Oliver lives in Manchester, UK and is the writer behind the blog, ‘The Tudors Make Me Tic’. We first ‘met’ Oliver when he tagged us in a Facebook post, reviewing many of our products that he has been using to support his Tourette’s. And his post taught us a whole new way of looking at our gripping aids!
Oliver began his blog back in October 2013 as a place to share his poetry and thoughts on living with a complex diagnosis involving neurodivergence, severe mental illness and Tourette’s, as well as being a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Oliver explains, “My blog is called, ‘The Tudors make me Tic’. One of my autistic special interests is the Tudor period, so that makes me ‘tick’. And then obviously with my Tourette’s, I have constant vocal and motor tics.”
Tourette’s Diagnosis
It was his diagnosis of Tourette’s that led Oliver to our website and to several of our products. He writes, “I had tics from around age 6 or 7, but I wasn’t diagnosed until age 24. My tics increased in severity as I got older. Now though, my Tourette’s is severe and affects absolutely all areas of my life. Consequently, I am a full-time manual wheelchair user due to my Tourette’s. I can’t do things involving sharp objects, hot things like the oven or breakable items. I have chronic pain and often hurt myself due to it.”
Tourette’s affects Oliver’s ability to communicate, meaning he uses a speech device, or AAC, full-time. It also impacts his ability to perform many daily tasks. From preparing food, to putting his PIN into cash machines.
“Tasks involving small or precise movements I really struggle with. My tics cause me to drop or throw things. Doing things with my hands and arms is extremely challenging and often impossible.”
Finding Support
While scrolling on Facebook, Oliver came across a post from Active Hands. He quickly saw that some of our gripping aids would be relevant to his needs. He now has many of our products and took the time to explain the benefits he receives from each.
Alongside his blog, Oliver is undertaking a history degree. Now in his final year, through the Open University, he has found our Small Item Gripping Aid to be a great support.
“It enables me to use an Apple Pencil which helps with note taking for university and doing art on my iPad. This is incredibly helpful for me. It makes uni work a bit easier and enables me to enjoy doing art on my iPad. Using the Small Item Gripping Aid means that I can’t throw or drop my Apple Pencil. It also means I am in less pain. Gripping things causes pain in my hand and wrist and the gripping aid massively reduces this pain.”
Oliver also describes how the General Purpose Gripping Aid comes in handy several times each week, holding his hand gently but firmly around whatever he needs to hold. “My tics make me suddenly let go, drop or throw items. This is dangerous for me and others and items in the flat that could be broken or damaged.”
He has a similar experience with using EazyHold Straps on cutlery. These ensure he remains safe and doesn’t throw or drop cutlery while eating.
“Being able to do basic things such as brushing my teeth, and activities like art work and studying helps me to feel a bit better about myself. Sometimes it’s these things that others take for granted. And when they’re taken away from you then getting them back means a lot.”
The Future
Oliver’s review was such a valuable insight for us. We are learning all the time about the many different people our gripping aids support. We have not previously heard from those who use our aids to support with motor tics due to Tourette’s. Oliver’s review made the challenges he faces very clear, as well as the ways in which our aids can support him to reduce pain, danger and to improve his levels of independence. We are so grateful for him sharing. We hope we can continue to work on ways to support those with motor tics.
In the future, Oliver plans to continue to write his blog, hoping to be able to write more regularly. “I’ve had a few people over the years reach out to me via my blog. They’ve expressed how it’s helped them or asked for support with something. I think to myself, if I can help one person feel less alone, or help someone in even a small way, then I’d be happy.” You can check out Oliver’s blog at The Tudors Make Me Tic.
Jo Smith