A mother who suffers from Tourette's says the condition has made her a better mother.<br /><br />Colleen Montez, 30, was diagnosed with Tourette's syndrome in 2021, when her son Gavin was just seven and her daughter Gracie two.<br /><br />Colleen doesn't have verbal tics but manages motor tics which affect her face, neck, shoulders, elbows and legs on a daily basis.<br /><br />Despite the challenges, Colleen says that her experience has meant that she has better insight into what her children need, especially Gavin, who is neurodivergent.<br /><br />Colleen, a teacher from Georgetown, Texas, said: "Ultimately, I know it has made me a better mother.<br /><br />"It’s also helped me understand my children and their neurodivergence more.<br /><br />"I grew up neurodivergent but my parents weren’t educated or had knowledge in that area, so being able to help them and provide resources has made me a better mum."<br /><br />Colleen has had tics since she was eight years old but wasn't diagnosed until the age of 27.<br /><br />Colleen's tics ramped up significantly at the onset of the pandemic in 2020.<br /><br />As the US went into lockdown, she began teaching from home as well as homeschooling her own children.<br /><br />The combination of both meant Colleen's tics became more frequent and prominent with a higher likelihood of "tic attacks," which eventually led to her diagnosis.<br /><br />At the time, Colleen worried that her children may get confused and copy her more aggressive tics, which can involve hurting herself.<br /><br />She said: "I have worried about my children copying my stronger tics like hitting my chest or the car window.<br /><br />"It's challenging to try and explain to them what 'involuntary' means and that it's not a choice.<br /><br />"We were able to overcome these issues by relating their ADHD impulses to my ticking in how the impulses are a choice, although hard to control, whilst the tics are not a choice."<br /><br />Gavin, 10, was diagnosed with ADHD and OCD two years ago, which means he doesn't like loud noises, interruptions or to be touched often.<br /><br />Colleen says her Tourette's diagnosis helped her understand Gavin's internal struggles and that she could more easily explain her tics to him.<br /><br />Colleen's children have each dealt with the tics in different ways. <br /><br />Whilst Gavin is now able to understand, Gracie, who's only five, finds her mum's tics funny. <br /><br />Colleen said: "It's different for Gavin than it is for Gracie because he can remember a time where my ticking wasn't this extreme.<br /><br />"It took him about one to two years to get used to the increased amount of tics, but he gets it now.<br /><br />"Gracie, on the other hand, mainly just finds it funny.<br /><br />"I don't get upset with her when she's laughing at me because she's still too young to understand it completely."
