Free Webinar: Tourette Syndrome and Difficulty With Sensory Processing and Integration
July 14, 2010 by Leslie E. Packer PhD
Filed under Event, News
Sensory processing issues will be the focus of the latest in the Wednesday Webinar series on July 21, presented by the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome. Individuals with TS often present with significant difficulty processing and integrating sensory information, and this impacts their responses to daily life events. This webinar will describe the variety of common sensory processing and integration problems and explore their impact on behavior and functional motor skills. In addition, strategies used to treat symptoms of these sensory difficulties and foster more appropriate responses to sensation will be described. All special needs families are encouraged to participate.
This webinar will be presented by Lesley Austin Geyer, MA, OTR/L; an occupational therapist with 30 years experience and advanced training in the assessment and treatments of individuals with sensory processing integration. She is the parent of an adult son with Tourette Syndrome and is president of the Pennsylvania Tourette Syndrome Alliance.
Professional development credits will be offered upon completion of the exit survey to educators and mental health professionals.
“Tourette Syndrome and Difficulty with Sensory Processing and Integration”
July 21, 2010
7:30 – 8:30 p.m. ET
Free; registration is required: njcts.org/witsd-seminar-sign-up.phpFor more information visit www.njcts.org or call 908-575-7350.
I am new here, I do not live near New Jersey nor, do we live close to any support organizations for Tourettes Syndrome. I have spent hours just trying to meet up with people or professionals who know or have experience with Tourettes Syndrome. My child has Tourettes and I would like to know the best way I can help him. He is homeschooled because of his tics. I knew that there were other issues with TS, except I cannot find a therapist in our area, because of his insurance. The closest in two hours away. i would appreciate any information one can give me. Thank you. Ms. Brown.
From your IP address, you live in a state where there is a chapter of the Tourette Syndrome Association. Have you been in touch with them for referrals and education advocacy assistance? And have you asked them about creating a support group in your part of the state?
Seriously: if you need to drive two hours to get to a specialist who can give you a comprehensive assessment/diagnosis, it would be worth it. Expert physicians on TS+ are often willing to provide ongoing consultation or back-up for local physicians so that once you’ve gotten a consult with an expert, they can work with your local physician if medication treatment is indicated. And if your insurance plan doesn’t have any real experts as providers, then you can challenge your insurance company and ask them to approve an out-of-network provider as in-network because they don’t have anyone. I’ve done successfully that in a number of cases. The same is also true for out-of-network therapists, but it is generally harder to find a skilled and knowledgeable therapist for TS+ than a physician. Asking your state chapter for local referrals may help you find someone.
As to the schooling issues: I am not an advocate of home schooling because of tics. In fact, I tend to be very much against it as I think it perpetuates the stigma and gives the schools an “out” from having to find out about TS and how to educate kids with TS+. If a child’s tics are really so severe that they cannot handle school for a few weeks during a tic waxing cycle, that is one thing, but I generally do not think kids should be home schooled just because they have TS. And if it means finding an advocate to help deal with the school district, then I’d do that. But that’s just me, and I realize that other parents may reach other decisions. Keep in mind that I am not speaking “just” as a professional in saying that — I am also a parent of two kids with these issues and decided to hang tough so that they could get an appropriate public education. I won’t say it was easy, because it wasn’t, but we succeeded and it left the schools better prepared for the next TS+ child down the road.
Have you checked out the Sunrise support mail ? If not, that might be one way to get some online support.