Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association

Admer and His Story

2011-09-12T23:15:00.000-07:00

Admer is diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome who joined a writing contest in McDonalds Philippines, where he is currently working as a service crew. Fortunately, he won the writing contest. He wrote about his life with Tourette Syndrome and here is his piece:

"I’m Admer Barata from Mendez, Cavite. 24 years old. I have a disorder called Tourrette’s Syndrome and started working as a service Crew in McDonalds Tagaytay Taal at the age of 17.I’ve been working there for 6 years now. Before I applied in McDonald’s, there are questions and doubts that run through my mind such as:

Am I ready to work with other people in an environment more mature and different from school? How will I explain to them what I am going through? Will they understand me? How will other treat me knowing my disorder?

Tourette Syndrome is a Neurological disorder that causes involuntary and or unintentional movements or speaking called TICS. I was diagnosed with this disorder when I was in my 1st year in High School. I am taking medicine that helps me lessen my TICS. Unfortunately, there is no cure for Tourette’s Syndrome and I am one of those people who will carry it for life. It is unpopular and very rare disorder. I’ve been straight forward about my disorder during my interview in McDonalds. I told my manager everything about TS that they should know. McDonald’s has been considerate and accepted my application as long as my medical tests would show that I am fit to work. And it’s been my first ever work! It’s an opportunity for me to work here in McDonald’s for it is known globally as one of the top food-chains. Passing my application gave me confidence despite my long time fear that I will never find a good job because of TS. Being hired gave me a different outlook and challenged me to push myself more to keep these work. McDonald’s changed my life both mentally and emotionally, and financially as well. As a self supporting, my work helped me to sustain my continued medication, which is not easy. My medicine, regular checkup as well as my personal expenses cost more.

At my first year at work, my workmates gradually notice my involuntary movements (nodding, facial twitching and sniffing).It’s not easy. I’ve always been a laughingstock at work because of these. There are times that someone will embarrass me in front of other crews or bullies me during or out of work. But I didn’t fight them back or treat them bad in return. There are a few times may be when the bullying is too much and won’t stop till the end of my duty. But I didn’t give up, and will never be. I know that they tend to discriminate me because they know only a little if not totally unfamiliar of Tourette Syndrome. So little by little I explained to them what Tourette Syndrome is. They’ve been open-minded to people like me. They even feel pity for me at times when my TICS are attacking or when I’m running out of medicine. I gain strength, respect, and support from them, most things I need having Tourette Syndrome.

I do not just work for money and fun. I gain friends and knowledge every day. I learned things that can’t be taught in school and cannot be learned at home. While on duty I become more flexible associating from my workmates and managers to the costumers. I’m able to practice to separate my personal life from my work to be productive on duty. The good quality training the company gives to its employees made me effective on my stations and to be flexible. I learned a lot from it. I become more resourceful on duty, able to do multiple tasks at a time and give good service to the customers without compromising the quality of the products and the company. But at times I can’t please other people though I gave my best foot forward. Things sometimes are out of my hand and complains are being charged against me. On situation like these, I try to apply remedy by talking politely to the customers, apologizing and try to give them exactly what they are asking for. But if it won’t work I ask for the assistance of my workmates especially the managers. Made me wiser each time, reminds me to follow standard procedures and have a presence of mind to avoid conflicts with the customers or with fellow crews. Trainings and FUSOC still helps even though I’ve been to the company for 6 years. Made me effective crew on high peaks season or even on an ordinary day. Good relationship with fellow crews can lessen the pressure on duty whether its graveyard or morning-shift and whatever the station is. Learned to treat people fairly whoever they are and whatever their status in the society is. My experience for six years made me work with beginners nicely. I know they feel as I was as nervous and as clueless as them when I myself was a beginner. I give them a hand when they need to and teach them things they must know generously. Work is a big help for persons like me with TS. It is important to have things that would keep me busy and focused to lessen my TICS and to temporarily forget my disorder and be just like everybody else. My hard work has been rewarded when I was chosen to be the crew of the month for a several times and now as a candidate for crew chief. It inspired me to work more hard.

McDonald’s has been the way for me to meet for the first time a person with the same disorder. One of my co-workers knows him and introduced us. Even my managers supported me fully. Our management team helped me ask permission from the Head Office to shoot in McDonald’s for a documentary for a local TV station. The permission of the head office helped me a lot. The public was informed about Tourette Syndrome. Even the costumers recognized me and admired me for my strength. It’s very heart-warming to get commendations from them because it only shows that they appreciate me for what I am and what I have. My McDonald’s family has been helping me in so many ways. McDonald’s did not look at in a way that most people do. I’ve been accepted and treated as one of the members of its family. I’ve been given opportunities that I am thankful for. McDonald’s is my second family. There are people in that place that are very close to my heart.

They say there’s no harm in dreaming high. So I am hoping that one day, having learned a lot and proven myself at work, I would be a member of the management team. I would like to expand my knowledge and enhance my skills in McDonald’s. I am also one of the Advocates of our organization, Philippine Tourrette’s Syndrome Associaton (PTSA).I want to be an example to every individual with or without TS. I know that every day, each of us goes to different challenges in a society that tends to belittle people with disorders. Discrimination and bullies are always round the corner. I want to inform people that disorders and disabilities is not a hindrance to have a happy and normal life. My disorder is not a burden in my work. It humbles me and McDonald’s is just right here to open opportunities to people like me. And I won’t give them any excuses not excel more in this work. Again, this is Admer Barata and this is my Love to Make a Differennce Story.

A Mother's Note About his Son Who Has Tourettes

2011-08-24T21:23:00.000-07:00

the last time i wrote about his tourette syndrome was more than a year ago...at present, since classes started or even during summer vacation, his tics were rarely noticeable. t'was only during the lst week of classes maybe because of new excitement and pressure of going back to studying and meeting new people, new teachers etc. but as a whole until today, i can say that his tics are very minimal. his big brother teased him that he misses his tics. and just like every night that comes, i remind him to pray. i used to tell him that we pray to the Lord to remove his tics in His time but if it is Thy will, He gives us strength to accept it. i tell him that God has a reason why He gave him t.s. and it is not for us to ask why. what is important and we are thankful for is He gave us the gift of life. He gave us so many blessings in life like his intelligence esp. in Math which many are having a problem at. i always tell my kids to share their knowledge to others esp. to those who are having problems with it. give free tutorials to your classmates and teach them well.

he just finished his 100 tabs. of magnesium and i plan to give him polynerve syrup next month. he said that he can't see any difference when he was taking them and now that he has not. anyway, i'll try the polynerve coz it is just like a vitamin for the nerves.

i continue to pray for him and for all the members of my family that we may all be united in supporting john j with this disorder. i suppose it helps a lot that he is in a small group where bullies are less to find. they are only 20+ in the room and the school has a population of less than 200 in high school. he is very active in whatever activity they have and i encourage him to join always. i am very glad his classmates are very supportive of him. he says there are a few who teases him but he says it's ok coz they are his friends.

he rides the ferryboat when he goes to school and so he can relax there unlike in the jeepney, you are all cramped together and everyone stares when your body makes a movement. in the ferryboat, he can gaze at the sea while listening to his ipod. nobody stares at you and everyone seems busy with whatever they are doing like chatting usually with their companion. i suppose this has helped a lot too now that he's commuting thru the ferryboat and not the jeepn ey. he enjoys the ride a lot now he wants to be a seaman like hi dad.

whenever i mention some people who are still in the denial stage of acceptance, Ely butts in saying...yes, just like your husband before. i just tell him it's ok you're over it and i am happy that you have accepted the truth. he loves his kids so much and it pains him a lot to know that jj has t.s. everytime he calls, he always asks about his t.s. and how it is. he's a lot happier now that i tell him that they are very minimal and hardly noticeable nowadays. i remind him though that tics may come and go so we just have to be ready and accept what the future has in store for his t.s. what is truly important is we have john j and we love him very much with or without his t.s.---mardi (a mother who has a son with tourette syndrome)

Badong, a Taxi Driver with Tourette Syndrome in "Wish Ko Lang"

2011-05-16T23:03:00.000-07:00

Badong, played by the actor John Fair, is a taxi driver with Tourette Syndromewho has a daughter with a severe illness. How can he manage the situation while struggling with Tourette Syndrome himself...watch this touching short episode about Tourette Syndrome in "Wish Ko Lang",GMA Channel 7. The actor was coached by the two of the members (Alec Loteria and Aileen Pacia) of the Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association.(video courtesy of WKL)

Post Anniversary Get Together

2011-03-10T04:21:00.001-08:00

SAKSI Shoot

2011-03-01T07:48:00.001-08:00

Through Tic and Thin: A Closer Look at Tourette Syndrome

2011-02-24T01:22:00.000-08:00

Through Tic and Thin: A Closer Look at Tourette Syndrome

2011-02-21T16:42:00.000-08:00

Organized by Level 4 Section A Group 4 and Section B Group 10

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

Program Chairperson : Emerson Espano

Assistant Program Chairperson: Jhoanne Fungo

Committee on Program and Invitation

Joana Ferrer

Khamille Dimapilis

Joanna Marie Dy

Roman Escober Jr.

Wilhelm Rose Evangelista

Rose Ann Fernandez

Daryl Jade Garing

Committee on Physical Arrangements

John Rudolf Espiritu

Christian Faustino

Jessa Flores

Malia Gagelonia

Leo Jan Garcia

Committee on Registration and Reception

Mary Grace Evangelista

Sheen Espiritu

Xylene Cabayeron

Elaine Galang

Committee on Documentation and Evaluation

Anna Katrina Fernandez

Rizaldy Fernandez

Dian Karia Flores

Rochelle Escano

Committee on Finance

Marigrace Guisijan

Michelle Cindel Encarnacion

Clarissa Dionisio

4th Year Anniversary- Feb 16, 2011

2011-02-21T05:23:00.000-08:00

News on Q Shooting for Tourette Syndrome, GMA

2011-02-16T07:38:00.000-08:00

PLEASE STAND BY FOR THE AIRING OF OUR TOURETTE SYNDROME EPISODE ON GMA CHANNEL 7

PTSA's 4th Anniversary Par-tic!

2011-02-08T01:24:00.000-08:00

EVERYBODY'S INVITED!!!!

Meet actual people with Tourette Syndrome, share experiences, join games with them, get to know them, enjoy the fun!!!

Please coordinate with Rowena at 0915.4424340

if you are interested to come...we will see you there!

Ang "Tics" at "Blahs" ng Buhay Ko (The Tics and Blahs of my Life)

2011-01-28T01:12:00.000-08:00

By: Andrei Salazar (a customer service representative, diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome)

tic: nailingon ko ang aking ulo sa kanan; "nakita ko ang totoong mundo kong ginagalawan"

tic: bumaling naman ako sa kaliwa; "nakita ko ang mga taong nangungutya"
tic: naitaas ko ang aking ulo; "Diyos ko, ikaw ang dahilan ng lahat ng ito"
tic: bigla kong naibaba ang ulo ko; "At ako'y nangumbaba at nagdasal ng patuloy na pag-unawa ng kapwa ko".
tic: kaliwang braso ko'y naihampas sa hangin; "At doo'y nakitang humiling"
tic: kanang braso ko nama'y biglang naibaling ; "Nang aking nahawakan ang kapalaran na kayang abutin".

blah: tugon ko sa mga taong hindi pa nakakaintindi; ng mga bagay at tunay na nangyayari
blah: tugon ko uli para ipaalam ang mga bagay na dati ay ako lang ang nakakaalam.

tic; blah; tic; tic; blah; blah; blah: marahil ay isang awiting kami lang ang may alam; ng mga tono at liriko na kami lang ang nakagagawa.

tic; blah; blah; tic; blah; tic; blah: sa isang banda nama'y nananawagan; kami'y unawain at pakinggan; pagkat alam nami'y hindi bingi ang lahat; sa totoo naming tinig at nararamdaman....

The One to Five of Coping with TS

2011-01-28T00:52:00.000-08:00

The One to Five of Coping with TS

By: Guia Roa S. Soriano (A Labor and Employment Officer, diagnosed with TS)

I’ve been living with this on and of tics for like 15 years now. It is only when I was 20 years old when I was able to find it’s name, Tourette Syndrome. I admit it wasn’t easy at first, but through my own coping mechanisms I was able to conquer it. So I would like to share with you the 5steps that help me cope with TS.

1. Acceptance. I believe that to make the a life of an individual a lot easier, acceptance is one factor.

Acceptance from the side of the family that someone from their clan is having this different gift that He gives only to those who can handle it. I am blessed to have a family who, after being able to understand the diagnosis to me, never treats me differently. Just the same smart, stubborn, and pretty (oh yes am) lady member of the clan. Me and my family even joke at it whenever my vocal tics are becoming loud like, “anlakas naman nun.”

Acceptance from the side of your true friends. I am very lucky to have friends who had accompanied me in my journey in searching for the answers behind my tics. One of my friends is the one who saw the website of PTSA (ticawaywithme.blogspot.com then) and told me about it. Since then they’d been with me in looking for explanations. A line that my friend said that I will never forget, “isa ako sa mga unang nakaalam na may TS ka. Bukod dun wala naman akong ibang nakita. Hindi naman naapaektuhan ang productivity mo.”

Acceptance from your side. If you cannot accept that you have that special gift, don’t expect other to accept you. So start from there. Accept that you are one of the chose few. Remember according to research most of the people who have TS are those who are intelligent and beautiful/handsome.

2. Know that you are just like anybody else. We don’t need special treatment, it will just trigger the situation. Study like any other students do. Work like any other employees. Like what I said in the interview before, “we are just like any other people, meron lang kaming sound effects at choreogaphy sa katawan.” Would you believe that I even get invitations to host some events? (I am a cool emcee, try me.  )

3. Understand those who can’t. I know there would always be that stare from other people who don’t know what TS is. Let them stare for crying out loud. You won’t die of their stare. And whenever people laugh at you, let them laugh their heart out. Me, whenever people laugh at me because of my tic I just say in my mind, “buti na lang hindi sa inyo napunta ‘toh. Hindi niyo kasi maiintindihan. Poor you.” Let’s just say that we are more intelligent than them so let us be the one to understand.  Don’t expect everybody to understand you. Just understand them.

4. Learn to laugh at it. Since you cannot prevent people from lauging about it, learn to laugh with them. Like what they also say, “if you cannot beat them join them.” It won’t help if you will just go to one corner and fret over the situation. Believe me, when you learn to laugh about it sometimes, life will be a lot easier.

5. Pray. This will be your best armor in surviving a life with TS. So learn the art of constant praying. Pray that He may give you the willingness to go on with life. Pray that He will give you the strength to fight the battle. Pray to give Him thanks for that special gift.

Real Stories: A Personal Essay of a College Student With TS

2011-01-21T00:42:00.000-08:00

"My Personal Essay"
By: Rafael Francisco Zamora Bunye (a college student diagnosed with TS)

I've had quite a number of experiences that helped to define me as a person. Though they are not that many, I believe that those experiences helped shape the person that I am today. But in all of those, one sticks out the most. This is the main topic of my paper.

I have Tics. I have had it as a child but didn’t really understand what it was until I found that that unusual thing was called to be Tourette’s Syndrome. To those who may not know what it is, Tourette’s Syndrome, as defined by science, is a hereditary, neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by multiple physical tics and at least one vocal tic. It is also called Tics for short. In layman’s term, it is a disorder that is inherited from the parents which causes the body or some specific body parts to jerk otherwise make some sounds uncontrollably. With it being hereditary, I inherited my Tics from my father who inherited his Tics from his father and so on. When a person has Tourette’s, it is hard for him to control his reflexes and since I also have it, you might see my arms, legs or even my whole body jerking a lot. I would also make some sounds, which too is uncontrollable.

Having Tics would make it hard for me to somewhat socialize since people would always ask me why I’m jerking a lot or making certain sounds. Back when I was new to the whole Tourette’s, I didn’t know how to explain it so I would make excuses like I’m itching or I’m just stretching. It is also hard for me since people would have the tendency to stare at me while my Tics were acting up or sometimes even make fun of me and mock me. Those things would greatly affect my self – esteem because it made me feel unaccepted and it makes me think that there’s something wrong with me. It would again be hard for me because I have a difficult time in doing some things like the ROTC in school, driving and just plain keeping still. With those being the case, it’s hard for a person with Tourette’s like me to have a high self – esteem.

But even if those happen to me, it doesn’t stop me from doing things I love. Knowing that I can’t control what people thought of me, the best thing I did was to control what I thought of myself. I always tell myself that I am normal like every body else but unique in my own way. I keep on thinking that my Tics are an advantage rather than a disorder. It is an advantage because it acts like my trainer in building my self - confidence. I get help from my family and friends who always support me in everything I do. They are the ones who remind me to relax when my Tics are acting up and tell me that I can do anything despite my condition. I also get help from watching inspirational videos about Tourette’s and reading books about keeping a high self – esteem. I certainly love the quote of movie that said, “I have Tourette’s but Tourette’s doesn’t have me.” I always keep that quote in mind whenever I feel down about my Tics because it lifts up my spirit to continue to strive harder and attain my goals in life. And whenever someone tries to make fun of my Tics, I would just laugh along with them because I’m not insecure about it anymore and I’ve accepted it. I would sort of find it funny too. Whenever someone asks me about my Tourette’s, I wouldn’t make excuses about it but instead, openly talk about it and explain it to them.

I would like to achieve my goals about Tourette’s someday. First of all, I’d like to be a spokesperson about Tourette’s and inspire a lot of people who have it to do what they love and not be stopped by their Tics. I would also like to help people become more aware of Tourette’s Syndrome and the impact on the lives of people who have it. I would like to help children and teenagers cope with their Tics and to have a high self – esteem so they won’t be ashamed of their Tourette’s. Lastly, I would like to inspire and show people that having a disability is not a weakness or disadvantage and it is not a roadblock in living a happy life and fulfilling your dreams.

Having all these said and done, I could say that having Tourette’s Syndrome and how I chose to deal with it is a very significant experience for me that helped define myself as a person. It helped define me for it has contributed in my high self – esteem. When I chose to deal with it in a positive manner, it helped me make a lot of friends and meet new people. It has given me the confidence to join a lot of activities in my village and in school. It taught me how to face my other problems. It taught me that there is good in even the most difficult of times. It showed me not to be ashamed of who I really am and to just be myself. As what Brian Tracy, a self help author, once said, “ You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you.”

Real Stories: Thoughts of a Mother with Son who has Tourette Syndrome

2011-01-20T23:55:00.000-08:00

By: Mardi Conde Puno (a language instructor and a mother of a son with Tourette Syndrome)

tourette syndrome is a neurological disorder manifested by at least two motor tics and one vocal tic. motor tics can be as simple as the blinking of the eye, to facial twitches, head jerkings, movements of the arms and even the legs or the abdomen. vocal tics can also be grunting, to the worst cursing and swearing of words..all these tics are involuntary and can't be controlled though there are times that they can be suppressed.

my son, john j has tourette syndrome. he was ten years old when i noticed that his eye keeps on blinking and later on his mouth moves as in facial twitches...i was frightened and alarmed. he was constantly scolded coz we always tell him to try to control the movements. i didn't know anything about tourette syndrome. i brought him to our family doctor and later to two eye doctors but no findings came. i walked in to a clinic of a neurologist but still nothing was diagnosed. the tics come and go and timely that they don't appear when we are in a clinic.

after a year, i was able to watch "front of the class", a movie about a teacher who has t.s. i gathered the whole family and we watched the movie in silence and with tears in our eyes. it was then that i realized that my son has tourette syndrome. i researched almost daily and i also let him read my researches. there is no real cause yet of t.s. and no cure although there are a lot of researches being done . medications are given to some but not to cure but to minimize the tics...i decided not to give him any coz the tics are mild and many are complaining with the side effects of the medicines. they are much worried about the side effects. and so i told my son that we won't be taking meds. since they don't cure but instead we offer this disorder to the Lord and pray. in His infinite love and mercy, i pray to the Lord that his t.s. will be cured one day in His time. according to research 75% of children with t.s.. lose the tics as they rreach early adulthood. they do become rampant and very noticeable on puberty age coz this is the age the child is very much stressed. i expect the worst to come coz he is now 13 but i trust in Him to help us cope with this. i pray for strength and acceptance daily.

at present, john j is having a lot of facial movements like eye blinkings, facial twitches, noddings, head jerkings , hand movements...the tics come and go, wax and wane. sometimes they are very visible but sometimes hardly noticeable. as he is now in to high school, into a new school i talked with his adviser about his t.s. everyone in school knows about his t.s. and so they are aware of it and so almost no one teases him or ridicules him. his vocal tics include grunting and sometimes he repeats words although his vocal tics aren't as strong as his motor tics.

many thanks to the Lord for my answered prayers like i no longer cry when i talk about his t.s., less bullies in school, his being happy in his new school. more strength for all of us esp. his pa. actually the least worrier in the family is john j. he has a great attitude towards his t.s. he only gets affected when people stare at him. this is his cry to all...please don't stare at me.

when we were interviewed by GMA , he was very willing and didn't hesitate. i explained to him that the interview is for public awareness and public education. i am so proud of my son and i love him so very much. with or without t.s., i thank the Lord He gave me john j.

By: Mardi Amadora Conde Puno (a language instructor and a mother of a son with TS)

Real Stories: A Life with Tourettes

2011-01-20T23:03:00.000-08:00

Yes, I have Tourette's too.

After putting up the org (PTSA) and appearing on numerous TV shows that featured TS, most people might say that I have successfully conquered TS.

Guess what... I still haven't.

Sometimes I still get hurt when I get stared at. At times, I still feel insecure; my past still haunts me. And my tics have even started to get in the way with my keyboard playing.

I may not have conquered it, alright. Perhaps, I never will. But what's important is that I've conquered two things that are ever harder to conquer- the fear of living life, and the fear of loving others completely.

Life can be as hurtful as much as it is beautiful. Insecurities ought not to put us down, but to merely put our feet on the ground. TS has taught me and my loved ones how to be more understanding and patient. I will therefore live my life and continue coping AT ALL COST.

Guess what? I don't even think it's wrong to think that I have not conquered TS, and that TS has conquered me instead. It's not that I have given up or given in to it. It's just that something.... Someone greater has conquered me entirely, anyway...

...Lord, I surrender everything to you. Just keep on holding my hand, please... kahit malikot s'ya :)

And babe... thank you for loving me as I am.

By: Marlon Barnuevo (PTSA's co- founder, industrial designer, musician, diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome)

Real Stories: January 2011 Note

2011-01-20T22:43:00.000-08:00

Hello! I have Tourette and I am proud of it. It was a blessing for me and not a hinder to my success. I inherit it from my dad side, a third generation. There were times I feel down because of my Tourette Syndrome, some people don't understand what really Tourette is. I cry.. I got hurt... I tell to my parents how I feel having Tourette in my life.... But this is how Tourette works in my life. Having tics in a split seconds, some staring at me, some don't understand, some looking at you from head to toe. BUT to tell you honestly, they make me better and stronger person. :) They make me to stand by my own and shout to the world I have Tourette all we need is understanding. If you can't understand us, may God light ups your mind. We are unique and perfectly molded by our savior. Proud! -Aileen Pacia (a student, a model, a Filipino with Tourette Syndrome)

Real Stories: "Buhay Tourettes"

2011-01-20T22:18:00.000-08:00

"Buhay Tourettes"
Sa Panulat ni Alec Loteria (a 20 yr old guy diagnosed with TS)

Tinitingnan ka at minsan pinagtatawanan ka pa, sa bawat galaw ng aking katawan na lagi nilang nakikita
walang biro na araw araw ko yan nararanasan
at binabale-wala ko lang ang mga ito sa aking isipan
kaya ako nahilig makinig ng musikang mararahan
dahil ito'y nagpapasaya sa akin at higit sa lahat hindi nila ako pinagtatawanan.

Nakakapagod at masakit sa katawan
pero siguro may dahilan kaya niya ibinigay sa amin ang ganitong karamdaman
madaming tao ang hindi nakakaalam sa karamdamang ito
at bihirang tao lang ang meron nito
pero ang mga taong iyon ang nagbigay sa akin ng pagasa
para maipagpatuoly ko ang aking mga pangarap na kailangan kong matamasa...

2010- A Xmas Party Offered for the Children of Nazareth Homes

2010-12-21T23:20:00.000-08:00

The Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association decided to hold their christmas party in Bulacan. Because of all the blessings they've had for 2010, they decided to pay their blessings forward by giving gifts to the Children of Nazareth Homes. PTSA headed by TS Support Group in Bulacan in collaboration with Project ABC (Abandoned Children) made a day full of joy, gift giving, dancing, and a blessed feast for all these children. Not to mention that a 19 yr- old TS diagnosed individual, Aileen Pacia, shared a moment of speech for these children as she shared her challenges having TS. She even shared the value of being strong despite hardships in life which the children of Nazareth were truly inspired.

This event is primarily rooted from the realization that eventhough it's hard for you to experience a life with Tourette Syndrome, there are also many out there who may have more difficult lives than yours. So the least thing we can do is to be thankful of what we have and cultivate them to make you a better person each day---- then in end, the world would be a better place.

PTSA would like to thank Mr. Butch Duay, our Tourette Syndrome support group coordinator in Bulacan, the TS support group in Bulacan, the President of Project ABC, and of course the head of the Children of Nazareth Homes for the warm welcome.

And to the abandoned children of Nazareth Homes----- "we will not be able to relieve your pain but by understanding it and sharing it, we might make it possible for you to bear it".

Paying It Forward

2010-12-03T22:38:00.000-08:00

It’s the last month of year 2010 and the Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association thought of paying all our blessings forward to other people who are most in need. Our members who are diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome have long been battling with the disorder and fortunately, all of them are successful in their own respective walks of life. The attitude of proper coping and courage to accept who they really are and what they are capable of are great tools that these people have used over the years to love themselves more despite the disorder. This encouraging experience fuelled our drive to share our blessings to people who are also in need--- that in the eyes of humanity we should not complain because there will always be people who are less fortunate than us. So the Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association collaborates with Project ABC to share our blessing to children of Nazareth Homes in Bulacan, Philippines. This will be a one day yuletide event that will serve not only a time of merriment but also to instill the idea of “true giving” this Christmas.

We will be giving the kids gift bags with practical things they need--- soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, toiletries, etc. We would like to ask your help in providing them these things. We will also welcome other kind donations for these kids—books and clothes are also welcome. FOR YOUR DONATIONS, please coordinate with our support group coordinator in Bulacan, Mr. Butch Duay (0917.8040726) if you’re in Bulacan area. However, for your general inquiry and donations if you’re in Manila, please contact the founder of the Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association, Ms. Rowena (0915.4424340).

We are hoping for your kindness in this fruitful event.

Meet Up with the Punos

2010-11-26T03:44:00.000-08:00

Mardi Puno and her husband, Eldred came to visit Manila to see the founder of the Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association. Mardi is our TS support group coordinator in Cebu, her son John J is diagnosed with TS. They appeared in one of our media exposures in GMA channel 7 in Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho (see the video) Butch, our TS support group coordinator in Bulacan and his mother including Stauro, also joined the fun. A dinner at pizza hut bistro and lots of good conversation made our night.

Tourette Syndrome at Pinoy MD

2010-11-25T20:51:00.000-08:00

Tourette Syndrome at Pinoy MD hosted by Ms. Connie Sison at GMA Channel 7

PTSA at the Philippine General Hospital

2010-10-16T06:17:00.000-07:00

Tourette Syndrome as St. Scholasticas College, Manila

2010-08-10T18:43:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Ms. Kristel Pascual, President of Education Society of St. Scholasticas College in Manila, for organizing this event. Thank you also to all the professors who came in, the students, and all the people who helped organizing this event. Thank you all! Another successful campus tour!

Really--- It's all about LOVE and UNDERSTANDING

2010-07-20T19:30:00.001-07:00

The Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association has been around for quite sometime now. Over the years, we found ourselves in the pit of an overwhelming success and fulfillment. Seldom people feel to be working and loving their work at the same time but for us in the organization everyday became sort of an outing, a moment of merriment, a moment of unexplainable gratification. Although, we talk about one thing and one thing only---- Tourette Syndrome, but we get to meet a lot of people! Truly a remarkable feeling.

Days have been passing by in front of us. It’s a surprise how things turn out for the organization. And it is even more overwhelming to see people coming out of their shell and telling us---

“I am diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome, I want to join your organization and meet people like me.”

Whenever we get to meet people especially those diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome, our purpose, mission and vision are emphasized. And everyday is a realization that yes, we are doing exactly what needs to be done!

Recently was another joyous moment. Again, Tourette Syndrome was exposed in the media thru a television show called “True Stories” by Vicki Morales in Qtv channel 11 at GMA Network. Oftentimes TV show producers would ask people diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome from our community and these people are the ones being shown on TV. But this is the first where the featured person with TS came from a very popular public figure—Ms. Romina Sotto or popularly known as Apples Sotto, the eldest child of Senator Tito Sotto and actress Helen Gamboa.

Mino Sotto, one of the two sons of Apples, was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome. Apart from that, Mino exhibited hyperactivity which was the most pronounced symptom in the early stages of his disorder. Right in the beginning, he was also diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Eversince, Mino has been having these complex symptoms, Apples has always been very supportive and accepting of the disorder. It was even nice to know the courage that she has to give Mino a well deserved life.

One of the accomplishments of the Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association is other people’s advocacy for TS in the Philippines. It helps us expand our mission to create an awareness in the Philippines. We hope that more people will stand by the organization to make TS known in the country because while there may be technologies to fully study what Tourette Syndrome is all about---really--- love and understanding for people with Tourette Syndrome can already go a long way.
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Related Links:
Two Mothers Raised their Special Children: By Cathy Guballa

TS School Intervention- Angelicum College

2010-07-19T04:41:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer

2010-07-19T02:23:00.000-07:00

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JUNE 19, 2010 GET TOGETHER

2010-06-19T04:04:00.000-07:00

PTSA EYEBALL...YOU ARE INVITED!!!

2010-06-18T05:49:00.000-07:00

Everybody's invited to join the Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association's

get together on June 19, 2010 Saturday at 9:00 am at

Pasig Bible Baptist Church Octagon Subd. Brgy. dela Paz, Pasig City

EVERYBODY'S INVITED..AS IN EVERYBODY!!!

KITA KITS MGA KA- TICS!!!

-for the location, please text 09204919313 and look for Dennis or refer to the map below-

TS Symposium at University of Makati

2010-03-31T21:10:00.000-07:00

Tic-Talk for the Third Time

2010-03-11T03:44:00.000-08:00

IT'S COMPLETELY FREE! YOU ARE INVITED!

Human Chain for Peace

2010-02-20T17:03:00.000-08:00

The Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association
together with the Rotary Midtown Diliman

will participate in the quest for
HUMAN CHAIN FOR PEACE

to be held on February 27, 2010 at the Quezon Memorial Circle
Assembly time will be from 5 am- 6:30 am

Participants will line up around the perimeter of the Quezon Memorial Circle by 7 am, with arms locked sideways to form the human chain. Everybody should face the road. Then, the Rotary Hymn will be played for all to hear. At the agreed signal (sometime at the beginning of the hymn), participants alternating blue & yellow shirts will begin to walk around the perimeter of the Quezon Memorial Circle.
After the walk, all club Presidents and PEs, with their Banners, shall proceed to the Rotary Peace Monument, the venue of the Program Proper.
A brief program at the Rotary Peace Monument will then be conducted. After the covenant signing, ‘peace’ doves and balloons will be released.

FOR THE PTSA COMMUNITY
please wear a YELLOW TSHIRT, jeans or jogging pants and rubber shoes to keep you comfortable. Bring bottled water, extra tshirt and a towel.
You will be gathered by Mr. Marlon Barnuevo for the event.
Please contact PTSA regarding this.

ADVERTISE WITH US!

2010-02-14T03:49:00.000-08:00

As part of the Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association's Fund Raising activity, we will be accepting advertisers in our batches of PTSA's Organization Profile Booklet. The booklet is given to members of the organization (professionals, hospitals, schools, etc.). This is also complimentary given to our consultants in the field of medicine, education, counseling and psychology. As such, the booklet can reach very wide and diverse group of individuals, just perfect for your advertising needs.

As a fund raising activity, the utilization of advertisers in this booklet sustains not only the printing but also the other projects of the organization. Below are the fees for your advertisement.

FULL PAGE (text or image- Php 1000 / $ 21)
HALF PAGE (text or image - Php 800 / $ 17)
1/4 PAGE (text or image - Php 500 / $ 10)
DONOR (text only- Php 200 / $ 5)

If you are interested, you may now reserve a space for your advertisement by downloading the Advertisement Contract, filling it up, and sending it back to us at ticawaywithme@gmail.com.
Pay the required fee at any branches of Western Union and send the MTCN number via sms at 0915.4424340. The organization can also arrange for meet-ups for the payment if you are just within Manila area. Once payment is recieved, send us your layout via email and we'll take care of the rest.

ADVERTISE WITH US NOW!!!

Activities/ Projects

2010-02-05T18:53:00.000-08:00

The Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association continuously pushes its way to more awareness about Tourette Syndrome in the Philippines. As it is dynamic and multi- faceted in nature, the organization continuously drives to advocate people with Tourette Syndrome and their families. As such, there is an incessant innovation to develop activities and/or projects that will substantiate the goals of the organization.

The following are the organization's current and future activities/ projects:

Since 2007, PTSA hasn't stop meeting individuals with Tourette Syndrome, their families, their friends and even professionals who wanted to know about the disorder. For 3 years and counting, the organization has been very active in providing "coffee conversations" for these people. These people just call us to meet them and talk about Tourette Syndrome. The organization can be contacted anytime for TS "Small Talks".

Every now and then, PTSA does "Campus Tours" providing colloquiums onTourette Syndrome and details about the organization. The seminars are being organized by the Support Group Coordinators in each area. The organization can be contacted anytime if you want Tourette Syndrome to be presented in your school, hospital, or just anywhere. If there is an available TS Support Group Coordinator nearest you, please contact them to help you organize a TS Seminar in your area. We are very willing to speak about Tourette Syndrome on your behalf. Your area could be our next "Campus Tour", contact us now!

THANK YOU FOR HELPING US ADVOCATE TOURETTE SYNDROME IN YOUR AREA!!!!

1. Mr. and Mrs. Raul Valuenzuela- Scout Area
2. "Twitch and Shout": Lay Forum on Tourette Syndrome, St. Lukes Movement Disorder Center in Association with the Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association
3. Del Cano Family: "Tic Talk" at Pitogo Highschool, Brgy. Pitogo, Makati City
4. Butch Stephen Duay, TS Symposium: Bulacan State University, Bustos, Bulacan
5. TS Seminar, Health Week at Bustos, Bulacan
6. Achilles Dana, PTSA with the Rotary Midtown Diliman, Timog, Quezon City
7. Butch Duay and Angie Santos: "Tic Talk at Bulacan": 3rd TS Symposium, Bulacan State University, Bustos, Bulacan
8. Del Cano Family: Tic- Talk at University of Makati9. Dennis de Guzman and Family: Tourette Syndrome Presentation at Pasig Bible Baptist Church10: Arlene Valenzuela: School Intervention at Angelicum College 11. St. Scholasticas College in Manila

Thank you for considering Tourette Syndrome and involving the Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association in your movies.

Kontrobersyal
RX Men
Salamat Dok
Emergency

I-Witness
MMK
Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho
True Stories

We call aspiring directors, producers, documentary experts, script writers, film students...we can work together and make Tourette Syndrome as your subject. Help us increase the Filipino's awareness about Tourette Syndrome.

WATCH ALL OUR TV EXPOSURES

THESE PROJECTS NEED YOUR HELP
DONATE TO THE PHILIPPINE TOURETTE SYNDROME ASSOCIATION
(Click to Donate)

The Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association hopes to provide a summer recreation program for all the members of the organization. This would instill camaraderie among members and strengthen the PTSA community. This would primarily be a venue to explain further issues surrounding Tourette Syndrome and their application to the daily lives of people with Tourette Syndrome, their families and friends. Not only that, the program constitutes activities for uplifting their self- esteem, confidence and motivations in life. Aside from that, there will be sports activities headed by Coach Stauro Punongbayan (a taekwondo blackbelter/ coach/ instructor). Finally, the program will end with a night of musical fun and presentations. The members get to showcase their talents by their musical numbers.
(CLICK HERE TO SEE DETAILS OF THE PROGRAM)

For the organization's primary objective of advocating people with Tourette Syndrome and increasing awareness of the disorder in the Philippines, we strive to produce materials that will substantiate those goals. The organization continue to develop story books for children with Tourette Syndrome, brochures/ leaflets, magazines, the PTSA booklet and other materials with information on Tourette Syndrome. WE NEED YOUR HELP IN THIS PROJECT.
(FOR PRINTING AND PUBLICATION ASSISTANCE PLEASE CO NTACT THE ORG )

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR FUND RAISING ACTIVITIES !!!

SEE DETAILS OF "TEE FOR TOURETTE PROJECT"

3rd TS Symposium BSU, Bustos Campus, Bulacan

2010-02-05T02:41:00.000-08:00

BULACAN STATE UNIVERSITY- EXTENSION SERVICES OFFICE
in Cooperation with the
PHILIPPINE TOURETTE SYNDROME ASSOCIATION
Bustos, Campus
Bustos, Bulacan

Present

TIC- TALK BSU 3RD TS SYMPOSIUM

organized by our Support Group Coordinators, Bulacan Chapter
Mr. Butch Duay and
Ms. Angie Santos

Headed by Bulacan State University's Director
Cornelio O. Garcia

Attendees were Nurses, Guidance Counselors, SPED Teachers, Principals and Teachers from:

Living Angels Christian Academy
Montessori de Sagrada Familia
Grace Christian Academy
Marian College
Baliuag University
Shekinah Christian Academy
NCAP
Mary and Jesus School, Inc.
St. Mary's College of Baliuag
Colegio de Sto. Nino
HCA, Poblacion
Notre Christi Academy of the Philippines
Marian College
Holy Child Academy

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR EXTENDING PTSA'S TS ADVOCACY
IN BULACAN...TO THE SUPPORT GROUP COORDINATORS,
KEEP IT UP!!!

PTSA WITH ROTARY MIDTOWN DILIMAN

2010-02-03T19:23:00.000-08:00

The Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association presented Tourette Syndrome to the Rotarians and their Annes of the Rotary Club Midtown Diliman headed by the President Achilles Dana. The whole of PTSA Community is so thankful for the very warm welcome.

SUPPORT GROUPS

2010-01-30T21:55:00.000-08:00

The Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association is now slowly expanding throughout the country to continue spreading awareness on Tourette Syndrome. As such, we are developing support groups that will aid in sharing the organization’s core values, mission and vision. The individual support group’s primary objectives are to (1) provide the families in the provinces easy access on information about Tourette Syndrome, (2) provide emotional support to those individuals and families involved in Tourette Syndrome, (3) facilitate implementation of current projects of the organization thereby reaching those people in the provinces, (4) provide motivational activities for people with Tourette Syndrome and their families in order to functional well not only as individuals but as better individuals in the society, (5) become a permanent support giving body to people with Tourette Syndrome and their families.

VOLUNTEER TO BE A SUPPORT GROUP COORDINATOR.

Any registered member of the organization can be a support group coordinator. The registered member needs to be active enough in advocating the core values, mission and vision of the organization. He/ she should facilitate propagation of the projects and activities of the organization for better implementation. He/ she should study information about Tourette Syndrome and stay current. He/ she should abide by the policies of the organization. However, the organization can appoint members in this position if proven suitable. If you are accepted as Support Group Coordinator in your area, you will be given a copy of the “RESPONSIBILITIES OF A SUPPORT GROUP COORDINATOR” thru email and you are expected to abide by those responsibilities.

THIS PROJECT IS NO MORE THAN REACHING OUT TO FAR PLACES IN THE PHILIPPINES AND EDUCATING THE PEOPLE ABOUT TOURETTE SYNDROME. THIS IS PRIMARILY ROOTED FROM THE FOUNDERS’ COMPASSION FOR THESE PEOPLE AND THE CONTINUOUS DRIVE FOR TOURETTE SYNDROME ADVOCACY.

HELP US EXPAND. START YOUR OWN TOURETTE SYNDROME

SUPPORT GROUP NOW!

TOURETTE SYNDROME SUPPORT GROUP AREAS

MAIN- MANILA
Support Group Coordinator: Marlon Barnuevo
Occupation: Industrial Designer/ Professional Musician
Email: barnuevo@yahoo.com
Contact #: 63917. 8538650
Marlon is diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome, he is currently the organization's Vice President and Co- Founder of the Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association"

TAGAYTAY
Support Group Coordinator: Admer Barata
Occupation: Fastfood Crew
E-mail: drebelguy_005@yahoo.com
Contact Number: 63928.7355147
Admer is diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome. He is an active member of the organization and moving his way up to motivating people with Tourette Syndrome especially the kids!

CEBU

Support Group Coordinator: Mardi C. Puno
Occupation: A Beautiful Mother and a Loving Wife
Email : eldredpuno@yahoo.com
Contact #: 09182848591
"Mardi is an active member of the organization, he has a son with Tourette Syndrome"

BULACAN
Support Group Coordinator: Butch Stephen Duay
Occupation: Science Instructor
Email: bs_duay@yahoo.com
Contact #: 044 308 4017
"Butch organized the first TS symposium in Bulacan State University, Bustos, Bulacan...since then he hasn't stop advocating TS in his area"

MAKATI
Support Group Coordinator: Franco D. Del Cano
Occupation: Employee of DPWH
Email: fdelcano_naia@yahoo.com
Contact #: 0922.8444778
"Mr. Del Cano and Family organized the first TS symposium at Pitogo Highschool, Brgy. Pitogo in Makati City"

LAS PINAS
Support Group Coordinator: Alec Loteria
Occupation: Full Time TS Advocate
Email: alec_loteria15@yahoo.com

"Alec is organizing a fund raising project called Tee for Tourette, he is diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome"

PASIG

Support Group Coordinator: Dennis de Guzman
Occupation: Pastor
Email: dennisdeguzman@rocketmail.com
"Dennis opened the Cherith Brook Ministry that provides spiritual and personal counseling to people with Tourette Syndrome and their families, he is diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome"

TEE FOR TOURETTE

2010-01-30T07:31:00.001-08:00

Join us in our advocacy for Tourette Syndrome. Make your own tourette syndrome shirt with acknowledgement to the Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association (you can either use our logo or put our website "www.ptsa.org.ph") and incorporate it in your design. You can use any color and whatever design you want. You don't have to be in the Philippines to join the drive "TEE FOR TOURETTE". All you have to do is to make your own shirt, design originality is always the best, take a picture of yourself wearing it, and upload your picture in our facebook account in the photo album entitled "MY TEE FOR TOURETTE". The 3 most creative designs will win gifts from PTSA. But the best design will be the organization's tshirt for the year! Hurry! Entries will due on February 16. Give your love for people with Tourette Syndrome. Tshirts are the best way to express our deep concern for these people and a good way to disseminate information.

GIVE LOVE FOR PEOPLE WITH TOURETTE SYNDROME.
GIVE LOVE FOR THE PHILIPPINE TOURETTE SYNDROME ASSOCIATION.
MAKE YOUR TEE FOR TOURETTE NOW!

TS Presentation at Health Week, Bustos, Bulacan

2010-01-27T02:29:00.000-08:00

Tic Talk: TS Symposium at Pitogo Highschool, Makati City

2010-01-27T02:13:00.000-08:00

Christmas Party 2009

2010-01-27T02:00:00.001-08:00

TS Symposium at Bulacan State University, Bustos, Bulacan

2010-01-27T01:24:00.000-08:00

The Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association was invited by Mr. Butch Duay,

a teacher atBulacan State University at Bustos, Bulacan to speak about

Tourette Syndrome and theorganization. The teachers, students and staff of the

university organized a TS Symposium for everybody. PTSA would like to thank

everybody in the BSU for their very warm welcome.

PTSA in Association with Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho on Tourette Syndrome

2010-01-24T20:31:00.000-08:00

"Lubid", Tourette Syndrome Episode in MMK with Gerald Anderson

2010-01-24T20:25:00.000-08:00

Tourette Syndrome Conference at the Philippine Childrens Medical Center

2010-01-23T08:26:00.000-08:00

The organization was invited by Dr. Stephen Seno of the Philippine Childrens Medical Center to present the organization to the rest of the doctors there. The president, Weng Balmores, was able to present her thesis entitled "Group Dynamics as Intervention for Filipinos Diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome". The vice president of the organization, Marlon Barnuevo, presented the television exposures of PTSA since the start of the advocacy. And a testimonal was given by a tourette syndrome diagnosed himself, Jerome Concepcion.

'"Lubid"--TS Episode on Tourette Syndrome

2009-11-14T00:45:00.000-08:00

For those of you who haven't watched "Lubid", the tourette syndrome episode on MMK, you can already watch it at TSManila. Enjoy!!!!

MMK EPISODE ON TOURETTE SYNDROME

2009-11-03T15:11:00.000-08:00

TOURETTE SYNDROME PREVIEW ON "MAALAALA MO KAYA"

2009-11-02T17:22:00.000-08:00

GERALD ANDERSON'S PROMOTION ABOUT TOURETTE ON MMK

2009-11-02T17:20:00.000-08:00

TOURETTE SYNDROME ON "MAALAALA MO KAYA" CHAN 2 AND TFC CHANNEL

2009-11-01T16:03:00.000-08:00

Our episode about Tourette Syndrome will already air on NOVEMBER 7, SATURDAY ON MAALAALA MO KAYA CHANNEL 2 AND TFC CHANNEL. Please don't forget to watch this very touching story.

MMK TAPING ON TOURETTE SYNDROME WITH PTSA

2009-10-23T20:28:00.000-07:00

Our SNN Preview of the Upcoming Episode of MMK for Tourette Syndrome

2009-10-16T18:05:00.000-07:00

MMK (Channel 2) Exposure of the Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association

2009-10-16T05:14:00.000-07:00

Finally, we got the exposure for MMK at abs-cbn. This is our very recent TV exposure (2009). They will feature the life of Jerome Concepcion who is one of the members of the organization (Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association). And the lead actor will be Gerald Anderson. Please stand by for the date and time of the episode coming this November. You can also watch it in TFC Channel overseas.

Dealing with Medications' Side Effects

2009-03-30T20:51:00.000-07:00

Many people diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome have always been experiencing hardships when taking medications. This has been a constant battle since the side effects can be very overwhelming. If a person takes the medication the first time, it is expected that there may be a number of adjustments the person might consider. It is paramount to secure a list of the side effects that the medication might have. Ask your doctor regarding this. It is better to ask for these information the first time you have visited a doctor. Be vocal in asking your questions and be very straightforward. It is better to understand all of these for better prognosis. Preparing your child in school while on medication is a very challenging task. As parents, you have to be very observant in your child’s symptoms and other observations that you might encounter regarding the medications’ side effects. Observing any side effects at home is as pertinent as observations made in school. This is a collaborative effort between the parents and the teachers.

Below are information from Dr. Leslie E. Packer (www.tourettesyndrome.net) on his tips on dealing with medication side effects.

If the student is experiencing increased thirst, allow the student to have unlimited access to water, juice,or whatever fluids their physician or they request. Many students may want to keep a water bottle on them at all times. If the student is experiencing visual blurring as a side effect, reduce the amount to be read, provide a reader, and use books on tape if the student will be remaining on that medication.

If the student is experiencing frequent urination problems, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, allow the student to have a permanent pass that they can use to just leave the room without having to ask.

Note: if a student has these problems, inform all teachers that the student does not have to ask permission to leave the room and will just be leaving as needed. In conjunction with this, the student should be asked if they prefer to sit near the door or elsewhere in the room.

If the student is experiencing "rebound" problems of increased hyperactivity, weepiness, or irritability as a dose of a stimulant medication wears off, provide less demanding academic activities during that time and allow more opportunities for the student to move around or engage in activities that are gentle and calming for them. Also speak to the parents and/or physician about whether the in-school dosing schedule should be adjusted. If the student has no appetite at lunch time, the in-school dosing of any stimulant medication may need to be adjusted if the child's lunch period can't be changed (although that would be the first thing to try). In general, stimulant medications should not be taken 30 - 40 minutes before mealtime, as they suppress appetite. If the student experiences cognitive dulling, allow the use of word banks and other accommodations for word retrieval; allow more time for assignments. If the student is on a neuroleptic (e.g., Risperdal, Zyprexa, Haldol, etc.) or Anafranil (clomipramine), they may experience increased appetite and significant weight gain. Speak with the parents and physician about whether to allow the student to have a snack on them at all times or whether to schedule snack breaks, etc.

If the student experiences tics (involuntary movements or sounds) while on a stimulant medication such as Ritalin, Concerta, Metadate, Dexedrine, or Adderall, inform the parents so that they are aware of the tics, but in the meantime, do not comment on the tics (ignore them) while you figure out what types of interference they are creating so that you can make accommodations for the tics (see the handout on accommodating tics for specific accommodation ideas).

If the student is on an SSRI (Prozac, Zoloft, Luvox, Paxil, Celexa) and seems to be getting more aggressive or “wild,” inform the student’s parents and the prescribing physician, as this may mean that the medication is triggering hypomania or a manic episode.

If the student cannot wake up in the morning to attend school (due to a medication side effect or a sleep component of the condition itself), there are various accommodations to explore:

􀂃 Reduce the student's course load and allow the student to start the day later.
􀂃 Schedule "heavy" academic courses later in the day.
􀂃 Allow the student to start the day later and provide tutoring in the home so that the studentdoesn't become demoralized over falling further behind.
􀂃 Ask the student if scheduling a highly motivating class for first period might help them wake up; be guided by their assessment of their situation.
􀂃 If the student is falling asleep in school due to medication side effects or the condition itself, speak to the physician about whether to let the student sleep or to try to rouse them, but provide the student with hard copies of all notes and presentations, and insure that all assignments are recorded

Conference with the parent about whether the student is capable of keeping up with homework or is falling asleep at home. You may need to reduce homework or significantly extend time on assignments.If the student is experiencing impaired concentration and/or memory due to side effects or the condition
itself:

􀂃 You may need to record the student's assignments for him/her. This can be done by the teacher or assistant but responsibility for it should be assigned to a staff member.
􀂃 For older students, provide hard copies of all board work and lecture notes.
􀂃 Remind the student at the end of the school day which materials he or she needs to take home,or provide Resource Room as the last period of the day so that the student can use the time to go get missing papers, notes missed while out of class, materials, etc.
􀂃 Allow extended time on in-class assignments, homework, and big projects. Conference frequently with student on big projects to assist them in getting started and staying on schedule.
􀂃 Provide a second set of books for the student to use at home.
􀂃 Assign an assistant teacher or paraprofessional to the class to assist the student discreetly.
􀂃 Pitch to the student's strengths. By providing enriching and interesting materials, the student's focus and energy levels will be enhanced.
􀂃 Testing accommodations may have to include alternative forms of testing such as allowing for word banks if the student is experiencing word retrieval problems due to medication side effects.

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2009-03-15T07:04:00.000-07:00

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CHAT WITH ME

2009-03-09T04:21:00.000-07:00

Get PHILIPPINE_TOURETTE_SYNDROME_ASSOCIATION chat group Goto PHILIPPINE_TOURETTE_SYNDROME_ASSOCIATION website

CONTACT US

2009-03-09T02:09:00.000-07:00

We are happy to tell you about Tourette Syndrome, contact us now!"

MARIA ROWENA "WENG" BALMORES- VICTORINO, M.Ed.,RN,BSN

Founder

Email: marowenaab@yahoo.com
Mobile: 0915. 4424340

MARLON BARNUEVO

Founder

Email: barnuevo@yahoo.com
Mobile: 0917. 8538650

A BIG THANKS!

2009-03-09T01:54:00.000-07:00

I would like to thank those who were present at my talk last saturday at the 1st Philippine Graduate Conference in Education. It was really a big leap for me, for my research and for my advocacy for Tourette Syndrome in the Philippines. You can always contact me regarding information about TS or perhaps if you want me to present in your institution.

READ MY RESEARCH ABSTRACT

Author will Present in a Conference

2009-02-20T20:06:00.000-08:00

The author is inviting everyone to witness her speak about her research on Tourette Syndrome entitled "Group Dynamics as Intervention for Filipinos diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome" at the Benitez Hall, College of Education, UP Diliman on March 7, 2009. The conference will start at exactly 7:45 am. Slots are for first come, first serve basis. Register now.

REGISTRATION DETAILS:
Registration fee is affordable (at PHP 500, inclusive of snacks, conference kit, and certificate!) And, if you register on or before February 21, 2009 , you don't have to worry about lunch. You get it free! Registration is strictly first come, first served, until all seats are taken. Only paid registrations are counted. And all payments are non-refundable, but transferable with 25% surcharge to cover administrative costs. We have only 240 seats available, and we won’t overfill the venue. If you want to make sure you get a seat, you may register through BPI (Bank of the Philippine Islands) or see us in class, until March 6, the day before the conference. On-site registration is on March 7, 7:45-8:15 AM.

REGISTER THROUGH BPI
Here’s how to register through the bank:
1. Go to any Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) branch.
2. Fill out a deposit slip to:
ACCOUNT NAME: Philippine Graduate Research Conference in Education
CURRENT ACCOUNT NUMBER 1991-0083-023.
3. Deposit your payment of PhP500 and claim your deposit slip. Bring it on the day of the conference as proof of payment.
4. Text, fax, or email us the details in the application details right here to reserve your slot.
Our Telephone numbers: PLDT (telefax)— 02-927-9860Globe Cellphone — 0927-628-7148 Our email address:philresearch.conference@gmail.com
5. We will call, text, or e-mail you back to acknowledge your application.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT THE PHILIPPINE GRADUATE RESEARCH IN EDUCATION

A Message from Dr. William Drew Gouvier

2009-02-07T23:46:00.000-08:00

Congratulations on your academic success, and best wishes for your growing and important service venue. If only the world had more people like you… May you have health and joy in this New Year."

Yours Truly,
Dr. William Drew Gouvier
Department of Psychology
Louisiana State University

A Message from Dr. Ronald Ruff

2009-02-07T23:39:00.000-08:00

Dear Members of the Tourette
Syndrome Organization,

From San Francisco, I send all of you my very best wishes for the coming year. As Einstein said: “The only life worth living is a life lived in service to others.” Your organization gives you the
opportunity to contribute to each other, while also receiving the support from those that have walked in your shoes. Remember the strongest character emerge when an individual diligently copes with hardships. I am proud of your organization.
Respectfully yours,
Ronald Ruff
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry University of California, San Francisco

Author's Accepting Invitation to Speak in Seminars, Conferences and the Like

2009-02-07T23:18:00.000-08:00

If you would like the author to speak about Tourette Syndrome in your Institution, please contact 0915.4424340 or email marowenaab@yahoo.com. She would also welcome invitations from seminars, conferences, forums and the like.

READ HER RESEARCH ABSTRACT

An Invitation from TSA-USA

2008-08-16T20:25:00.000-07:00

TSA-USA ANNOUNCES
Fifth International Scientific Symposium for Medical and Scientific Professionals

SAVE THE DATE: JUNE 12- 13, 2009

As you may know since 1981 TSA has sponsored four
Iternational Scientific Symposia with the last one held in 2004 in Cleveland, Ohio
With this notice we are announcing officially the

FIFTH INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC SYMPOSIUM ON TOURETTE SYNDROME
will be held in New York City on June 12- 13, 2009

Please share this information with interested physicians and research scientists in your community.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT
Heather Cowley
Manager, Medical and Scientific Programs
42-40 Bell Boulevard, Suite 205
Bayside New York 11361
Tel: 718- 224-2999 X247 Fax: 718.279.9596
email: ts@tsa-usa.org

MESSAGE FROM:
Irena Shtemler
Executive Administrative Assistant
Tourette Syndrome Association, Inc.

Functional Behavior Assessment and Positive Behavioral Intervention Plan for Students with Tourette Syndrome

2008-06-15T00:14:00.000-07:00

Another excellent plan to manage a child or even an adult with Tourette Syndrome in the school setting is to always provide a POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION PLAN (Conners, 2008) . The development of this kind of plan is in accordance with what we call the FBA or the Functional Behavioral Assessments. The law of IDEA in 2004 requires that an FBA be conducted and a positive behavior intervention plan be developed in times when a certain behavior of the student already interferes with learning. According to Susan Conners, an education specialist, an FBA (functional behavioral assessment) is the process of determining why an individual engages in challenging behaviors and how the behavior relates to the environment. Since IDEA provides very limited guidelines and little to no funding, organizations who handle people with Tourette Syndrome or perhaps the school themselves should provide their own FBA workbooks. Professionals who will develop the FBA should first consider the main purpose of the FBA which is to understand the function of a behavior in order to teach and promote effective strategies, techniques and alternatives as well as knowing when to consciously ignore the behavior. It is also important that once the FBA is developed, the contribution to it is not the role of a single professional. The contribution to the FBA should be a collective effort from parents/ students, guidance counselors, school psychologists, teachers, OT/ PT, speech therapists, paraprofessionals, music/ art/ PE teachers, school nurse, someone knowledgeable about Tourette Syndrome and professionals outside the school like doctors and other therapists. Usually we developed the (1) Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) of a Student with Tourette Syndrome, (2) Summary of the FBA Worksheets for a Student with Tourette Syndrome which is intended to be a summary of the information from all of the completed FBA
worksheets as the final step in focusing on which specific behaviors should be addressed
when writing the PBIP, and a (3) Positive Behavior Intervention Plan (PBIP) for a Student with Tourette Syndrome. It is also important to consider certain factors in the development of the FBA like who is present during the development, when the behavior occurred, where the behavior occurred, when not, where not, environmental clues present (smell, climate, peers, teachers, activities???), other specific clues and trigger elements. The main reason why we develop the FBA is to produce an excellent Positive Behavior Intervention Plan.

Conners even added that the platinum rule is WHAT CAN WE DO FOR THE CHILD PRIOR TO THE BEHAVIOR INSTEAD OF WHAT DO WE DO TO THE CHILD AFTER THE BEHAVIOR HAS OCCURRED.

SAMPLE WORKSHEETS developed by Susan Conners:

I. FUNCTIONAL BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT WORKSHEET FOR A STUDENT WITH TOURETTE SYNDROME

A. General Information
1. Student’s Name
2. Grade
3. Date
4. Name of Person accomplishing the worksheet
5. Position
B. Behaviors Observed (be specific, describe what the behavior looks like)
1. The specific behavior impeding learning is:
a. Off-task behavior
b. Refusal to work
c. Disinhibition
d. Out of seat frequently
e. Aggressive behaviors
f. Socially inappropriate behaviors with peers
g. Talking out in class
h. Disrespect
2. How often does the behavior occur?
3. Where does the behavior occur?
4. Where does the behavior not occur?
5. When does the behavior most frequently occur?
a. During completion of written work
b. In unstructured environments
c. Interacting with peers
d. During a specific task
e. When instructions were given
f. When tics are exacerbated
g. Working in groups
h. Testing situations
i. In noisy environments
6. From #s 2, 3, 4, 5, which of the following conclusions might you draw as to the possible reasons for the behaviors?

II. SUMMARY OF FUNCTIONAL BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT WORKSHEET FOR A STUDENT WITH TOURETTE SYNDROME

A.General Information
1. Student’s Name
2. Grade
3. Date
4. Name of person completing the worksheet
5. Position
B. Behaviors Observed
1. The specific behaviors impeding learning are? (target no more than 2 behaviors)
2. How often does the behavior occur?
3. Where does the behavior occur?
4. Where does the behavior NOT occur?
5. When does the behavior most frequently occur?
6. From 2,3,4 & 5 which of the following conclusions might you draw as to the possible reasons for the behaviors?
C. Strategies/ Support to be implemented
D. What positive interventions can be implemented by the staff to assist the student in maintaining positive behavior?

III. POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION PLAN FOR A STUDENT WITH TOURETTE SYNDROME
A. General information
1. Name of student
2. Grade
3. Date
4. Person accomplishing the worksheet
5. Position
B. Behaviors targeted (enumerate)
C. Behavioral supports to be implemented by staffs (enumerate)
D. Environmental changes to be implemented by staff (enumerate)
E. Positive reward to be given to students for progress in PBIP
F. Communication plan
1. Who will coordinate the PBIP?
2. What is the date of the next PBIP meeting?
3. Has every teacher/ staff member working in the PBIP signed the worksheet?
4. Have the students and parents been informed of the strategies?
-----------------------------------------------

Reference: Functional Behavioral Assessment and Positive Intervention Plan By Susan Conners

Registration

2008-06-15T00:04:00.000-07:00

2nd Campus Tour Exposure: Tourette Syndrome

2008-06-08T04:06:00.000-07:00

2ND EXPOSURE LOCATION: MOVEMENT DISORDER CENTER, ST. LUKES MEDICAL CENTER, JUNE 07 '08

CAMPUS TOUR: 2ND EXPOSURE

2008-05-24T05:17:00.000-07:00

UPDATED: The exact venue of the forum on June 7 Sat is at Movement Disorder Center 4th Floor, Annex III St. Lukes Medical Center, forum will start at exactly 9 am. Thank you!

Greetings to everybody!

I am inviting everyone to come and join us in our 2nd of the Campus Tour series of the Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association at St. Lukes Medical Center on June7, Saturday, 9:00 am. There will be presentations regarding the profile of the organization, presentation on Tourette Syndrome as a disorder, there will be workshops for individuals diagnosed with TS as they will be interviewed and assessed for profiling of individuals diagnosed with the disorder in the Philippines. And there will also be group gathering for sharing. Lunch will be served. This event holds a registration fee of only 150 pesos.

For those who are interested to be members of the organization, you can download the forms, fill it up and return it back via email. Please note that this will not be processed unless your payment is recieved. We offer two kinds of memberships. Individual membership fee is 150 pesos and we also have a Family membership fee for only 300. When payment and accomplished forms are recieved,we will send you your Membership ID card via post mail. Discounts and Freebies will be given to members for future activities.

We look forward to see you at the venue.

1st Campus Tour Exposure: Sunday Forum

2008-05-22T02:38:00.000-07:00

This was the first of the campus tour project of the Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association. It was held in a private residential house in Quezon City. Mr. Marlon Barnuevo (co-founder, vice president) presented the organization profile and Ms. Rowena Balmores- Victorino (co-founder, president) presented a short review about Tourette Syndrome as a disorder. There were parents, children, adolescents and adults diagnosed with the disorder, there were also other lay persons who were interested to join the forum. Registrations were also held at the venue to formally make those who were present members of the organizations. Interactions among the members were given time to share their life experiences and struggles with TS. A few group snapshots and a tastefull snack completed the event.

PTSA Announcement

2008-05-12T04:10:00.000-07:00

The Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association will hold its meeting on MAY 18, 3:00 PM at a private residential venue. Everybody is encouraged to join! To know the venue, please text 0906.4960921 This will be the chance for you to register to be able to join the organization. Meet other individuals diagnosed and their family and friends. Come join us on Sunday...it'll be worth it! We'll see you!

Tourette Syndrome on IWitness: "May T.S. Kami"

2008-05-09T07:30:00.001-07:00

Tourette Syndrome on Emergency

2008-05-09T07:22:00.002-07:00

Tourette Syndrome on RXMen

2008-05-09T07:14:00.001-07:00

Sources of Impairment for TS Individuals

2008-05-03T19:00:00.000-07:00

It is very difficult for the individual to be understood most of the time because of behaviors they are not intending to do but causes trouble in most cases. Because of this, the family needs to be educated and needs to provide further support and understanding for individuals who are afflicted with the disorder.

For individuals who are diagnosed with TS plus Associated Behavioral Problems specifically ADHD, poor impulse control, inattention, and explosive behavior are common problems. For poor impulse control the common behaviors are social failure, disruptive and aggression. Because of this, in some cases, individuals who are manifesting these specific behaviors are casted as "troublemakers". For inattention problems, school failure is a common scenario. Finally, in explosive behaviors, the family is definitely strained. And according to Dr. Scahill, this is most common in the home rather than in school.

For individuals diagnosed with TS plus Obsessive- Compulsive Disorder or symptoms of OCD, anxiety comes in. More often that not, there's social failure because they tend to avoid social interactions or engagements. They also become disruptive if prevented from doing the ritualized behavior. NAGGING them will not do any good. Inattention is also common for individuals with TS+OCD which can lead to school failure because they are often distracted by worries and rituals. And finally, explosive behavior problems are also evident.

-----------------------------

Reference: Scahill, 2008

Updates on Tourette Syndrome, 2008 Data

2008-05-03T18:13:00.000-07:00

At this point, information from different mediums have already made it clear that Tourette Syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by motor and vocal tics. As a review, it is very evident that the disorder displays a pattern of many different motor and phonic symptoms. But at this point, it is of utmost importance to understand that there is no diagnostic tests for TS. Effective diagnosis is based on HISTORY and OBSERVATION. For parents or guardians especially the individual himself, history and observation are two very important considerations. Tracking back the symptoms and observing its frequency and severity will make it easier for the doctor to diagnose the disorder. According to Dr. Scahill, you need to:

LISTEN

WATCH

LISTEN

Another important point is that "swearing is not required for diagnosis". The prevalence of TS is influenced by diagnostic threshold. Moreover, moderate to severe TS affects 1 to 6 per 1000 in school- age children. The onset of the disorder is again in childhood with motor tics coming in before the vocal symptoms specifically 5-7 years and 7-9 years respectively. By age 10, the urge to initiate the movement is already very evident, this is what we also call the premonitory sensations. Individuals with TS can suppress the tics, however, only up to a limited degree. It is also expected that tics tend to decline with age. If it doesn't, there needs to be a lifestyle check and again the importance of history and observation comes to the picture.

It is already proven that Tourette Syndrome can really debilitate the person. The impairment is dependent on the classification of the disorder meaning whether it be mild, moderate or severe. If mild, you can expect minimal interference. But if the disorder is classified as moderate or severe it may already be bothersome because of the urge, the suppressing tics and frustration. It may also interfere with daily activities which can also be a reason for their frustration. And it may already be noticeable which causes some teasing, bullying, and in most severe cases--social isolation.

TS IS NOT JUST TICS. Individuals diagnosed with the disorder may also exhibit impulsiveness, distractibility, hyperactivity, oppositional and defiant behavior, repetitive behaviors, low frustration tolerance and explosive outbursts, anxiety and depressed mood and learning problems.

In the clinical picture:

50%- 66% of children with TS have ADHD

50% have Obsessive- Compulsive symptoms

30% have Obsessive- Compulsive Disorder

It follows that if the individual is diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome plus any of the two co-morbidity (OCD or ADHD), the impairment is GREATER.

----------------------------------

The article above was written by the author based on the presentation made by Lawrence Scahill, MSN,Ph.D. in the TSA National Conference in USA, 2008 entitled "Tourette Syndrome Workshop: Parent Training"

Update on the TSA National Conference in USA

2008-05-03T17:54:00.001-07:00

As part of the update of the previous TSA National Conference held in USA, the ff. are the presentations of the speakers:

----------------------------------

TSA-USA.ORG

IWitness Shooting on Tourette Syndrome Documentary

2008-05-02T03:35:00.001-07:00

WATCH US ON I-WITNESS

2008-04-28T03:53:00.000-07:00

The organization has recently been busy shooting for the documentary episode of I- witness on channel 7. This has been a major publicity for the organization. Aside form that, we will be able to reach millions of people in letting them know the existence of Tourette Syndrome in the Philippines and that there is actually an organization which can help them undergo the necessary steps and information about Tourette Syndrome.

So please help us advocate for Tourette Syndrome, watch us on I-Witness on May 5, Monday after Saksi on Channel 7 for a documentary on Tourette Syndrome.

FOUNDERS

2008-04-14T04:21:00.000-07:00

MARIA ROWENA BALMORES- VICTORINO, M.Ed., RN, BSN, CRN

Weng as everybody calls her, is one of the founders of the Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association. She had been doing formal research about Tourette Syndrome even before her interest in forming the organization. She is a registered nurse by profession with hemodialysis as specialization and currently working in a US Dialysis Company in the Philippines. She graduated her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in the University of Santo Tomas in 1999, took her Masters Degree in Education in the University of the Philippines and graduated in 2008.

Weng's interest to form the organization started when symptoms of TS had been observed from a family member. Emphatizing with the difficulty that a person with TS has to face in everyday of his life, Weng saw the need to make people aware of the disorder. Hence, eversince the formation of the organization, Weng hasn't stop working on her advocacy for Tourette Syndrome in the Philippines. She continued to talk about it in seminars, proposed TS to be exposed in media and worked all the way thru developing materials for information dissemination. Truly this has been a very remarkable experience for somebody whose caring profession as a registered nurse had been stretched out for a lifetime community service for people with Tourette Syndrome.

MARLON BARNUEVO

Marlon is the co- founder of the organization. He earned his bachelor's degree in Industrial Design from DLSU- College of St. Benilde in 2000. Armed with nothing but a student's design portfolio, he landed on his first job as designer at Duane Quintal Associates, where he had the rare opportunity of working with one of the Philippine's pioneer in the ID profession and renowned Corporate Identity Designer, the late Duane Quintal Sr. He was eventually promoted as Senior Designer until his resignation in 2004, when he decided to pursue a career in music with his band, 3rd Avenue.

Marlon's interest in taking part of the formation of the organization is basically rooted from the fact that TS had been his companion for the longest time. Although he had a lot of difficulties with the disorder, this hadn't stopped him from pursuing what he liked best----music. In fact, he had become the icon of the organization for success and been inspiring children with TS to be functional individuals and be successful in all of their endeavors in life.

PHILIPPINE TOURETTE SYNDROME ASSOCIATION: Our Mission

2008-04-14T04:17:00.000-07:00

The zealous pursuit of the vision is through PTSA’s allegiance to continuously:
•Muster small and large sectors of support for the PWTS;
•Foster the PWTS in all aspects of their development to become not only functional individuals but also functional individuals in society
•Carry out seminars and workshops on updated information on Tourette Syndrome especially program development and treatment/ management of the disorder from different disciplines (medicine, education, counseling, psychology) including teaching strategies and parenting
•Bridge the gap of different disciplines (medicine, education, counseling and psychology) in order to develop and administer more appropriate and relevant programs specifically designed for PWTS
•Promote research on Tourette Syndrome in the Philippines from all disciplines (medicine, education, counseling and psychology)

PHILIPPINE TOURETTE SYNDROME ASSOCIATION: Our Vision

2008-04-14T04:15:00.000-07:00

PTSA shall always be a leader in advocating the PWTS, their families and significant others to fully understand Tourette Syndrome as a disorder and be able to give them opportunities and help them achieve their optimum development to function not only as individuals but individuals in the society.

PHILIPPINE TOURETTE SYNDROME ASSOCIATION: What is PTSA?

2008-04-14T04:08:00.000-07:00

The Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association (PTSA) is the first and only non-profit, non- stock organization about Tourette Syndrome based in the Philippines. It is an association of (1) professionals from the field of medicine, counseling, education and psychology and (2) lay persons particularly the individuals diagnosed with the disorder, their parents, relatives and significant others.
Originally organized in February 16, 2007 as a “Tourette Syndrome Core Group” and registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April, 2008 as Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association (PTSA). The organization was made because of a common goal to address the specific needs of the” Persons with Tourette Syndrome “ (PWTS) and be able to help them recognize their inherent capabilities in coping with the disorder better and develop their full potentials to become successful individuals in their own little way.
PTSA recognizes the significance of nurturing this special group as part of the Philippine’s society noting that many Filipinos are unaware of the existence of the disorder in the country. Furthermore, misconceptions about the disorder are a frequent occurrence. With PTSA’s efforts to disseminate information about the disorder will enable replacement of those misconceptions with reliable facts from the most recent literature on Tourette Syndrome not only from the Philippines but from resources all over the world.
PTSA as an organization is powered by its human workforce of professional experts with a wide array of experiences in various disciplines that are needed to suit the needs of the PWTS. This workforce makes the organization dynamic as it is multi-faceted in nature.

Group Dynamics as Intervention for Filipinos Diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome

2008-03-19T23:47:00.000-07:00

This research had been presented in the 1st Philippine Graduate Conference in Education at the UP College of Education last March 07, 2009.

ABSTRACT OF THE RESEARCH

Unusual blinking of the eye, peculiar hand movements, sound repetitions, word echoing are just some of the symptoms associated with Tourette Syndrome (TS). With different manifestations, people who are diagnosed with the disorder are often ridiculed simply because the public’s lack of knowledge regarding the disorder.

Tourette Syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by neurological tics which are often physical and verbal. The attacks are even so transient that after the occurrence of a tic or tics, the person can go back to his or her usual business. Symptoms of Tourette's are tics like sniffing, coughing, humming, whistling, throat clearing, shoulder shrugging, eye blinking, and neck stretching. The onset of the disorder usually begins in childhood at age between 7- 10. The occurrence of symptoms usually begins on the face called facial tics and if the symptoms worsen may progress down to the lower body. Symptoms usually intensify during teenage years and diminish in late adolescence or early adulthood. Patients may also develop co-occurring behavioral disorders, namely obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or attention deficit disorder (ADD), poor impulse control, and/or sleep disorders.

The study is a quasi- experimental research with the use of a one-group-pretest- posttest design. With the use of group counseling as an aspect of group dynamics, this paper specifically explored the underlying issues, problems or concerns of a person with Tourette Syndrome to help the person cope with the disorder. Consequently, this paper also intended to document the possible beneficial effects of group counseling for the medical clientele.

This study involved five Filipino male respondents suffering from Tourette Syndrome, all in the prime of their lives, age ranging from 19 to 28. One of them has a co-morbid disorder and one was medicating at the time of the study. Two of the respondents have severe form of the disorder exhibiting behavior such as coughing, itching, head jerking, barking, kicking, arm folding, knee bumping, teeth sucking and eye poking. All five suffer from the Tourette Syndrome’s physiological symptom (tic), behavioral (loss of self-esteem, irritability, aggression and lack of concentration) and psychosocial (inability to interact, anxiety, depression, social stigma and social isolation).

Different counseling needs of the five respondents were discovered such as health concerns, anxiety for not finishing their studies, wariness about their future employment, inability to perform household and social responsibilities and concern over non-acceptance by peers. Specific counseling needs akin to an individual were also identified.

The five respondents underwent a series of group counseling sessions. A comparison of their pre- and post-test average scores on the Tourette Syndrome Symptom Assessment Scale (TSSAS) revealed a significant decrease of the symptoms after the group counseling sessions, except for the physiological (tics), which remained constant even after the group counseling. Highest percentage decrease was registered on depression (-40%), social isolation (-35.48%), aggression (-31.03%), irritability (-30.55%) and anxiety (-27.77%). The lowest percentage decrease even after the group counseling was on self-esteem (-10.71%) and interaction (-16.36%), probably indicating that the respondents’ self-esteem was so low as a result of the Tourette Syndrome. The significant effect, however, of group counseling as manifested in the percentage decrease of the symptoms after the intervention reveals that group counseling as an intervention among individuals suffering from the disorder really works.

T-test analysis revealed that there is no significant difference between physiological and psychosocial symptoms of Tourette Syndrome and group counseling. However, this study found a significant difference between behavioral symptoms and Group Counseling.This study validates the finding of earlier studies that group counseling is an effective intervention strategy in order to alleviate the condition of individuals suffering from Tourette syndrome. This study may spark other studies on Tourette syndrome aimed at creating a knowledge base for better understanding of the disorder. This may prove beneficial not only to individuals with Tourette syndrome and their families but also to medical doctors, psychiatrists, neuropsychologists, educators, and counselors who have been caregivers of individuals with Tourette syndrome.

In a general sense, group counseling may be regarded as an effective intervention strategy for individuals diagnosed with Tourette syndrome. The bottom line is the understanding that society has on individuals with Tourette syndrome. It is important for medical doctors, psychologists and guidance counselors to make an advocacy for the general society to understand the situation of these individuals. Understanding each one of them heightens the understanding of using group counseling as an effective intervention for individuals diagnosed with Tourette syndrome.

This researcher suggests peer education programs to be spearheaded by counselors in different settings as these kinds of programs may prevent occurrence of bullying and teasing which are very common among individuals with Tourette syndrome.

In addition, it is suggested that further research in industrial setting be conducted aimed at assisting industrial counselors explore the issues underlying the disorder and how these factors affect individuals with the syndrome in the work place and their relationships with co-workers in order to improve working skills and relationships.

Finally, this research suggests the possibility to include the study of Tourette Syndrome and other special groups in the discipline of Counselor Education aimed at widening and enriching the perspective of the discipline, which may bridge counselor education with other disciplines such as Psychology and Medicine and other medical allied professions.
---------------------------
AUTHOR: Maria Rowena Balmores- Victorino, M.Ed.,RN, CRNC

Neurofeedback and Tourette Syndrome

2008-02-15T01:31:00.000-08:00

Understanding Brainwaves: The origin of all our emotions, thoughts and behaviors are the complex networks of communication among billions of neurons in our brains. The communication brought up by the patterns produced by these neurons, manifested by rhythm or pulse, is measured by what we call BRAINWAVES. Brainwaves are tiny pulses of electricity produced whenever one neuron communicates with the other. It actually results from what you are doing from moment to moment. The slowest brain waves are the delta waves, we experience this during sleep. Beta3, on the hand, is for our highest levels of concentration. Neurofeedback’s goal is to teach you to recognize and use your calm (SMR) waves and your thinker (BETA) waves. By using the computer monitor to watch your brain wave activity you can train yourself to stay out of the Theta and Alpha levels. This means that a single defect in the patterns of communication within the brain causes problems considerably. This happens when, say for example, you feel very anxious and you feel that their are reactions which occurs in your body such as stomach ache, nausea, headache and others, your brain has elicit within itself a pattern resulting in these symptoms. And these patterns can result from very diverse possible stressors. In an individual with Tourette syndrome, it has been reiterated in the other articles on this site that the brain electrical activity is defective; Dr. Mink even described it to be somewhat “buggy”.

BAND HERTZ MS
Delta 0.0-4.0 1000
Theta 4.0-8.0 1000
Alpha 8.0-13.0 500
SMR 13.0-15.0 500
Beta 15.0-18.0 250
Beta2 18.0-24.0 125
Beta3 24.0-32.0 125

How Neurofeedback Works: If the brain is not functioning at its finest, our body manifests a variety of physical or mental problems. Furthermore, cognitive, behavioral, psychological and other bodily issues can also be traced back from a poorly functioning brain. What neurofeedback does is that it trains the brain to improve its function, much like when you exercise to maintain fitness. It is a technique to train the brain to normalize functions of the body and mind.

One of the technique’s strong points is that it obtains upon the brain’s ability to learn and adapt. It actually deals with the problems at its core, it is non-invasive and the effects are lasting and permanent.

Since the therapy teaches the brain to operate effectively, the treatment is not only limited to recovering injury or coping with problems but helping the brain to get back on track so we can perform our daily activities. In fact, it can also be useful to facilitate peak performance like for example activities of an athlete or somebody who holds a corporate executive position.

The Procedure: Like all other therapies, it begins with an intake interview to know more about the condition of the person, the existing symptoms, the onset, the background etc. An EEG (electroencephalogram) is used to record all abnormalities produced in the pattern of brain waves. The waves will be used to identify certain frequency bands as areas for improvement. This will then be appraised as to what degree the symptoms may be resolved using neurofeedback therapy.

It is very important for you to know that the procedure is completely painless. There will just be EEG sensors attached to the scalp. These sensors are attached to an amplifier and a computer monitor to process the signal and provide appropriate feedback. It is also very important for you to know that the sensors do not do anything to your scalp or your brain for that matter, these are “read-only” sensors that permits transfer of the signals made by your brain to the computer just so feedback can happen. The training which occurs during the procedure can be in a form of a game, a video, auditory signals, or a combination of these modes. When the brain frequency show the normal brain pattern the person is rewarded by receiving points in the game or receiving auditory cues. Consequently, when the brain produced undesirable brain patterns, the person will have no points in the game or no auditory cues. What happens is that the brain learns to produce new and healthy patterns and eventually adapts and uses the desirable pattern.

The therapy has no known side effects. Depending on your choice, this kind of therapy is often coupled with medications and other therapies of your choice. Neurofeedback therapy usually lasts for about 40 minutes to 1 hour. The number of session depends from individual to individual and depends on the severity of the problem, but 40 sessions is the general guidelines. You can already see a considerable improvement within 15 sessions.
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This article was written for the purpose of education and not to endorse a particular therapy regimen.

Your Diet and Tourette Syndrome

2008-01-22T21:01:00.000-08:00

Many of us have been wondering what could possibly be the correct diet regimen for people who have Tourette Syndrome. For people who are very meticulous with what they eat, they also sometimes wonder whether certain ingredients affect the production of tics in individuals with Tourette Syndrome. Unfortunately, this is where all the complications come in.

It is universally accepted that if we eat healthy then good health will follow.
Same concept lies in consuming foods containing too much fat which can lead to high levels of cholesterol in the body which can eventually lead to heart disease. But then again the question still remains whether there are some foods that lead to the symptoms present in an individual with Tourette Syndrome.

One needs to understand that the symptoms of Tourette Syndrome wax and wane during the course of the illness. This means that there are times when the symptoms are less and there are also times when the symptoms are at their peak. In connecting these to the diet of the person, you will really come to terms when you might be questioning your own nutrition that may lead to the changes in symptoms. Another thing is whether there are certain cyclical events that can also lead to having the symptoms of the disorder. One example is a woman’s menstrual cycle. According to Dr. Gerald Erenberg, the medical advisory board of the Tourette Syndrome Clinic at Cleveland, there are actually two theories that explains the relation of nutrition with the symptoms of Tourette syndrome.

“…that certain components in food lead to the symptoms, acting in that individual like a toxin or poison, and two, that the symptoms are due to food allergies.”

There were a variety of foods that have been regarded as possible crooks in leading to tics or that of ADHD. The first report on this was documented by Dr. Feingold. He said that SUGAR and ARTIFICIAL INGREDIENTS cause the problems. Because of this discovery, Dr. Feingold came up with a diet called the FEINGOLD DIET. Many people found this to be true and felt that this is the nutritional answer to what causes Tourette Syndrome and ADHD. Eventually, other food groups have also been suggested that may cause these disorders. These foods are GLUTEN and DAIRY PRODUCTS.

Considering those food groups, it is an important note that the effect of these foods may not be the same for each individual. Others may find these effective, and others may not. Consequently, foods containing these ingredients may cause problems with an individual, but not with the other. The diet will now be a combination diet restricting all of the suspected ingredients. But still, this is an impossible diet to follow since most of us especially children consume some of these ingredients almost everyday. Taking for example, a 7 year old child diagnosed with Tourette syndrome who, in most cases, would take his daily dose of milk.

The second theory entails that any person can be allergic to any foods. Dr. Erenderg said that the allergic reaction shows up as tics and behavioral problems rather than the usual allergic reactions such as itching, bloating, hot flushes, rashes, etc. When we think that the person is allergic to certain kinds of foods, we subject the person to tests and put on an elimination diet to see what foods cause the increase in tics. For most people, this is a very challenging undertaking especially if the foods that were supposed to be eliminated are our favorite foods. And also because of the fact that the reliability of the tests used to diagnose food allergies are being questioned by the doctors themselves.

The facts mentioned above plus the oscillating symptoms of the disorder makes it even more complicated, complicating the question whether the increase in tics is due to cause and effect or just because of the standard course of the illness. This concept also applies in pharmacotherapy or the use of medications to manage symptoms of Tourette Symptom. The question also lies whether the tics are managed because of the effects of medication or just because of the waxing and waning of the symptoms of the disorder.

So what should you do then? Well, there is no definite answer as to what foods to avoid. It’s just keeping track on what you eat and finding out if these foods actually lessen your tics. It is often advised to keep a food diary. In this way, you will be monitoring the effects of the foods you consume on your tics so that the actual effects of these foods will be more concrete rather than just assuming that certain foods actually cause the tics. It is better if you do this yourself rather than just relying on hearsays.

Now, I think most of the people diagnosed have been taking supplements to aid them in controlling the symptoms of Tourette syndrome. Here’s the deal about supplements available today. While there have been many anectodal reports saying the efficiency of these supplements in the treatment and/ or management of Tourette Syndrome, the predicament of these supplements lies on which one to take because makers of these products claim that their products are more effective than others. Some of these supplements are the vitamins, minerals, enzymes, products from organic sources (grape seed extract, blue green algae, omega-3 oil) and other herbal products. Oftentimes we are more enthusiastic if these supplements are based on some proven scientific studies. But unfortunately, there are not enough studies to lead us to these supplements reliability. One thing you need to look for if it is approved by BFAD (Bureau of Food and Drugs in the Philippines) in the Philippines or FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in the US or its counterpart in your country for the products’ effectiveness and safety. Because some of these supplements especially herbal products contains potentially dangerous contaminants. And oftentimes, the efficiency of these products vary from supplier to supplier or varies within different batches of the same supplier.

All of these information should lead us to be very smart consumers. And we should also keep in mind that TOURETTE SYNDROME HAS NO CURE. All the products available to treat or manage the disorder provide the purpose of controlling the tics just so the individual will not have a hard time. It is also an important note to keep in mind that the tics wax and wane during the course of the illness. The thing is, take in what works best for you. I would also like you to remember that the PROGNOSIS IS GENERALLY GOOD...BUT THE NEUROBEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS MAY PERSIST AND CAN DEBILITATE THE PERSON MORE THAN THE TICS THEMSELVES. We may be more focused on the tics of the person that we forget the person behind the disorder who is first and foremost an individual before becoming an individual with Tourette Syndrome.

See the convential treatment for Tourette Syndrome
------------------------------------------
This article was written from a reference article by Dr. Gerald Erenberg entitled "Is There a Connection Between Nutrition and an Increase in TS Symptoms?"

Having Tics? Here's What You Need To Do

2008-01-18T20:45:00.001-08:00

Having Tics? Here’s What You Need To Do

If you are experiencing tics (sudden, repetitive movements or sounds) most of your life or if you have observed that your child has been experiencing some form of uncontrollable movements which you cannot explain, DO NOT DISREGARD. At first we may think that the movements may just be mannerisms that they will overcome in the long run--think twice and address. It is always a better way not to disregard especially if the movements bother you or the person who has it.

Though, we may not conclude that you or somebody close to you is having Tourette Syndrome, here is the basis for it. Doctors actually use The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders for making the diagnosis. If you happen to fall on this criteria then you may have Tourette Syndrome.

DSM-IV Criteria for Tourette Syndrome:

• both multiple motor tics and one or more vocal tics must be present at
the same time, although not necessarily concurrently;
• the tics must occur many times a day (usually in bouts) nearly every
day or intermittently over more than 1 year, during which time there
must not have been a tic-free period of more than 3 consecutive months;
• the age at onset must be less than 18 years;
• the disturbance must not be due to the direct physiological effects of
a substance (e.g. stimulants) or a general medical condition (e.g.
Huntington's disease or postviral encephalitis).

Having said that, the DSM-IV is not the only tool for diagnosing the disorder, doctors may also ask for the history--- how you come to notice the tics especially the frequency and types of tics. Just to refresh your memory on what Tourette Syndrome is all about, please read “What You Need To Know About Tourette Syndrome”.

Now, you may be wondering what you will undergo having those kinds of repetitive movements. It is very important to visit the doctor as soon as you notice the tics. It is better to address everything as soon as possible rather than later. Be prepared for tons of questions. The doctor will definitely look at the family’s medical history, the person’s symptoms and other clues to make a diagnosis. However, there are no standard tests for TS. Oftentimes, the doctors may use imaging tests like computerized tomography scan (CT Scan), electroencephalograms (EEG’s), magnetic resonance imaging tests (MRIs) and blood tests to rule out other conditions that might have symptoms similar to Tourette Syndrome.

TOURETTE SYNDROME IS NOT A PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS, for people who want to be finally diagnosed, please go directly to a NEUROLOGIST or a MOVEMENT DISORDER SPECIALIST. But do not be surprised if you will be referred to a psychiatrist or a psychologist, they will also help in addressing certain issues involved with TS. Oftentimes, these people work together to finally come up with a correct diagnosis and eventually help the person seek treatment.

Since Tourette Syndrome is a SPECTRUM DISORDER ( a combination of tics, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and other neurobehavioral disorders) other symptoms that may last for a longer period of time needs to be taken into consideration especially if they interfere with the normal function of the individual. Upon diagnosis, it is also suggested that you come to a neuropsychologist or clinical psychologist who are experts in handling special population such as TS for a deeper evaluation. Why do you need to do this? This will help you understand more of the issues or problems associated with TS in the behavioral, psychological, and social aspect which according to some parents, are more debilitating than the tics themselves. Counseling or psychotherapy is also a big help since it is proven to be effective treatment modality in medical clientele such as TS individuals.

In order to help you or your loved one cope with TS, it is very important for you to;

· EDUCATE YOURSELF ABOUT TS. Read on articles, journals, books, newspapers, and other resources about Tourette Syndrome. In this way, you can also educate others as well especially those people who will be dealing with TS in the long run.
· KEEP A JOURNAL OF THE HISTORY OF YOUR DISORDER. Jotting down important situations in your life that may be relevant in identifying specific factors associated with your disorder may help you a lot.
· OBSERVE, MONITOR AND DOCUMENT YOUR TICS. Keeping track of your symptoms will help you see the progress of your disorder and find out specific treatments that may be effective during the course of your illness.
· GET INVOLVED. Since TS is just new in the Philippines, we will all find great comfort if we get to learn from each others experiences with TS and offer a helping hand.
· FIND EXTERNAL SUPPORT. Join organizations or support groups offering services for the people involved with TS. In the Philippines, you can join the Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association to know other Filipinos involved.
· STRENGTHEN FAMILY SUPPORT. If the family is intact in providing support for the individual with TS, the person can go a long way in coping with the disorder better.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Reference: Kids Health Website, 2007
Tourette Syndrome Diagnostic Criteria, 2004

Very Thankful

2008-01-11T18:35:00.000-08:00

As expected there were some major challenges in pursuing my research about Tourette Syndrome. The one that had a major impact on me was the process of validating the original scale that I did for Tourette Syndrome (Tourette Syndrome Symptom Assessment Scale). I had a few contacts for that in Manila which provided negative results. I was kind of pessimistic at first to reach out to those people who were really appropriate for this type of validation. The reason was that, there seems to be a little bit of that Pinoy mentality where people will make it harder for you in times when you needed them the most. Well, bitter sweet realities but all true. I even made all the necessary letters and attachments for the validation but these professionals really just put it to trash. But that did not stop me from pursuing these passion of continuing the research. I emailed a couple of other people I knew not only in the medical world but also in Psychology. In fact, I also considered foreign professionals for the validation. I even considered my father's dissertation adviser way back in the 80's in Cincinnatti. Well all in all, I got 50 emails sent to foreigners, and 4 others who were Filipinos. Unfortunately, most of the emails I sent were sent back to me...server problem, I guess. But some of them were kind enough to write back and tell me that they were not qualified for this specific task. After the holidays, though, I got two letters in my inbox from foreign neuropsychologists and psychiatrists who happened to be also professors in universities in the US. Luckily, they reviewed the scale and validated it together with the suggestions for the final copy of the assessment scale. I was really very thankful. More thankful, indeed, when another Filipino neurologist validated it and gave out a certification. So..well, I guess I just took this opportunity to thank my reviewers namely:

Maria Cristina Macrohon, MD,MPH
Neurologist
International Institute for Neurosciences
Adult Neurology

Ronald Ruff, PhD.
Neurologist and Rehabilitation Psychologist
Faculty at University of California (Department of Psychiatry)
and Stanford University (Division of Physical Medicine and
Rehabilitation)
[visit Dr. Ruff's website]

William Drew Gouvier, PhD
Professor
Department of Psychology
Louisian State University
[access Dr. Gouvier's vita]
[LSU page]

IN NEED OF PARTICIPANTS

2007-12-18T19:02:00.000-08:00

This is the Outline Examination Approval Form for the research on Group Dynamics courtesy of University of the Philippines, College of Education.

Twitch and Shout Lay Forum: March 26, 2007, St. Lukes Medical Center

2007-12-16T19:38:00.001-08:00

Nota Bene: If you don't want it with music, just click the speaker icon on the left hand corner. :-)

Individuals With Disabilities Edcation Act (IDEA) for Children with Tourette Syndrome

2007-12-10T17:26:00.000-08:00

In the middle of 1960 and 1975, the US Congress, state legislatures and federal courts have come up with educational rights for children with disabilities. They have passed laws encouraging and/ or funding programs in special education. The Public Law 94- 142 in 1975 which was originally introduced in 1971 is now named the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA has a primary purpose of creating rights for children with disabilities. This law together with ADA or Americans with Disabilities Act which was passed in Congress in 1990 have been the two main bodies for litigation during the past years.

Consequently the IDEA provides many specific procedural protections for the parents of children with disabilities. These safeguards are spelled out in the US Code of Federal Regulations, Title 34, Subtitle B. Chapter 3, Part 300. Some advocated said that these safeguards were poorly enforced at that time.

In 2004, IDEA was reauthorized to also serve children with Tourette Syndrome. The changes that were done were made effective last July 1, 2005. And these changes include

short term goals will no longer be required on the Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) except those children under "No Child Left Behind" assessment ( or those with severe cognitive disabilites)
flexible IEP meetings particularly alternative attendance such as by telephone or video conferencing
three year IEPs to meet evolving needs of the child
discipline as schools will not only provide support for academic purposes but also in terms of behavioral and functional goals which are very important for children with TS
"Stay Put"- the right of the student to remain in the current placement has been eliminated, parents can now appeal for placement changes for their child
early and positive intervention
professional development- personnel who will work with children with disabilities should improve their academic and functional performances
collaboration relationship- there is a greater focus to train parents and schools to use collaboration techniques
transition services to focus not just on academic achievement but also on functional development
the "specific learning disability" can no longer be required only on the aspect of academic achievement and IQ score
schools will be prohibited from requiring that the child be under medication as a condition when attending school, recieving services or evaluation purposes
schools may use 15% of IDEA's funding if the child requires more academic and behavioral support
evaluations must not focus on the academic achievement of the child but also on developmental and functional abilities

See the more comprehensive summary of the new law.

---------------------------------------------------

Source:

Martin et. al., Special Education for Students with Disabilities, Vol. 6, No. 1, 1996

Tourette Syndrome Association, USA

Deep Brain Stimulation in Action

2007-11-21T01:51:00.000-08:00

I've talked about Deep Brain Stimulation in my previous entries, now I get to share with you a movie clip showing how it's really done.

An Update on Self Esteem for People with Tourette Syndrome

2007-11-09T19:56:00.000-08:00

I read an article from the Tourette Syndrome website in the USA about uplifting your self- esteem. I talked about it before and i decided to post this entry as a follow-up about that personally because I find this also very relevant. Furthermore, the information that i will be sharing with you came from a TS diagnosed himself, Paul Devore, who despite his struggles about Tourette syndrome managed to become so successful in his life.

In the article, he wrote many things about himself but what I want to share are the tools that he enumerated to help build self- esteem. According to him, the following are the tools that you can use.

1. BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE
Focus on your strengths and not your weaknesses.

2. SET OBJECTIVES
Find and set the importance goals in your life.

3. BRING VALUE TO OTHERS
Focus on the positive, hang out with winners!

4. THINK OPTIMISTIC
Surely bad things happen in this world, but respond positively to it!

5. IMPROVE THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE GOOD AT

There may be other ways by which you can improve or enhance your self- esteem, you might be able to get the strategies deep down inside you. Another thing that struck me through reading his article was when he said that "SCHOOLS TEND TO FOCUS ON THE WEAKNESS".
He said that this might be different today but for many years this has been the tendency. The author claimed that when he was in grade school, he couldn't draw much. His teacher was always giving him exercises to work on his drawing skills. Most teachers go away with the weakness by letting the student work on something that possibly might not be his or her interest at all. The end result is forgetting about what the student is really good at that could be used to his full advantage. Paul Devore even said and I quote:

"...if we focus on those things we’re good at and we like, we have a possibility, the potential, to not only enjoy our life but to develop a passion for what we do. And that is, a passion is, how you become excellent at something."

6. PROJECT YOUR BEST QUALITIES
Take pride in your strengths, accept compliments

7. NEVER MAKE A PROMISE UNLESS YOU CAN KEEP IT
According to Paul , this is a credibility builder. This will also build your reputation for other people.

8. CHANNEL PROBLEMS INSTEAD OF LAYERING THEM
Don't waste time thinking about problems one after the other (layering), instead focus on each one, assess and give solutions to it until you have one problem solved (channeling). Take your time into it.

9. LEARN AND GROW
"How can you make life better for people with Tourette Syndrome? Give praise to others at every opportunity. You deserve high self-esteem. You don’t have to be perfect. There is no need for perfection. You don’t have to be good at everything. Just make the best of your strengths. Reduce the focus on your weakness. Identify and work on your unique abilities. Pursue them and achieve great things. Feel good about who you are because you are terrific."

I Don't Think Tourette Syndrome's Funny

2007-10-15T18:45:00.000-07:00

A Letter for a Grateful Mother

2007-10-15T04:18:00.000-07:00

A letter surprised me from my inbox this morning. I got pretty excited again to think that TAWM site and my drive for TS awareness in the Philippines (PTSA) has been serving its purpose.

Here goes my reply:

Hello Ms. Cynthia. I am very grateful that there are people like you who are appreciating the work that I’m doing here in TAWM site and in behalf of all the PTSA heads and members. I may not be able to relieve your pain of dealing with TS eversince your child has been diagnosed to have it but by understanding and believing in it, I hope I can make it possible for you to bear it. Your experiences and struggles are the same as those people who are also dealing with TS themselves. You are not alone. Being a parent of a kid with TS is truly not a simple task. The confusions and assumptions before the diagnosis are already challenges. Moreover, upon diagnosis and the managements after the diagnosis are great challenges furthermore.

I admire you for educating yourself about the disorder. This is what we all need prior, during and after diagnosis. Everybody needs to know if not a lot, even a little about the disorder. This will help us understand the facts instead of placing our judgements on misconceptions. I would just like to remind you to keep doing that and learn about TS in all perspectives (medical, psychological, behavioral, etc.) In that way, your ideas will not be single-focused. It is important for the TS- diagnosed to be understood in all levels.

Please continue to be an active member of PTSA network. Although, we are buds in this endeavor, through yours and the other members’ help, the possibilities are endless.

Regards to you and your family, and I’m looking forward to see you in all of PTSA’s future activities.

Micronesia Update

2007-10-15T03:06:00.000-07:00

1st Picture: Marlon and I posing together with Leske's Mom and Grandfather

2nd Picture: Leske and his mom with the two registered nurses of St. Lukes Medical Center

3rd Picture: Leske and Family

I had a previous post about my new friend from Micronesia. I just want to share the pictures that we had at St. Lukes Pediatric Suite where Leske, the kid who was diagnosed with TS, chose the Philippines to have medical assistance regarding Tourette. They were surely taken cared of with all the assessments and lab works they underwent. They went back to Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia as satisfied foreign customer last September 24.

To leske and family, thank you for choosing the Philippines. You guys are always welcome to come back.

TS is Not a Hindrance to Success

2007-10-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

Being a proud friend that I am, I would just like to share with you some insipring experiences of Marlon, a filipino with Tourette syndrome. Marlon went through the usual challenges as a kid, teenager and now an adult in dealing with tourette syndrome.

As a kid, sometimes he was being reprimanded for doing the tic. As a result, he would often suppress to please his parents. It became more difficult for him as the suppression just worsen tic occurences.

As a teenager, he would feel shameful about doing the tics in public. He felt like most of the time, he was forced to explain the reasons behind the tic just so other people could understand and not judge. That scenario became usual that he came to a point where he got tired to just let other people know that he was suffering from a disorder called Tourette syndrome.

As an adult, he understood the disorder even better because of his drive to read more about TS. But as years passed by, managing his own disorder just reached Marlon's limit. He stopped taking medications in 1993. But from that time on, Marlon did not let his disorder stopped him from where he wanted to be.

Truly TS is not a hindrance to success. Marlon is already a band member of a popular band called 3rd avenue. They have been having Mall Tours, radio and tv shows, bar gigs and others. Marlon may be an inspiration to kids who are just beginning to discover their condition. This is just a reminder that TS is never really a hindrance to your dreams. Don't stop dreaming!
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Article appeared in www.marlonbarnuevo.multiply.com

A Friend from Micronesia

2007-09-24T07:26:00.000-07:00

About roughly four days ago, Marlon and I went to St. Lukes Medical Center to visit a family from Micronesia where the 6 year old kid was first diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome. They came to the Philippines in order to get more help with their kid's diagnosis. Marlon referred them to SLMC for a series of procedures. The Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association was introduced to them as a support system. The family was indeed very grateful primarily for Marlon's assistance and the piece of information that we have given them during their stay here in the Philippines.

PTSA Update!

2007-09-05T22:17:00.000-07:00

There are some people who are actually contacting me for some relevant infos about TS. And these people have just been diagnosed to have the disorder or been looking for some Filipino site about TS. I want to thank my friends who keep on referring people who are involved with TS. We’re still on the process of expanding the Filipino TS network. And we need all the help we can get to jumpstart activities if not for the year, by next year.

This will also serve as a plea for my readers to keep writing and sending in comments. It would be very nice for you to come back as often as possible. The founders of the Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association are doing everything they can to keep the organization alive and relevant to all of you.

For teens or even children who are willing to exchange personal emails, you can contact me or Mr. Marlon Barnuevo at barnuevo@yahoo.com for some chit-chats about Tourette syndrome. Personal meetings are also welcome. We are here to help you out with anything else regarding Tourette syndrome. It would be very nice to introduce yourself to us.

For the meantime, again send in your stories for inspiration and keep visiting.

2008 TSA National Conference

2007-08-17T03:21:00.000-07:00

The United States Tourette Syndrome Association will hold its National Conference for Tourette Syndrome on April 4-6, 2008. Website registrations received before January 1, 2008 will get an early- bird discount. Please take note that this discount will only apply to online registrations. Registration will include all materials including Friday, Saturday and Sunday breakfast; Friday and Saturday lunch; and Saturday award banquet.

CONFERENCE HOTEL INFORMATION

CONFERENCE DATES
Pre-conference Meetings ~ April 2 & 3, 2008
General Session ~ April 4, 5, 6, 2008

LOCATION
Hilton Alexandria Mark Center
5000 Seminary Road, Alexandria, VA 22311

TO MAKE HOTEL RESERVATIONS CALL
703-845-1010 or 800-HILTONS

Ask for the TSA Conference Rate
In order to be guaranteed a room from the TSA block,
you must make your hotel reservation prior to March 13, 2008

GROUND TRANSPORTATION ~ COMPLIMENTARY
Hilton Shuttle service to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
The Pentagon, Pentagon City Mall and the Metro Subway System

RECREATION
Heated indoor /outdoor pool with hydraulic lift
24-hour Executive Health Club featuring LifeCycles, LifeStep
Machines, Treadmills, and a Multi-Station Universal Gym
Two lighted outdoor tennis courts
Jogging Trails and Walking Paths through adjacent Botanical Gardens

DINING
Finn & Porter, offering Steak, Seafood, and Sushi

PRE- CONFERENCE ACTIVITIES

April 2: Chapter Leadership Training, Trip to the Hill Training

April 3: Newly- diagnosed Seminar, Trip to the Hill Training, Leadership Training

April 3- 6: Daily Exhibit Hall Set- up

CONFERENCE FEES

GENERAL SESSIONS
[ _ ] $350 TSA Member
[ _ ] $425 Non-Member rate *
Registration includes all materials as well as:
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday Breakfast
Friday and Saturday lunch
Saturday Award Banquet

* I wish to join TSA now and receive the
reduced member registration rate.

[ _ ] $ 45 TSA Membership dues

NEWLY DIAGNOSED SEMINAR (THURSDAY)
[ _ ] $ 90
Registration includes materials and Thursday
Breakfast and Lunch

LEADERSHIP TRAINING
[ _ ] $125
Registration includes materials :
Thursday Breakfast and Lunch
Wednesday Trip to the Hill Training
Thursday Trip to the Hill including
reimbursement for Thursday evening
Dinner up to $35

TEEN ISSUES TRACK
[ _ ] $350 ~ regular banquet meal
[ _ ] $330 ~ youth banquet meal
*This is a regular general session conference
track; see information sheet for details.
Registration includes all materials as well as:
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday Breakfast
Friday and Saturday lunch
Saturday night Banquet

YOUTH MEALS
Friday, Saturday & Sunday breakfast
and Saturday banquet for those
registered for off-premise youth
program
[ _ ] $138~ with regular banquet meal *
[ _ ] $118 ~ with youth banquet meal *
[ _ ] $ 72 ~ Fri/Sat/Sun breakfasts only*

The above fees apply from January 1, 2008 to March
13, 2008. After March 13, 2008 please add
[ _ ] $50 per person for late fee

** Note on-line registration discount for
TSA Members

You can download the registration form at the right side menu bar on DOWNLOADS. Visit the TSA website for more information.

Salamat Dok: Tourette Syndrome in the Media

2007-08-10T01:14:00.000-07:00

Kontrobersyal: Tourette Syndrome in the Media

2007-08-10T01:07:00.000-07:00

My Struggle with Tourette Syndrome: Story of a Filipino Guy with TS

2007-08-10T00:45:00.000-07:00

Yet another Tourette Syndrome Life Story
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My very first motor tic appeared when I was in grade three. For the first few months, I kept on touching my hair repeatedly. It seemed to be a typical hair-fixing habit to some, but I started getting reactions from people when more of the “classic” TS tics came out less than a year after. My eyes blinked absurdly, I had facial twitches, and slight vocal tics appeared when I reached high school. My tics would often change from one form to another. At times, I would have strong, head-jerking movements. The next thing I know, I’d have my arm flipping, coupled with a loud “humph!” vocal tic.

Life was tough for me during those years. I was being teased at school, got stared at by other people everywhere, and worse- I was scolded at home. “Tigilan mo ‘yan!” my mother would shout to me no less than a dozen times a day. At that time, many speculations have come out from friends, neighbors and relatives. These people would tell me and my mother, “Ay, mannerisms lang ‘yan, pwede pang pigilan…” or “ ‘Yung anak ng kapatid ko, ganyan din noon, nawala naman.” A relative of ours has even insisted on having us visit a Psychiatrist- a move that I completely opposed, for obvious reasons. One of the most common reactions I heard was “Nasa ugat lang ‘yan…ipa-hilot mo,” a suggestion I still hear up to these days. Nevertheless, I strived very hard trying to live a normal teenage life despite of all the gossips from neighbors, ridicule that I get from peers, and even reprimands from teachers who seem to have been distracted by my tics. I decided to cope with my shortcomings by excelling in as many things as I could

At times, especially when scolded, or when I’m about to face a situation I deem crucial, I suppress my tics. But just like any other TS cases, suppressing tics can be exhausting and stressful, causing my tics to worsen once I stop holding them.

It was my father who had the hardest time dealing with it. He often finds himself greeted by a new tic I exhibit every time he comes home from his work abroad. My motor and vocal tics, which he considered as mere “habits” that I have formed, made him very furious at times. I knew back then, that I could not blame him for his, oftentimes, harsh reactions. But I was aware that being their only child, seeing me tic frustrates him and my mother more than any other person in the world. Only later in my life that I found out they were simply afraid of what kind of future might await me.

In 1993, I was referred to a Neurologist by our family Ophthalmologist who has noticed my unusual eye-blinking tics. After a few visits, series of questions and medical tests, I was officially diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome. There was an instant relief for me when I heard that it actually has a name, and that it is NOT a psychological disorder like what many people have thought, but a NEUROLOGICAL condition caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. However, that first diagnosis was not enough to convince my father. It was only until my third diagnosis and counseling from a Neuro-psychiatrist that swayed my father to understand that it was not easy to have TS. Since then, I have been given utmost support and better understanding by my parents-something that I have always needed.

In 1997, I became a member of the Tourette Syndrome Association based in New York. Since then, they have been sending me a number of reading materials and newsletters that they publish quarterly. It has also given me the chance to get in touch with other people with TS from other countries, providing me more medical information and inspirational stories.

I was prescribed with Haldol, Risperdal and many other medications by my past three neurologists. However, in 1998, I made a personal decision to refrain from any form of neuroleptics, because of the possible side-effects and expensiveness of these drugs. I knew there would be consequences, but I was determined to live with TS, and simply try to do my best in everything that I do.

I graduated from DLSU-CSB in 2000 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Design. Now at 24, I work as a Senior Industrial Designer in one of the country’s most respected design firms. Presently, I am also with a vocal-acoustic group, performing regularly in a number of bars & restaurants in Metro Manila.

My tics are still very evident. People still stare at me, some even laugh or get irritated when I tic. In fact, my tics have obviously worsened in the past few years, due to the stressful, yet enjoyable lifestyle I’ve chosen. They subside though, when I relax. However, I believe that having a normal life is still a choice laid upon my jerking hands as a gift from God. I face clients with my tics. I perform in front of a crowd with my tics. Tourette Syndrome is not a hindrance to achieving a normal and enjoyable life. It will always be helpful though, to be diagnosed correctly to avoid the perils of misconception and wrong diagnosis. Moreover, support, understanding and a great deal of patience exerted by family and friends help a lot in this constant battle in life faced by people with Tourette Syndrome like me.
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What you have just read is a true to life story of a Filipino guy with Tourette Syndrome, a very active member of the Philippine Tourette Syndrome Association. I hope that with this letter, others will come out and share their own stories. Or perhaps you can comment on this article. Thank you.