Collaborative Partnerships for the Tourette Syndrome Community
The 2014 slate of the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome & Associated Disorders’ (NJCTS) Wednesday Webinar series will kick off with a bang on January 15 and 22 when noted Tourette Syndrome and education expert Susan Conners, M.Ed., hosts a two-part series on accommodations for students affected by TS.
Tourette Syndrome is an inherited, misdiagnosed, misunderstood neurological disorder characterized by involuntary sounds and movements known as tics that affects 1 in 100 children and adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Conners, an authority on educating students with TS who serves as a go-to-source for major networks and other media outlets in their coverage of Tourette, will present “The 504 Accommodation Plan vs. the Individualized Education Plan (IEP)” from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. (EST) on January 15. The webinar will discuss the differences between the plans, and help parents and educators understand which is most appropriate for a student with TS, an associated neurological disorder or other special-needs condition.
“Parents and educators alike are often confused about the process of obtaining educational services for struggling students regardless of their disability,” said Conners, who in August 2012 presented a two-part webinar series on educational rights for NJCTS. “This webinar will break down all the options available, explore who is eligible and why, and explain this in uncomplicated, clear terms to hopefully make the process simpler for all involved.”
On January 22, also from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. EST, Conners will return with “Accommodations, Strategies and Techniques for Working with Students with Tourette Syndrome.” This webinar will propose many creative accommodations and strategies for working with TS children in the classroom and at home. It also will include strategies for accompanying disorders such as OCD, ADHD, Executive Dysfunction, sensory issues, learning disabilities and dysgraphia (writing deficits).
“Accommodations are intended to level the playing field for students with disabilities,” said Conners, author of The Tourette Syndrome/OCD Checklist: A Practical Resource for Parents and Educators. “Tourette Syndrome and its associated disorders are very complex and not always easy to understand. They are also disorders which wax and wane. This webinar will offer concrete and creative accommodations that have been successful in assisting students with all of these disorders.”
NJCTS’ Wednesday Webinar series was launched in 2008 and today draws an audience from 48 states and 15 countries. The series has featured more than 50 online seminars for parents, educators and professionals on topics of interest to the Tourette Syndrome and associated disorders community. To receive a Professional Development Certificate or a Certificate of Attendance for attending any of these live webinars, there will be a $20 nonrefundable fee to receive the certificate. For more information, please call 908-575-7350 or visit www.njcts.org.