Protecting Special-Needs Students

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The Greater Missouri TSA is joining with other organizations to advocate for a change in state law that would prohibit the use of corporal punishment (spanking) on special needs students, including TS students.

This issue was brought to our attention by a Poplar Bluff family whose TS child was threatened with spanking in the sixth grade.

Missouri is one of the few remaining states that does not prohibit corporal punishment in its public schools. Instead, the state leaves the use of corporal punishment to the discretion of local school districts. However, the use of corporal punishment on special-needs students could have particularly damaging psychological effects and severely undermine educational progress for these students.

In addition to our organization, the Joshua Center for Neurological Disorders, Missouri NEA, Belle Center, and St. Louis Arc support this change in state law — and we are currently reaching out to other, similar organizations to ask for their support.

If you are affiliated with a special-needs advocacy organization, please ask them to join us in this effort. For more information, contact Missouri TSA Government Liaison Pete Abel.

Become a Fan of TSA on Facebook

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If you’re on Facebook, visit the National TSA Facebook page, become a fan, and stay informed about Tourette Syndrome news, events, publications, and other updates.

Vote for TSA on Facebook

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Charities that receive the most votes on Facebook have an opportunity to receive funding between $25,000 and $1 million.

If you’re already a Facebook member, go here to vote.

If you’re not yet a Facebook member, join, then vote for TSA.

Section of TSA Web Site Now in Spanish

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The National TSA is now offering a section of its Web site in Spanish.

The new section features an array of informative, Spanish-language articles and videos designed to provide answers to the kinds of questions most frequently asked by individuals and families who have received a new diagnosis.

Save the Dates: 2010 National Conference

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The National TSA is planning its next National Conference for April 15-18, 2010, at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center in Alexandria, Va.

The conference will feature a one-day seminar for families with newly diagnosed TS individuals, presented by TSA Medical Advisory Board Chair, John Walkup, MD; plus various other training and development sessions for chapter leaders, staff, and volunteers; teens ages 14-18; and more.

Pre-conference activities, scheduled for April 13-15, will include TSA’s Youth Ambassador Leadership Training program (by application only) and the annual “Trip to the Hill,” for TS families to meet with federal elected officials and/or their staff.

Web registration will be avaible in the near future, along with more detailed session information. Stay tuned.

Next Support Meeting: Social Side Effects of ADHD

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Tom Quinn, M.A., a licensed professional counselor specializing in the treatment of ADD/ADHD, will speak at the Oct. 29 support meeting of the Greater Missouri TSA. His topic: “The Social Side Effects of ADHD: Why Do They Happen and What Can a Parent Do to Help Lessen the Impact?”

Prior to his presentation, the chapter will review its financials with interested parties.

Details available here.

New Videos to Help TS Diagnosis, Treatment

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The National TSA has added two new videos to its Web site, to help physicians and clinicians in their efforts to recognize, diagnose and treat Tourette Syndrome (TS).

    Tourette Syndrome: Anger Control and Management
    John T. Walkup, MD, Chair of the TSA Medical Advisory Board, talks about children with Tourette Syndrome and anger control issues. He discusses what might cause anger episodes, and what can be done in the home to address symptoms effectively.

    Tourette Syndrome: Sorting Out Complex Symptoms
    In this segment, Dr. Walkup talks about working in the clinic to sort out complex presentations in children with Tourette Syndrome (TS). He discusses co-morbid conditions such as ADHD, OCD, anxiety disorders, and other problems, which often complicate the cases of children with TS.

These brief, informative videos offer clear discussion and share proven strategies to help families better understand TS, assist clinicians in their treatment formulations, and promote overall improvement in the lives of children, adults, and families affected by TS.

The videos are presented free of charge. Physicians and treating clinicians (such as psychologists, social workers and counselors) will find both videos essential viewing. Families are encouraged not only to watch these programs, but to share their availability with health care providers.

Next Event: Grant’s Farm Family Day

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Join other TS families and friends at 12:15 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 27, at Grant’s Farm, Grant Road and Gravois in Affton, Mo.

Details are available on the “Meetings & Events” page of this Web site.

Back-to-School Transitions

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Earlier this month, TSA conducted a teleconference on easing back-to-school transitions for students with Tourette Syndrome. The audio was recorded and is now available to TS families nationwide.

This 53-minute presentation focuses its information on families and caregivers of TS students who are attending a new school, new grade, or have a new teacher.

The original teleconference was presented by TSA Education Specialist Kathy Giordano to an audience of concerned parents and caregivers. Kathy regularly talks with groups of teachers, special educators, clinicians, school-based staff, allied professionals and families across the country about Tourette Syndrome and related disorders; positive and proactive educational and behavioral techniques; and “Functional Behavioral Assessments.” She is the mother of three adult children, her youngest diagnosed at the age of 5 with severe Tourette Syndrome with ADD, OCD and ODD.

Kathy has a background teaching English in grades 7-12 and has worked to assist school districts as a behavior consultant since 1998. She and her son have appeared on the PBS Series “Nova,” in a segment about Tourette Syndrome.

Heads Up: PBS Special June 30

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Dr. Oliver Sacks

 

NOVA, the long-running PBS series, will air a special episode on Tuesday, June 30, titled “Musical Minds.” In the St. Louis area, it’s currently scheduled to air on KETC, Channel 9, at 8 p.m. Please check the program schedule on KETC’s Web site to confirm.

In this episode, Dr. Oliver Sacks, world-renowned neurologist and author, explores how the power of music can make the brain come alive, how music affects the brain, and how it can impact some neurological disorders.

New York State percussionist Matt Giordano, and his mother, Kathy, appear in the show. Matt, who has Tourette Syndrome, talks about the impact of music on his life. This documentary was filmed in 2008 and originally aired on the BBC in the United Kingdom last year.

“Both Matt Giordano and his mom, Kathy, have presented to us in the past,” said Lynn Dunlap, co-president of the TSA’s Greater Missouri chapter. “Matt brought his ‘drum circle’ a couple years ago to a special meeting for our kids, and they loved it. Kathy, who is a private educational advocate, mostly for TS kids, came in town in the fall of 2007, as an educational presenter at the Missouri National Education Conference. Later that evening, she presented to our chapter.”

Dr. Oliver Sacks’ long list of books include The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat, Oaxaca Journal, An Anthropologist on Mars, and Awakenings, the film version of which starred Robin Williams as Dr. Sacks.

Dr. Sacks’ most recent book is Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain, featuring Matt Giordano, Tobias Picker, and other individuals with Tourette Syndrome.