Treatment for Tourette sufferers
Archived article from Nov 3, 2000
By Stacey B. Hersh
Adults and children suffering from Tourette Syndrome (TS) and their families have access to a specialized treatment program that began this fall, thanks to a new partnership between the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP) and the Tourette Syndrome Association of New Jersey Inc. (TSANJ).
The Rutgers–TSANJ Therapeutic Program is offered through the psychological clinic at GSAPP, which provides a variety of psychological services to the public.
"This is the first time a Tourette Syndrome organization has partnered with a university-based psychological clinic to better serve the Tourette community," said Faith Rice, president of TSANJ. "There are an estimated 7,000 people in New Jersey believed to have full-blown TS and very few resources available to assist them. The clinic will serve as our central clearinghouse for referrals, treatment and information regarding TS."
"This partnership will enable us to create specialized treatment programs to address the needs of Tourette patients and their families, provide a valuable hands-on learning experience for our graduate students and increase awareness of TS in the professional community," said Lewis Gantwerk, director of the Center for Applied Psychology at GSAPP.
The Rutgers–TSANJ Therapeutic Program offers individual and family therapy, programs for school-age children and adults with TS, social skills development sessions, referrals to physicians and testing services. The program also features training and accredited workshops on TS and associated disorders for practitioners, physicians, educators and students.
TS is an inherited neurological disorder characterized by repeated involuntary facial, head or body movements and uncontrollable vocal (phonic) sounds called tics, such as grunting, sniffing or barking. In a few cases, tics can include inappropriate words and phrases. Symptoms usually occur in early childhood, between the ages of 6 and 8, but can also appear during the teen-age years.
For more information about the program, visit the clinic's Web site, www.rutgerspsychservices.com, or call ext. 5-6111. For more information about TS, visit the TSANJ Web site, www.tsanj.org, call (732) 972-4459 or write TSANJ at 26 W. High St., Somerville, N.J. 08876.
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