NEW JERSEY CENTER FOR TOURETTE SYNDROME AND ASSOCIATED DISORDERS

The New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome and Associated Disorders, Inc. provides non-medical support services for families across the state and serves as a valuable resource for education and medical professionals. The Center provides educational support services that are aligned with the initiatives of the current administration, including webinars for families and professionals; workshops at collegiate campuses around the state; professional conference presentations; advocacy services for families considering a 504 or IEP, or who require assistance with a new diagnosis in the school context; a youth advocacy program; and faculty and student in-service presentations, provided in-house to school faculty and students across the state, that offer extensive strategies and accommodations, and promote a message of tolerance and respect.

The Center has been a resource for families and professionals in the school context. NJCTS provides access to valuable resources and professionals; educational webinars for families and education professionals that focus on a range of topics, including what to expect from the process of special education classification, and social concerns for the child with TS and associated disorders; guest lectures and college workshops at campuses around the state on topics such as recognizing the early warning signs for these disorders, and an inclusive understanding of the diagnosis, treatment, and complications they present; professional conference presentations with a wide variety of education and medical-based professional organizations and associations around the state; consultations and advocacy for families considering a 504 or IEP, and families with a new diagnosis who seek counseling on what to expect in the school context; a Youth Advocacy program which trains young adults with disabilities to self-advocate, provide information, and promote a message of tolerance, acceptance, and sensitivity; and faculty and student in-services: in-house presentations delivered to education professionals and students in elementary and secondary schools across New Jersey that provide information about Tourette Syndrome and associated disorders while also promoting a message of tolerance and respect.

The Center currently provides support services around the entire state with some outreach into New York and Pennsylvania as well. However, while NJCTS has a wide reach, outreach to certain areas of the state needs improvement, particularly the southernmost parts of New Jersey. In order to remedy this, the Center needs more presenters available in this area and a more proactive presence and outreach. More funding would allow the Center to provide this outreach to those underserved areas and also train presenters who could serve there.

The New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome and Associated Disorders, Inc. (NJCTS) is the nation’s first Center of Excellence dedicated to educating the public, medical professionals and education professionals about Tourette Syndrome and its associated mental health conditions that provides non-medical support for families and individuals. Founded in 2004, the Center’s programs support the promotion and development of family services, support for children and professionals in schools, and diagnostic treatment therapies. NJCTS also leads the nation in supporting collaborative research into the cause and treatment of TS.

The New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome & Associated Disorders is a grassroots organization, staffed by 10 people, who provide support services for more than 3,000 families across the state. The Center’s level and quality of outreach and education about a chronically misunderstood cluster of disorders is unmatched by organizations with ten times the staff.