A session with Sophia Christophi, on the subject of Tourettes syndrome

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My name is Natalie Davidson, I have Tourette's Syndrome (TS) & I am a teacher. You may of watched my documentary on TV this year called ‘The teacher with Tourettes’.

My Tourette's displays itself through motor & vocal Tics including Coprolalia (swearing) & has many hidden elements such as intrusive thoughts & the comorbid conditions of ADHD/OCD/Asperger's/Anxiety/Panic attack disorder.

I first engaged with advocacy work 10 years ago for a regional TV programme ‘Inside Out’ showing that although facing challenges I was successful in life. I have a career, with friends, hobbies & I work with young people across the region to help them feel that they could achieve their goals. This was followed up couple years after that with another regional ‘Inside Out’ piece that was shown in three different regions & a 15-minute piece on National Tv ‘The one show’ showing the progress that I had made in my career & life. It revisited the young people & the impact that I had made on their lives & what they were currently doing.

After this the BBC contacted me & said that Channel Five were interested in doing a full 1-hour documentary on me to show the work that I do. The programme ‘Teacher with Tourette's: Cursing in the Classroom’ was a massive opportunity to help spread awareness reduce discrimination & raise aspirations for those with Tourette Syndrome. For 5 months every part of my life, work, home, wedding were filmed, including all the ups the downs. I wanted to show the real life of living with a neurological condition, a mental health condition & the impact that has. The show was released in August 2020 & the feedback from individuals & national press was overwhelmingly positive. It has since been shown across Europe.

I have worked with national/regional/international support associations to deliver live talks, workshops, presentations, & webinars. I connect with teachers, lecturers, parents, & patients to raise aspirations & give hope to parents & individuals who have neurological disorders showing them that the pathway is going to be hard but it is a pathway that you can reach the end of.

I actively encourage positivity as well as acceptance & a belief that people can achieve their goals as well as facing the challenges of having a neurological disorder/disability/mental health. One of my goals has been to educate teachers & lecturers on different strategies to enable those within their classrooms & schools to reach their highest potential. I have been successful in making learning environments & work places more inclusive ensuring that they are offering everything that that the individual could need to reach those aspirations.

I offer advice & information as well as my own ‘lived-experience’ on dealing with the common co-occurring conditions that come along with TS. As well as useful information I inspire people giving them hope for their future especially during what can be a challenging time after receiving a diagnosis.

We struggle to accept what we do not understand and the more advocacy work I do,maybe, just maybe, I can make life a little easier for some of you.

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This is an in-person workshop and seating is VERY limited to allow for social distancing.

Thank you for visiting to spend a quick moment to learn more.

We’re so glad you’re here.

We know it is quite likely that you are facing extreme and challenging situations in your life.

We understand the frustration, the questions and need for real help because we specialize in helping people just like you.

We know all this because there are typically three types of people who visit this event page.

If you fit into one of these three categories, this class was created entirely with you in mind.

Parents who have a child struggling with neurodevelopmental, behavioral, learning and socialization challenges. Your child may or may not already have a diagnosis of autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, sensory processing disorder, PANDAS/PANS, anxiety, depression, cerebral palsy or other developmental, genetic and behavioral challenges.

Educators and Child Care professionals looking for tips and strategies to best help and understand children in their classes and under their care. We love when you show up and you take the initiative to better serve your students!

Providers. Our talks are regularly attended by occupational therapists, nutritionists, ABA therapists, medical doctors, speech and language pathologists, physical therapists and many others looking to expand their knowledge in this area.

Based upon the extremely positive feedback from those who have attended these classes, we know this information is transformational for parents and families.

We also know it has been extremely valuable for the teachers and providers looking to learn new approaches and perspectives to help children with these challenges.

Regardless of where you fit in, we can’t wait to meet you and help guide you on this often difficult, confusing and frustrating journey.

What You’ll Learn:

• The role of diet on gut health and its influence on the brain and nervous system.
• We will explore how genetics and the environment impact childhood neurodevelopmental, learning and behavioral challenges.
• How behavior is impacted by a stressed brain and nervous system (Fight or Flight response).
• Natural strategies to improve health, behavior, learning and socialization that you can implement the next day.

Parents, providers and educators all rave about this class and we know you will too.

We're so confident of that because the only regret attendees have shared with us is that they wished they had access to this information sooner.

We can’t wait to meet you.

Sincerely,

Dr. Anthony Pellegrino

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

To allow for social distancing, seating is extremely limited so be sure to reserve your spot ASAP. If you need additional seating please email us once you receive your email confirmation for your attendance.

Call +1 (732) 945-5032 for more information or with any questions.

What other parents and providers are saying about this presentation…

"It was very informative and quite frankly I left with a feeling of hope and the ability to help my child.”

"Good organized overview of the range of impacts that can lead to neurodevelopmental problems. Good balance of personal experience and scientific data."

"The workshop was very educational and provided a lot of practical information. It is clear that you truly care and value people and their questions/comments."

"I learned so much! You made the scientific information accessible to the general public."

Dr. Anthony Pellegrino is a pediatric and family chiropractor focused on helping children with neurodevelopmental, behavioral, learning and socialization challenges and regularly speak on this and other topics.

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