I was diagnosed with Tourette's in elementary school, but I've had tics for as long as I can remember. Similar to the author, I had a lot of negative experiences early on with people (both adults and other kids) mocking and telling me that I "did not have Tourette's". Starting around high school though, people seemed to become more open-minded about it, which I can only assume is due to people finally considering me old enough to be a credible source about my own health. I'm much younger than the author though (currently only 22), so I can only imagine how much more difficult it would have been to have to deal with ignorant people 30 years ago. I sometimes wonder what would have happened to me if I were born several decades earlier; with the combination of my Tourette's, OCD, ADHD, and anxiety, I can't imagine I would have been able to get the support and help I needed to become the self-sufficient adult I am today