I’m a junior in high school now and play football and baseball, and I have been playing sports my entire life. They have been a huge part of my life, and I would be lying if I said my tics haven’t presented challenges along with that. Continue Reading
By Sarah Freeman, NJCTS Youth Advocate At school, my OCD manifests itself in many ways. I often find it challenging to switch between tasks and stay focused on the coursework. I like to put all my time and energy into… Continue Reading
I knew that the differences of the new world we lived in was undoing so much progress that had been made for accommodations in an academic environment. Continue Reading
It’s not a joke. It’s not a punchline. It’s not an excuse. Those are the refrains from four Youth Advocates who live with Tourette Syndrome, a neurobiological disorder characterized by uncontrollable movements or vocalizations known as tics. The disorder is… Continue Reading
Crystal is a 2018 NJCTS Scholarship finalist and a graduate of Bridgewater-Raritan Regional High School. Below is her scholarship essay – a letter to herself. Dear Crystal, I know you love to learn. You will learn anything and everything, anywhere at… Continue Reading
A graduate of Montville Township High School, Venkata is a 2018 NJCTS Scholarship finalist. Here is his essay submission. I remember, with a certain degree of ambivalence (because I was equally mortified and relieved), the Neurologist’s description of the affliction… Continue Reading
Matthew is a 2018 NJCTS Scholarship finalist. He is a graduate of Pinelands Regional High School. This is his scholarship essay. I have had Tourette’s Syndrome for about eleven years now, and it has progressively gotten worse with each year… Continue Reading
Bennett is a graduate of West Morris Mendham High School and a 2018 NJCTS Scholarship finalist. When people hear about Tourette Syndrome, I think they fixate on how limiting and inconvenient it can be. It certainly can be. Over the… Continue Reading
Alexis is a graduate of Indian Hills High School and a 2018 NJCTS Scholarship finalist. This is her scholarship essay submission. My eyes would open and close time after time, fast and wide. My arms would swing up and down like… Continue Reading
Greg is a graduate of Indian Hills High School and a 2018 NJCTS Scholarship finalist. This is his scholarship essay. Although having Tourette Syndrome can be a challenge at times, it has allowed me to discover things about myself that… Continue Reading