Tourette Syndrome in the Educational Environment by Madison Ruston

Tourette Syndrome Getting Help at School

rustonm17 — 2016-01-22 14:01:09 UTC

rustonm17 — 2016-01-22 14:02:21 UTC

The Yale Global Tic Severity Scale: Initial Testing of a Clinician-Rated Scale of Tic Severity

rustonm17 — 2016-01-22 14:45:20 UTC

*Do not have access to this source; need to find information elsewhere*

Identifying Common Education Difficulties with TS

rustonm17 — 2016-01-27 03:38:51 UTC

Tourette Syndrome Ted Talk

rustonm17 — 2016-02-02 14:36:41 UTC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jmTlQld2Z8

www.biology.emory.edu/research/Jaeger/BasalGanglia/BG_page.html

rustonm17 — 2016-02-03 14:55:28 UTC

Tourette's Syndrome: Neuron

rustonm17 — 2016-02-03 14:57:02 UTC

Tourette Syndrome Fact Sheet

rustonm17 — 2016-02-03 14:58:31 UTC

Treatments | Tourette Syndrome | NCBDDD | CDC

rustonm17 — 2016-02-03 14:59:55 UTC

Living with Tourette's: finding the flip side | Michael Chichioco | TEDxYouth@SHC - YouTube

rustonm17 — 2016-02-03 15:43:49 UTC

How Teens Become Engaged in Youth Development Programs: The Process of Motivational Change in a Civic Activism Organization - Applied Developmental Science - Volume 10, Issue 3

rustonm17 — 2016-02-04 17:26:06 UTC

What You Must Think of Me

rustonm17 — 2016-02-19 15:00:31 UTC

This book describes a teenager's experience with social anxiety disorder and gives tips on managing daily life with SAD.
I want to read this book to give me an idea of how teenagers who are considered different by society cope with daily life. Are there any similarities between the difficulties that teens with TS and with SAD face? How do other teens react to their peers with disorders? What strategies to increase awareness have been most effective?

Tourette Syndrome

rustonm17 — 2016-02-19 15:08:55 UTC

This book not only gives an in-depth description of TS, but also explains how multiple successful individuals were able to overcome common difficulties associated with Tourette's.

I Have Tourette's but Tourette's Doesn't Have Me

rustonm17 — 2016-02-19 15:22:40 UTC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDipNAuZuZI

Classroom Strategies and Techniques for Students with Tourette Syndrome

rustonm17 — 2016-03-10 02:18:45 UTC

EdDVD

rustonm17 — 2016-03-10 02:18:50 UTC

TOURETTE CDC PARTNERSHIP CURRENT YEAR PROGRAMS

rustonm17 — 2016-03-10 02:18:55 UTC

Information for Education Professionals | Tourette Syndrome | NCBDDD | CDC

rustonm17 — 2016-03-10 02:19:00 UTC

JAMA Network | JAMA Pediatrics | Adulthood Outcome of Tic and Obsessive-Compulsive Symptom Severity in Children With Tourette Syndrome

rustonm17 — 2016-03-21 13:03:23 UTC

Data and Statistics | Tourette Syndrome | NCBDDD | CDC

rustonm17 — 2016-03-21 13:04:14 UTC

Tourette Association Publications

rustonm17 — 2016-03-22 14:26:45 UTC

A-102bDD.pdf

rustonm17 — 2016-03-22 14:26:55 UTC

A-104DD.pdf

rustonm17 — 2016-03-22 14:27:30 UTC

A-120DD.pdf

rustonm17 — 2016-03-22 14:27:48 UTC

A-123DD.pdf

rustonm17 — 2016-03-22 14:28:07 UTC

A-131DD.pdf

rustonm17 — 2016-03-22 14:28:48 UTC

E-100DD.pdf

rustonm17 — 2016-03-22 14:29:15 UTC

Living with Tourette Syndrome - YouTube

rustonm17 — 2016-03-22 14:32:22 UTC

Tourette Association Education Presentation

rustonm17 — 2016-03-22 14:36:13 UTC

Tourette Association Education Presentation Notes

rustonm17 — 2016-03-22 14:36:51 UTC

75 Watts - YouTube

rustonm17 — 2016-03-24 23:57:00 UTC

Tourette Syndrome Education Main Page

rustonm17 — 2016-03-25 00:25:08 UTC

Tourette Association Publications

rustonm17 — 2016-03-25 00:27:16 UTC

Email Interview with Ms. Kathy Giordano

rustonm17 — 2016-12-06 02:55:34 UTC

Hi Madison…..
First, I want to thank you for agreeing to provide awareness regarding TS. People with TS are frequently talented, creative and have above average academic abilities. It is one of the most complex disorders for a variety of reasons:
· Symptoms vary from very mild to debilitating
· Symptoms wax and wane as well as change frequently as a young person
· There are many common related disorders that interfere with academic and social performance
· Symptoms frequently appear to be purposeful resulting in vast misunderstanding and too often punishment and bullying
I will attempt to answer your questions below in the text of your email.

In your expert opinion, how do you think I can create a program with a healthy balance of helpful tic management tactics and independence? It’s true that while symptoms vary in appearance and difficulties, the majority of people with TS want to be independent and lead a life just as other people desire – a career, friends, family, children, home of their own, be respected in the community. The way this is best accomplished is to make symptoms a non-issue. We accomplish that by educating people about TS because symptoms typically are reduced in an atmosphere of acceptance and minimal support as need. You used the correct word “management”. The goal for people with TS is to ‘manage’ their symptoms. We now know that TS is a disorder of disinhibition. The majority of symptoms are URGES that are difficult to inhibit. In my presentations, I discuss urges that people without TS may be able to identify with such as attempts at not scratching an itch – particularly if you have poison ivy. I sometimes ask the audience to not blink for 2 minutes. They will begin to have an urge to blink which gets stronger and stronger. By reminding them not to blink, it actually becomes more difficult and the urge becomes stronger. The same is true of TS. If we remind people to not do their symptoms or if they are in a setting where they know that their symptoms will be bothersome, the only thing they can think of is completing the urge and the other thing they are thinking of is suppressing the symptoms. I share with the audience that I don’t have a need to touch a park bench until I see a sign that says WET PAINT – Don’t Touch. I then have a strong need to touch it.

So again, the best environment is acceptance, and ignoring symptoms. The way we accomplish that is through educating people with accurate information – not what they see in movies or cartoons.

How can I change their perception of TS effectively and educate others on the importance of acceptance? The Tourette Assoc. trains Youth Ambassadors who go into schools and discuss their TS as well as their strengths. When that’s not possible, showing a short video can be helpful.
· Link to Brief documentary “75 Watts” which won Best Documentary Short at the 2011 Palm Spring International Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award. http://youtu.be/6un7MQOyjSU
· HBO Special I Have Tourette but Tourette Doesn’t Have Me http://tsa-usa.org/ZHBO/VideoPlayer.html
· Interview with young people with TS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8HtTb0Vk_o 12 minutes;
· Link to a power point for educators and script that may be followed http://tourette.org/EducationInservice/Inservice2015.html

In your expert opinion, which do you think would be most beneficial to create an overall more accepting, productive educational environment? That’s a really difficult question, but I think I would say that educating Teachers, Counselors, Principals…the entire school staff actually would be best because they can educate the students. Plus, students take the cues from teachers. So when teachers don’t understand and say or doing things that are damaging to a student with TS, the other students will see it as being ok to act similarly. I have seen schools were bullying is not an issue because the entire school environment is one of acceptance.

Would it be most productive to direct the majority of my attention to educating teachers in the Baton Rouge area on the disorder, or to focus on spreading awareness and promoting acceptance throughout the student body? Both. My son who is the young man in the 75 Watts documentary does assemblies for students. By presenting to students, teachers must also be in attendance. He accomplishes both with these assemblies.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions. My pleasure. If you would like to speak with me, email me a date and time that would work for you as well as a phone # for me to call.

Thank you again!!!!
Kathy

Kathy Giordano
Education Specialist
Tourette Association of America
585-346-6598
www.tourette.org<http://www.tourette.org/>