Despite Disabilities, Student 'Rocks On!'
Despite Disabilities, Student âRocks On!â
By Larissa Lytwyn
As a sixth grader at Newtown Middle School, then 11-year-old Devin Glass often wondered if he could survive what was simply his day-to-day life.
Naturally shy at an age and place he described as a âfishbowlâ of ultra-self-consciousness, the preadolescent struggled to explain his many self-described âweirdâ behaviors.
âFor example, when I made a mistake on a test or on homework, I wanted to erase that mark completely,â he explained. âOf course, you canât erase pencil [completely]. But I tried!â
Ironically, in this quest for perfectly completed schoolwork, many of Devinâs papers became illegible.
Devin also struggled with stammering and inexplicable eye and head âtics,â sharp, sudden movements that he had no control over.
He spoke about the difficulty of having these extra issues during an already sensitive time.
âIn middle school, everyone is trying to find his or her identity,â he said.
After years garnering the expert opinions of doctors and child psychologists, Devin was formally diagnosed with Touretteâs syndrome and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) at around 14 years old.
âI was relieved,â Devin said.
He began a series of medical treatments, some that left him drowsy and âspaced out,â he said. Finally, his symptoms began to become less intrusive with a combination of antidepressants Zoloft and Wellbutrin. He still takes these medications today.
âIâm a lot better now,â he said. âThere is help out there if you look for it.â
Touretteâs syndrome is an inherited neurological disorder characterized, according to the National Touretteâs Syndrome Association (NTSA), by ârepeated and involuntary movements [tics] and uncontrollable vocal sounds.â
Males are affected three to four more often than females. Between 2.9 and 4.5 out of every 100,000 children have it, according to the American Academy of Neurology. This adds up to about 2.3 percent of the population, a greater percentage than the number of recorded cases of schizophrenia, bipolar, and panic disorder.
âMost people with Touretteâs syndrome lead productive lives and participate in all professions,â NTSA assures.
Touretteâs syndrome is often linked with conditions such as depression and OCD. OCD, according the OCD Foundation, is characterized as engaging in ritualistic behavior. OCD behavior can manifest itself in numerous ways, from compulsions to hoard or clean excessively to memorizing religious incantations or worrying about maintaining an orderly home or personal appearance.
Devinâs erasing behavior during his middle school years indicates a preoccupation with perfection, a goal he admits he still often yearns for today.
Devin praised his quality of treatment at Yale-New Haven Hospitalâs Child Study Center.
âThey know what they are doing there!â Devin exclaimed. While under the centerâs treatment, he took part in a special study targeting adolescent and preadolescents with OCD. The study consisted largely of surveys, Devin said, documenting his symptomsâ types and varying levels of acuteness.
During the lowest point of his middle school years, he said, music became his one respite against the almost constant pain and confusion of his condition.
âIâve played drums for a long time,â he said. âIn addition to being emotional, itâs a very physical instrument. You use every limb.â
Music has always a large part of his family, he said.
Danbury Assistant Superintendent of Schools William Glass, Devinâs father, used to play guitar during his college years. Devinâs mother Diane currently teaches private guitar lessons.
Ms Glass recalls being impressed when she saw how all of Devinâs symptoms vanished when he performed.
âIt was amazing,â she said.
The years trying to identify her sonâs symptoms were very difficult, she said. âBut Iâve learned a lot, too,â she noted.
Devin said his father also struggled, to a lesser degree, with OCD. âWhen my father was growing up with it, no one knew what it was,â said Devin. âNow thereâs a lot more resources available. Iâve even heard that everyone has OCD to some degree. Even if itâs as [insignificant] as thinking about whether or not you turned the facets off in the bathroom sink before you went to bed.â
As Devin began to stabilize under Wellbutrin and Zoloft, his symptoms became far less severe. âI realized how important it was to move forward,â he said, a mantra he still carries today. During his recent visit to The Bee, Devin wore a T-shirt with the words âRock On!â emblazoned across it.
Devinâs grades improved dramatically in high school. Halfway through his high school career, he realized how much he wanted to pursue a music career.
Both as a person and a musician, he said, âMy family has always been really supportive of me.â
Berklee College of Music, he said, was the âtopâ place for students studying contemporary music.
He recalls the day he was accepted into Berklee as one of the happiest of his life. A 2000 recipient of the Governorâs Coalition for Youth with Disabilities (GYCD) Scholarship, Devin was recently honored during a GYCD banquet commemorating Octoberâs National Disability Employment & Awareness Month.
The 20-year-old is now a third-year student at Berklee studying film scoring.
âIâve always considered music a character in a film,â Devin explained, citing Thomas Newman, composer and arranger of music for films including the Shawshank Redemption and American Beauty, as an inspiration. âI like Thomas Newman because he is subtle â the music is almost subconscious,â Devin said. âYou feel it.â
He spoke with enthusiasm about his affection for Boston and college life. âThere are no cliques,â he said. âEveryone loves what you are into â music!â
Over the summer, he performed at the Big E with his band, Lost and Found, performing shortly after an appearance by country music star Martina McBride.
Recently he finished an album honoring the rescue workers, victims, and survivors of September 11.
After graduation, he plans to âstart at the bottomâ of the film score business and work his way up. âThe process of film scoring itself is what I really love,â he explained. âYou have to start at the bottom of any field out there. Thomas Newmanâs first film was Revenge of the Nerds!â
He plans to stay around the Boston area for at least a few years after graduation, working with film students at Beantown schools such as Boston University.
While he feels distant from his middle school days, he credits the experience for making him a stronger and more empathic person. âEveryone has his or her own journey,â he said. âI believe everything happens for a reason.â
He also mentioned the support of his Newtown Middle School English teacher Lorrie Aresenian, now an assistant vice principal at Newtown High School.
âMs Aresenian was a really great teacher,â said Devin. âI was always drawn to the arts and she helped me express that.â
Ms Aresenian is equally fond of Devin. âI remember him well,â she said. âI could see how bright he was, how talented. He was able to access that through his writing.â
At Newtown High School, Devin warmly recalls the support of Principal William Manfredonia. âMr Manfredonia is a great guy,â he said. âHe is really there for his students. He was always very supportive of me.â
He encourages youth struggling with OCD, Touretteâs, or similar symptoms to simply keep moving forward. âFollow your heart,â he said.
Get Informed
National Touretteâs Syndrome Association: Offers definitions, symptoms and treatment resources for people struggling with Touretteâs symptoms at www.Tourettes.com
Obsessive Compulsive Foundation: Describes OCD symptoms and links to other disorders, including depression, anxiety, and Touretteâs syndrome at www.OCFoundation.org
Yale University School of Medicine Child Study Center: Offers resources on treatment information for Touretteâs and OCD at www.info.med.yale.edu/chldstdy/tsocd/