Awareness often starts at home.  You might be surprised what your loved ones don't know.  Then again, you might not be too surprised.

Dystonia Living Magazine is soliciting ideas from our readers on how to share information about living with Dystonia with friends and loved ones!

Share your ideas with the movement disorder community. How did you do it? Which methods worked and which outright failed? We want to know!  Write Dystonia Living Magazine and tell us about it. 

While we are waiting, here are a few tips for talking about Dystonia with children.

1.  Stay calm.
        Questions are normal, no matter how wild they may seem.  Children really want to know.

2.  Be honest about how you feel.
         Children understand a lot without speaking.  So, don't waste your time telling stories.  Be frank.  Be honest.  But, be positive --hopeful about outcomes, even when things look bleak.

3.  Prepare.
        Children lose interest quickly after they figure the message.  Know what you want to say and how you can say it most concisely.  Stay on point and try not to ramble.  Ramblers are often mistaken for the 'Whine/Complain' set. You don't want to join that crowd.

4.  Be brief.
        Droning on and on will just give Dystonia another bad name and really... the D can't afford it.