by Emily DeFeciani: For More Info, Go Here…
ngd-Active Shooter Drills add to the everyday trauma of school, most especially to PWD who aren’t usually included in either the planning or the exercises, but who are told they are targets nonetheless…
In an active shooter situation, when staying hidden could mean staying alive, imagine the fear if you physically couldn’t keep quiet.
“It is a big fear of theirs because even if it’s just a little noise like a squeaking or a barking or something like that, they just figure they’re not going to have a chance because they’ll find them because of their noises,” said Susan Conners.
Conners is President of the Tourette Syndrome Association of Greater New York.
She says being unable to control their tics during an active shooter event has become a major concern for many students with Tourette Syndrome.
“I had one boy recently who told me he carries in his backpack a wash cloth, a face cloth that he stuffs in his mouth just for that purpose because he’s so afraid that he would give everybody’s location away,” Conners said.
Conners says the tics are involuntary, and uncontrollable.
And she says in stressful situations, the more anxious you get, the worse the tics get.