still.  I had no idea what it was, so I pointed it out to my passengers.  One of them said, "American bittern."  Sure enough, as we double checked the guidebooks, there it was.  An American bittern.  I had never even heard of this bird before!  And now I have seen one.

American bittern.

The American bittern has green legs.  If you look closely at the photo, you can see them.  We had a great time birding, and hope to return to the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge again.  Since it is only a bit more than an hour from Salt Lake, I plan to return to see migrating birds this fall.  I am also going to try some other birding sites in Utah.  We saw a few other birds that day that I did not capture in photos, such as the eastern kingbird, mallard ducks, and a cowbird.  Overall, it was a great experience and a fun family activity.

For more information about the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and useful tips for birding, check out my other blog post, Birding in Utah - Part 1.