Tic With It
Tourette Syndrome Association, Inc. Detroit-East Michigan Chapter		April, 2000
Education: Educator/Parent Conference

On April 7, 2000, the East Michigan TSA sponsored the first Educator and Parent Conference of it's kind in this area. We invited some wonderful speakers to lead workshops on topics such as classroom accommodations, family issues, medications and special education law. Those speakers included:

• Sheryl Pruitt, author of Teaching the Tiger
• Susan Conners, a teacher from New York with TS
• Rose Wood our past President and author of Dysinhibition Syndrome
• Randy Martinuzzi, civil rights lawyer
• Jackie Neslund, a pharmacist and Mom to a child with TS
• Bernie Travnikar, about the Positive Behavior Support Network
• Sandra Laham on collaboration and how to get past disagreements when working on behalf of a special needs child
• United Cerebral Palsy's Parents Training Parents Program

The comments from those who attended were very positive. To me this means it was a very worthwhile project and one that was greatly needed. If you missed it, I hope the next time we have this opportunity, you will make it a point to be there. I know you will be glad that you did. What better way to get so much information in one place and be able to learn from the experts. Thank you to all of the speakers that joined us.

Thank you also to all of the volunteers that worked so hard. We could never have done it without you:

• Dan Caren
• Vicky Nicosia
• Cheryl Serra
• Linda Annoni
• Carl White
• Val Hickey
• Steve Perrine
• Connie Perrine
• Sherrie Stewart
• Luann Counts
• Michelle Bumbalough
• Becky Rife
• and most of all Art Abbott.

Art's involvement with this project was from beginning to end and I truly appreciated all of the hard work he put forth. It was a wonderful day and one I will never forget.

I also want to Thank Michelle for her work on the adults with TS retreat. It was a great way to connect and share experience. A special thank you goes out to

• Gillian Leggett from Georgia
• Duncan McKinlay from Ontario, Canada, and
• Jay Goodman from Pennsylvania. Your involvement made this venture a great success.

Barb Schmatz

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