The Whole Child
by Heather Connor It was a grey and cloudy afternoon in early fall and the sky had that threatening look of an impending storm. So it seemed oddly appropriate when the school called to say my son was having a storm of his own. Storm This is the medical term used to describe a Dystonic episode. If you've ever had the misfortune to experience or witness one, then you know it is perfectly named. Just like a real storm, some can be seen coming from a mile away and others appear all of a sudden with no warning. They can be mild and short lived or violent and destructive. Some storms resemble a grand mal seizure where the patient shakes and convulses. But unlike a seizure they are awake and lucid. The experience can be terrifying for my children. When his body will let him, my son tries to hide if he feels one coming. His teacher has found him several times hidden and alone on the floor of the bathroom shaking with his muscles cramping so hard that his little...