American Idol, Season 10: Bring On The Tourette Syndrome Guy

Wow!!! I can not believe someone really printed this bunch of narrow minded BullS#@t. My son has Tourettes, and yes he does you curse words. It is a tic and it can come and go as do most tics. If he read what you wrote I could not blame him for cursing! I told my son there are moronic idiots in this world. I just read an article written by one!

Wow! I have a child with Tourette's Syndrome. I don't believe I've ever heard more ignorant comments out of another human being. In my 35 years, I have never blogged before. However, your lack of intelligence has urged me to type this! Clearly, you deserve everything that you are getting out of your life, which doesn't seem to be maturity, class or common sense! I feel so blessed that my child has turned out to be such an awesome little man, artist and actor, despite people like you in the world! Good luck, buddy!

You truly are a fool - my 14 year old son has Tourettes Syndrome and it's people like you who make his life infinitely more difficult. Before you start spouting off about something that you obviously know nothing about - maybe you should actually do you research about Tourettes Syndrome. My son is the sweetest, kindest young man you could only hope to have as a friend. He does not shout out any type of words - foul or not; believe me I heard more cussing at the park than would ever come out of my sons' mouth. He has motor tics which cause him to blink and twitch involuntarily. Such a small percentage of TS kids actually have the form you are referring to - which for the record is called "coprolalia".

The part of his problems that seem to be Tourette seem real enough. But if he has any autism, it must be the lightest form of it, I've seen. My brother is autistic and can't cross a street without someone holding his hand, even though hes an adult. He can barely make more than two word sentences and only asks for things to eat mostly. Ask him his age, and he doesn't know. Ask him what he wants for Christmas and he tells you the same thing year after year and doesn't understand it's the same thing. He will turn off all the lights in a room full of people because he was focused only on turning off the lights. It goes on. I'm, not dissing James, but if he's autistic, it's so high functioning, I consider him in the normal range of others. In fact he could just not tell people, and no one would notice anything but the tourettes symptoms.

I'm just guessing some people may see the show and think he's talented because he's slightly autistic. When instead, James is just simply very talented. And not because of some disorder he has. Why do I say that? Ever since Rainman came out, people have tended to think that autistic people can all count a box of toothpicks falling on the ground, and win poker games and that they are all doing this striking things. On the other hand, I have seen some autistic people who had some amazing skills. I guess I just hope that people don't vote for him for his voice and not because they think he's autistic. I also hope he doesn't use that for a sob story too much because he's good enough with out doing that.

The only thing that has me wondering is that all the shows have been edited. Perhaps the producers have made him look really good, but when the show goes live it will be different. I guess we'll all find out. But again, I like him, his voice. I hope he's able to sing without anything to stop him like facial twitches etc.

You are the reason people with TS have a bad wrap...you perpetuate the myth that everyone with TS spouts out profanity. Are you insane? Most people with TS just have a wide range of tics that make doing what everyone else does twice as hard...and yet they persevere—in spite of being made fun of constantly—and they excel in life. Props to AI for showing that TS isn't what idiots like you make it out to be,

yeah man...you are really an asshole. You see the wife writing sticky notes and posting it around the house? That is for his asperger's syndrome. That is the reason he was bullied in school and do not know how to defend himself. Probably the reason why he is unemployed. People with aspergers may look normal but it is hard for them to think logically even with simple things like crossing the streets. My son has aspergers so I know how hard it is to grow up with it. You are such a dick.

I have Tourette's. There was a time in my life when I swore like a sailor. That was when I hung out with people who swore like sailors. Nothing to do with Tourette's. Now I teach in a public school. It is significantly more stressful than any of my 3 prior careers. And it shows. Any time I show a video, or anything else that doesn't have me physically engaged, I am sure to hear the question, "Mr. T., why do you twitch?" That's because I "twitch" an awful lot mostly in my head/neck area) when I'm not physically engaged. The thing about tics is that, when a person is engaged in a physical activity in which they are controlling the muscles in question (such as teaching, singing, playing an instrument, etc. -- did I mention I'm a music teacher and I only tic when I'm showing a video?), the tics stop. They only occur when the muscle in question is dormant.

So when a person like Mr. Durbin is on stage, controlling every aspect of his physical being, you'll see 2 things:1) He will rarely show much significant evidence of Tourette's (only directly after a performance when he relaxes),and 2) if he is like a vast majority of Tourette's syndromites, he likely will not do any random cussing.

So yes, you are an ass, but it doesn't bother me -- I've dealt with asses all my life, including many of my teachers as well as my own sister. More significantly, you are ignorant, so I hope I have educated you a bit.

Good luck, and, cussing or not, enjoy the show. As a musician, I have to say the kid is a helluva singer.

I agree with everyone. What an ass. My son has Tourettes and he didn't get a raw deal. He is the sweetest, kindest, and a smart kid.

What an insensitive asshole you are!

Apparently reading Motherless Brooklyn made you even more ignorant about TS. There is a surefire way of countering that ignorance, however and it starts here:http://tinyurl.com/pwoeneRegards.

Not everyone with Tourettes swear. That is only present in a tiny % of people with the syndrome.

You are an idiot.

Totally agree with BSEEGER3. There are no words for pathetic, uncaring people like you. I pray that somewhere in that cold chest of yours there is actually a heart.

Bseeger3 is absolutely correct, you ARE an ass!

ur an ass buddy. This guy also has Aspergers Syndrome which is a form of Autisim. My daughter does also , and for him to be able to get up and sing is amazing in itself.Yes, at times, I didnt have money for diapers either and my husband and I both worked. Its a sign of the times man, catch up.