Jaylen Arnold, a Florida resident, radiates inspiration and continues to help others as well as educate kids and parents alike about one of our country’s most disturbing growing trends – bullying.

Recently Jaylen took time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions about his crusade and his mission to help millions of children. Don’t forget to watch his PSA at the end of this article.

Part 1:

1.Why and when did you create www.JaylensChallenge.org ?

My website was created in May of this year. I created it because I wanted to find a way to help kids that were still getting bullied.

2. Tell us a bit about Tourette’s Syndrome? When were you diagnosed with Tourette’s?

I was diagnosed with TS at 3 years old. Tourette Syndrome is this little thingy in your brain that makes your body do tics(move and make noises) when you don’t want it to. You can control your body, my body controls me.

3. Many parents are exhausted of hearing labels; however you are a shining example of perseverance. You reference yourself as an “alphabet” kid – explain that to us?

Well, that’s because I have Tourette Syndrome, Asperger’s, and Obsessive Compulsive. When you have a disability, the doctor’s always write it by your name and they abbreviate it to make it easier. So I have TS (Tourette), ASP (Asperger’s), and OCD (obsessive compulsive) which is a lot of letters of the alphabet!

4.You are determined to be a voice to fight bullying (which I may say you are definitely a voice to be heard). Explain to us how bullying has effected you and how you are helping others learn how to prevent bullying.

When I was copied and laughed at for my tics, it made my Tourette’s much worse because it stressed me and then my Asperger’s was getting all overworked because Aspergers is part of Autism and I was a real mess. My mom took me out of school for a little while and then put me back to my old school where I wasn’t made fun of. I’m teaching kids about bullying because when I went back to the school that made fun of me later and told them about my problems, the kids listened and they said they were sorry. So I just thought and talked to my mom and said “this is easy, someone just needs to tell all these bad kids”. I had seen kids get physically bullied at that school when I went there.

5. You mentioned that public school was difficult for you. Do you feel that we need more education and awareness about bullying in public schools and how to you think we can do this?

ABSOLUTELY!!! Just call my mom or email us through my website. We will COME to your school and teach your kids about bullying and why you shouldn’t do it! Or if mom won’t let me come that far, they will send you all the stuff and we tell you how to do it with the whole school.

Part 2:

6. Why do you think bullying is more prevalent in public school verses private school?

Because in my private school it is Christian and they make you go by the Bible and Jesus don’t like bullying. Plus in private you don’t want to get sent to the principals office because she will call your parents!!! In public school, those kids aren’t scared of the principals office OR their parents!!

7. Do you have tips for parents that are not able to afford private schools, however their child is being bullied in their public school? What tips do you have for the kids that are being bullied?

TALK TO YOUR KIDS!!!!!They are not going to just tell you one day. I didn’t tell my mom. I even took up for the bullies because if I told my mom and dad, my dad would have went to the school and took care of it and I was scared what my dad would do to the bullies cause he is a police officer. Plus the bullies will make it worse if you tattle. So you have to talk to your kids. And if your a kid getting bullied, TELL someone and always stay with your friends. Bullies won’t bully 5 kids together. But keep telling until they take that kid out of that school and deal with them. Don’t hold it in like I did. My parents only found out because my Tourette’s got so bad and my mom had to keep taking me to all my doctors so much.

8. What does your family and friends think of your mission and the media attention you are receiving? What hobbies do you have and what do you do for fun?

Oh my family loves it and they all wear my wristband but I’m still just Jaylen to them. They have always loved me sooooo much! Everyone’s proud of me but my nanny and mommy tell all their friends at work all the time. For fun I do all kinds of stuff. I like to play on the computer, ride my wiggly worm, go to the park, and go to theme parks!!!

9. Who inspires you and what motivates you? What are your plans for your future?

Well Uncle Dash (Mihok) inspires me because I never met an adult with tics and he has them too – even some of the same exact ones which is really rare. And I always said I was going to be a dentist if I could keep my hands still, but I might go ahead and be an actor because Dash said I’d be good at it with my excellent memory. I have a photographic memory so I can memorize anything as long as I read it or see it one time.

10. Do you have anything you would like us to know about you that haven’t been covered?

“BULLYING NO WAY!”

Source: examiner.com

Jaylen Arnold knows how it feels to be different. He’s had Tourette’s Syndrome for most of his nine years. As CBS News correspondent Kelly Cobiella reports, it makes his body twitch even though his brain is telling it to be still.

Most times Jaylen can handle it. Last February Jaylen’s twitches got worse, much worse.

It started when the kids at a new school began to bully him.

“What did they say,” Cobiella asked Jaylen.

“You’re a weird kid,” he said. “You should just go back to where you came from.”

“How did that make you feel?”

“Really sad, like real sad.”

But Jaylen did not run and hide.

“I made a Web site called Jaylen’s Challenge.org. It’s about stopping bullying and so far it’s working,” he said.

Jaylen’s father, Harold Arnold said, “The emails started coming in by the hundreds, and probably thousands and I said ‘this thing is taking off.’”

In fact, so many people were inspired by Jaylen’s story, that schools across the country wanted him to talk to their students and teachers too.

Jaylen’s advice for bullies? “Sit down and stop bullying,” he said.

And before long, he caught the eye of Hollywood and actor Dash Mihok.

“I saw this kid with Tourette’s and this beautiful, sweet, loving soul who was being absolutely incredibly brave and it really touched me,” Mihok said.

He was so touched that he flew out to meet Jaylen and lent his own star power to Jaylen’s cause.

Dash knows how hard life can be for Jaylen – because he’s been through it. Dash grew up with Tourette’s too.

“To have someone inspire you to be who you are and be unapologetic about it,” Mihok said. “It’s beautiful.”

In the seven months since Jaylen launched his Web site he’s given out more than 4,000 wristbands that say “bullying no way,” to students and even a few stars – including Leonardo DiCaprio.

Jaylen said his big dream is to “stop bullying forever.”

“He has Tourette’s to help other people,” his mom Robin said

His dad Arnold is, “super proud. He’s the best kid.”

Jaylen can’t change the way his body acts, but he’s ok with that.

He said he doesn’t get picked on anymore, because “all my friends defended me.”

Source: cbsnews.com