Congratulations to the TSA IL 2014 Youth Ambassador, Matt Bianco!!

Posted by tsaillinoisorg on Jan 13, 2014 in News | Comments Off on Congratulations to the TSA IL 2014 Youth Ambassador, Matt Bianco!!

Matt Bianco is 15 years old and a high school high-honor student. He lives in the Western Suburbs of Chicago with his parents and 2 older brothers.  His sister is employed in Seattle. Matt's life has been a testimony to the importance of understanding, recognizing, and getting the message out about Tourette Syndrome(TS). He exhibited signs of TS at a very early age, around 3 to 4 years old.  Like so many others with TS, Matt's many doctors and his professional school staff unfortunately did not recognize TS or even know what to look for.  Therefore, he did not receive the proper diagnosis until he was almost 6.

Matt was very misunderstood in his early school years. His teachers mistook his behaviors as purposeful not knowing they were tics. Because he could not control them and the teachers focused on them as behaviors, he was placed in a therapeutic day school (known as the most restrictive educational environment) which was over an hour bus ride from his home.   His classroom mainly focused on therapies for autism. Even though professionals ruled out the diagnosis of autism, his teachers at this specialized school also misunderstood his tics to be purposeful behaviors and responded to them inappropriately.

Matt's early school-life was certainly a struggle; however, a proper diagnosis was the key that changed everything. Because his parents knew he still needed a proper diagnosis, they kept researching and looking for answers. Eventually they realized he fit the diagnosis of TS. Because doctors had previously given other diagnoses, it was difficult to convince the school that Matt had TS and that they needed to change gears for the proper treatment. Finally a doctor was found that understood TS, gave the proper diagnosis, and understood how it should be treated medically, socially, and educationally.

This was the beginning of a very positive trend. His parents attended a local support group for TS and learned even more about how to support their son. Soon after this, Matt was transferred to his home school and was quickly mainstreamed. Every year since, TSA-Illinois has provided in-services and support at his schools. This, along with support from doctors who understand TS, has been instrumental to his success.

Matt learned at an early age to advocate for himself and each semester conducts his own peer in-services. He enjoys public speaking and excels in advanced high-school courses. He is also a skilled violinist for his school orchestra and has composed, performed, and conducted his own music. He enjoys tutoring violin for his former middle school and readily volunteers his time to play in his church orchestra.  He plans to pursue a PhD. in the science field.  He passionately spreads the word about TS by publishing his own educational YouTube videos in English and in German.  He has received positive acknowledgments world-wide.  Matt's plans are to continue to advocate for those with TS as well as provide public education as he knows first-hand that knowledge is the key to success.