TOURETTE SYNDROME EDUCATION ADVOCACY
This TSA EDUCATION ADVOCACY section of our website is designed to provide the tools needed by families and advocates when pursuing the best program options and services for our children. We also refer you the the  Education/Education Strategies section of our site, where you will find materials designed to help students, parents, families, educators, clinicians, and others understand, address, and manage symptoms of Tourette Syndrome in the school and other settings.
There are time that meetings at your child's school can be difficult, whether with the special educationcommittee or with your child's teacher. A major goal of the TSA EDUCATION ADVOCACY program is to help prepare you to advocate for the most effective program to assist your child in being successful in the school environment.
Advocacy is often thought of as fighting with the school. We are working towards developing a better approach. Positive advocacy that presents information in a useful manner and encourages a partnership with the school, when possible, actually serves your child better in the long run.
This EDUCATION ADVOCACY section of our website offers information, answers questions and links you to helpful resources. We urge you to visit our online store for helpful videos and publications. With this support, you will be able to attend meetings with confidence that you are a knowledgeable and valued partner in the process of developing an effective educational program for your child.
In our ASK TSA about Education Advocacy section, we invite your questions to our staff. We will post questions and answers of general interest on this site.
click here to Ask TSA a question about Education Advocacy
and to view some previous questions and answers
Education Advocacy headlines:
- TSA National Conference 2012 Presentations - Slide Shows and Handouts now available on this site - Education
Resources, Bullying, much more - view all.
- TSA offers FREE DVDs - 2-DVD Set "Tourette Syndrome in the Classroom, School & Community" (Nov.2011)
Limited Supply -
click here to find out more and link to online order form.
Click here to view online version (all contents are the same as on the DVD).
- NEW Bullying Prevention & Strategies resource page on this site - click here
- ASK THE EXPERT - Zero Tolerance in Schools - article from TSA's Fall 2010 Newsletter, Inside TSA
- TSA EDUCATION AUDIO CONFERENCES (listen or download mp3 files) - click here
- TSA EDUCATION IN-SERVICE - Click here for DVD instructions OR click here for online presentation
- EDUCATION PRESENTATION SLIDESHOWS FROM TSA'S APRIL 2008 NATIONAL CONFERENCE:
- ALL TSA 2008 CONFERENCE SLIDESHOWS - Including Research, Medicine. Click here.
- Ask the Expert - Positive steps to take when children with TS are being bullied or teased - click here to read an
interview with
Peaceable Schools Coordinator Megan Toy from
TSA's Summer 2007 Newsletter
- The New IDEA: A Users Manual - a 4 page special article from our Winter 2006 Newsletter. Click here to read/download
(Adobe Acrobat™ format)
- "Ask the Expert" - Articles from TSA's Quarterly Newsletters on a variety of topics of interest - click here
Some Important Education Advocacy Considerations:
- Typically, school personnel, even special education teachers, are not taught strategies in college
that assist students
with TS symptoms.
- Parents know their child best and therefore are their child's best advocate.
- Students with TS frequently receive high grades but may still be eligible for special education support.
- Receiving special education services does not require that a child be removed from the general education environment
FREE MATERIALS to introduce you to and guide you through the process:
IMPORTANT EDUCATION PUBLICATIONS/VIDEOS - available for a nominal
charge in our
online
store:
- WORKBOOK FOR CONDUCTING A FUNCTIONAL BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT & WRITING A POSITIVE BEHAVIOR
INTERVENTION PLAN
FOR A STUDENT WITH TOURETTE SYNDROME - S. Conners, K. Giordano. Practical guide
and
valuable resource to
address
complex behavioral issues.
Includes Overview of Functional Behavioral
Assessments,
FBA Worksheets,
Positive Behavior Interventions
- A TEACHER LOOKS AT TOURETTE SYNDROME (Video) - Susan Conners MA, TSA Education Specialist,
has years
of
teaching experience, personal insight and abundant humor. She introduces teachers to what it's
like to have TS in
the classroom; techniques to help students learn best, and for teachers be most effective
and informed.
Aspects of
ADHD,
OCD, other related conditions. Includes BOTH half-hour AND
full-hour versions; appropriate for
educator/clinical
training sessions, conferences.
- I HAVE TOURETTE'S, BUT TOURETTE'S DOESN'T HAVE ME (Video) - In every school in America, it's likely that
at least
one
child
may have Tourette Syndrome. The children are often stigmatized and almost always misunderstood.
HBO
Documentary
originally aired 11/12/05 dispels the myths of TS through the experiences
of young people.
Extra
DVD
features include resources for educators, families, children interested in learning more
about
Tourette
Syndrome,
information from experts John Walkup, M.D., Susan Conners,
M.Ed., and
Evan
Trost, M.D.
- TEACHERS WHO "GET IT" - C. B. Korman. Families and teachers know how difficult things become when TS is
misunderstood
and mis-handled in the school setting. Here is a paper that focuses on the opposite . . . the most
positive outcomes
. . . the benefits to the child, teacher, school and family when a dedicated
teacher really"gets it"
about Tourette
Syndrome. Read how several excellent, committed teachers recognized
TS in their
classrooms, and responded
with attuned, creative approaches. The results? Positive"win-wins" for everybody!
Our thanks to
teachers who 'get it'.
- EDUCATIONAL ADVOCACY MANUAL - K. Giordano, TSA Advocacy Specialist, has developed the TSA Educational
Advocacy Manual to help parents & families more effectively advocate for students with Tourette Syndrome in
school. Topics include: What Is Advocacy? When Is Advocacy Necessary?
- CATALOG OF ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH TS, ADHD, OCD - S. Conners, M.Ed. Written in response
to requests from dedicated teachers, suggests effective accommodations designed to promote
learning and
acceptance.
- SPECIFIC CLASSROOM STRATEGIES AND TECHNIQUES FOR STUDENTS WITH TS - S. Conners, M.Ed. Offers
helpful suggestions and accommodations that can be brought right into the classroom. Includes techniques for
tic symptoms,
fine motor, visual motor impairment, ocd symptoms, short fuse difficulties, adhd symptoms.
Additionally, we suggest the following items from our online store:
- Educating Classmates About TS (A Peer In-service) Children and parents can use this guide to decide when and
how to discuss TS with classmates.
- Learning Problems and the Student with TS Explores the symptoms and conditions associated with TS that affect
learning. Topics covered include difficulties in acquiring the basic skills of reading, writing, spelling and math.
Classroom modifications pertaining to auditory processing deficits, fine motor, visual-motor impairment and executive function are discussed.
- The IEP for Students with Tourette Syndrome (A Parent's Handbook) Key item in TSA Educationseries.
Brings out important aspects of the IEP process. Information directly for parents.
- The IEP for Students with Tourette Syndrome (An Educator's Handbook) Similar to E-123 - this version is focused on information to give to teachers and administrators.
- To view all of TSA's Publications and Videos for Sale, Please Visit our Online Store.
Other Resources:
Staff Biographical Note:
 KATHY GIORDANO
A parent of two adult children with Tourette Syndrome, Kathy Giordano is on staff as a national TSA Education Specialist. Over the past fifteen years, Ms. Giordano has presented workshops concerning educational, behavioral, and advocacy issues related to TS and co-occurring disorders to over 14,000 individuals. Previously, Ms.Giordano had been chair of national TSA's Advocacy Committee. |
