Asher Edelson, author of Adventure Land: The Strike of Lightning, will speak to attendees at the Florida Tourette Syndrome Association Family Weekend about how he was able to write his recent novel in spite of his severe tics. He will autograph his book for those who would like to purchase one.
Here is info about the Family Weekend:
Family Weekend 2008
The sixth annual Family Weekend 2008 will be held at the Rotary Camp in Brandon Florida on Feb 8-10, 2008. This event is free to members of TSA.
Topics related to TS and medication, behavior, education, social skills and young adult issues will be discussed.
We have some successful young people who will be sharing with us their inspiring stories. For further information, go to the Tourette Syndrome Association of Florida Website
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Friday, January 4, 2008
St. Pete Times Story
Boy channels real-life challenge into fantasy
Tourette's syndrome sparked movements that became heroic characters in a novel.
By ALESSANDRA DaPRA, Times Staff Writer
Published January 4, 2008
VIRGINIA PARK - To see the article on the St. Pete Times Web Site, Click Here.
Asher Edelson punched the laptop out of frustration, and the screen cracked. Typing was particularly slow for the South Tampa 13-year-old.
Involuntarily, his fingers kept pressing the backspace key, erasing the words of his future novel even as he wrote them.
Asher did not give up. He completed and self-published his novel in October, calling it Adventure Land: The Strike of Lightning.
And he did so despite complications of Tourette's syndrome.
Tourette's syndrome, a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary and repetitive motor and vocal tics, often appears in childhood or adolescence, said Donna Sakuta, executive director of the Tourette Syndrome Association of Florida.
Elizabeth, 44, and Steven Edelson, 45, observed as their son increasingly made unusual movements and vocal noises over the years. They were not familiar with TS until Asher was diagnosed at age 7.
Some of his earliest tics were exaggerated waving arm movements accompanied by explosion-like vocal sounds. The Edelsons nicknamed it "the arm-waving tic."
Asher began to create imaginary characters from his involuntary tics. Hence, an awkward arm gesture became a bold waving of a sword.
And that's how Adventure Land's personages were born.
"When I was about 5 years old, I had this wild imagination," he said.
Over the years, he created a fantastic world populated with mythology-inspired figures. Finally, at age 10, Asher decided to follow his father's suggestion and write a book with all the whimsical stories he had fabricated.
The task took two years to complete and, at the end, Asher had a 440-page manuscript. The original book was split into two shorter novels. The second part will be released in the fall.
Asher attends Coleman Middle School part time and is then homeschooled by his mother. For him, writing was a way to cope with his disorder.
"I think it gives him lots of self-esteem because part of the thing with Tourette's is not fitting in sometimes," his father said.
Coleman principal Mike Hoskinson said the school is very proud that someone as young as Asher had written a fictional book.
"It's neat to see one of our own do well," he said.
Hoskinson said Asher is a talented and creative child who is polite, serious and hardworking.
Asherwas recently invited to talk about his achievement at the Tourette Syndrome Association's sixth annual Family Weekend in February.
Sakuta called Asher an inspiration to others with Tourette's and said his life shows that the disorder need not get in the way of accomplishment.
"I think it's fantastic," Sakuta said. "He demonstrated lots of capacity and ability."
Tourette's syndrome is often misunderstood, she said. People know that it sometimes triggers the involuntary use of obscene expressions, yet that aspect afflicts fewer than one in fiveof those with the disorder. Asher is not one of them.
He tries to control his tics when in the classroom, but it is difficult for him.
"It's like when you have to yawn and you try to hold it back, but you have to do it," his father said.
Asher is not particularly upset about his disorder.
"I don't love having it," he said, "but it's not the end of the world to have Tourette's."
Asher is also affected by executive dysfunction, which is often associated with Tourette's. This trait makes it difficult for him to plan and execute tasks.
"I tell him that because he has Tourette's syndrome, he has to try twice as hard than someone who doesn't," his mother said.
Asher will attend H.B. Plant High School next year, and he hopes to become an accomplished author and an English teacher like Oxford professor J.R.R. Tolkien, who wrote The Lord of the Rings.
Asher plans to write at least eight more sequels to Adventure Land, and he is working on a book about his personal experience with Tourette's syndrome.
Alessandra DaPra can be reached at adapra@sptimes.com or 813 226-3434.
Fast facts
Tourette's syndrome
Tourette's syndrome is a neurological disorder involving involuntary, multiple motor and vocal tics.
- It usually appears before age 15.
- Motor tics include frequent and rapid movements of the face, arms, limbs or trunk. Vocal tics involve grunting, throat clearing, shouting and barking.
- The use of obscene expressions, known as coprolalia, is relatively uncommon, afflicting fewer than one in five people with TS.
- The disorder affects males three to four times as often as females.
For more information, visit www.tsa-fl.org.
[Last modified January 4, 2008, 07:58:36]
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