The chapter announces its schedule for support group meetings this fall.  In Westchester County, meetings will be held on Tuesday, October 8^th and Tuesday, December 3^rd.  In Orange County, meetings will be held on Thursday, September 26^th and Thursday November 22^nd.

On June 2^nd, the chapter held its third annual Family Fun Day at Saxon Woods Park in White Plains.

Over 50 members of the local Tourette community gathered on a beautiful day to enjoy a few hours of shared outdoor activities and family networking.  The activities included a crafts table, a nature walk through woods and miniature golf, led by volunteer members and the chapter’s Youth Ambassadors.  TSA merchandise was sold (and worn by most of the participants),  and a picnic lunch was provided.  Members came from all areas of the chapter’s four county geographic region for this annual event.

Nature Walk

Crafts Table

Youth Ambassador Julia Gottlieb

Youth Ambassador Camerin Figueroa

On November 10^th, the chapter will hold its annual Family Party.  This event, now in its seventh year, is our most popular family event.  Its an afternoon of fun, food, dancing, prizes and raffles! Our very own chapter member, Bill Chin, will once again be our DJ with prizes, games and great music. Bring your family and join in the fun. Network with other parents. Children can see their buddies and make new friends. Everyone will have a fantastic time!!

Click here to download a flyer about the party!

On Tuesday October 22^nd, TSA-NYHV will hold its Fall Chapter Meeting featuring Dr. Martin Kutscher and Marcella Moran, co-authors of “Organizing Your Disorganized Child”.  They will discuss Tourette Syndrome, ADHD, executive functioning skills and practical organizational strategies for children at home and in school.  The meeting will be held at the Westchester Marriott hotel from 7-9 pm.

Dr. Kutscher is board certified I Pediatrics and Neurology with special competency in child neurology.  He has written four books and lectured internationally on the subject.  For more information, visit http://www.kidsbehavioralneurology.com/.

Marcella Moran is a licensed psychotherapist who works with families to develop positive strategies for students who are disorganized.  She has given numerous workshops and seminars on various topics including Organizing the Disorganized Child.  For more information visit www.thekidorganizer.com.

The Westchester Marriott is located at 670 White Plains Road in Tarrytown, NY.  Please RSVP to info@tsa-nyhv.org.

On Sunday, October 13^th, TSA-NYHV will once again participate in the Westchester Running Festival to raise funds for the chapter and awareness of Tourette Syndrome.  Chapter members and friends will be soliciting contributions for running or walking in 5K (for age 12 and up) and 10K (for ages 14 and up) events.  There’s also a free kids race for ages 11 and under.  Last year, runners and walkers raised over $5000 to support chapter programs. The chapter also sets up a table with TSA merchandise and literature, to promote awareness of TS and the organization.  Spectators who want to cheer on our chapter participants are welcome.

You must register in advance. To register online, go to http://www.genesisadventures.com/v4/main.php?left=runfest&center=wrf and enter Coupon Code “TeamTSA2013” (no spaces) for the Team TSA discount.  The minimum commitment  is $100  and the suggested fundraising goal  is $250

On Thursday,  June 5^th,  Camerin Figueroa, one of the chapter’s Youth Ambassadors and his dad, Ovid Figueroa gave speeches at the Orange County (NY) legistlature and accepted a Proclamation in honor of Tourette Awareness Month.  Camerin spoke about how he was bullied and misunderstood when he was younger and why he became a YA.  He is in the chapter’s Buddy Program and said that his personal experience is why he’s volunteered to be a Big Buddy to his Little Buddy with TS.  Ovid spoke about how TS has affected his family and yet, how it has made everyone in the family stronger for dealing with its challenges.  The proclamation was presented by Orange County Executive Edward Diana.

On August 8^th from 9-10 am, Youth Ambassador Camerin Figueroa and his mother, TSA-NYHV board member Jocelyn Figueroa, appeared on the “Health Matters” radio show with host Dr. Michael Wodka on WTBQ radio in Warwick, NY.  This was the fifth year in a row that the chapter sent representatives to Dr. Wodka’s show to speak about TS, its symptoms and what its like for individuals and families to live with it.  Media outreach is a growing component of the chapter’s awareness efforts, allowing it to reach a broader audience with this important information and message of tolerance.

On June 2^nd, the chapter continued its recent tradition of raising awareness about Tourette Syndrome through guest spots on local radio.   Chapter Co-chair Helene Walisever joined host Kevin Burke of the weekly show “Get Active” on WHTZ radio (Z-100), along with Julia and Wendy Gottlieb, one of the chapter’s current Youth Ambassador teams.  This morning show typically has an audience of about a million in its time slot.  The chapter’s representatives discussed what TS is and the challenges of living with it.  They also spoke about the chapter’s mission and programs, especially the Youth Ambassadors and their roles in it.

The chapter is privileged to have a number of outstanding young people with Tourette Syndrome who have volunteered to become TSA Youth Ambassadors (YAs).  YAs are a key element of its awareness program.  They attend training with a parent who is the other half of the team.  Each YA is educated in the facts and myths about TS and trained to give presentations to peers, professionals and the community at large.  These teams volunteer their time to speak about their experiences with TS, provide accurate information about the disorder and its symptoms, promote tolerance, dispel stereotypes and provide leadership and support to other TS youths in our chapter’s community.

The current TSA-NYHV Youth Ambassadors are

• Ben Tamarin of Irvington
• Julia Gottlieb of Briarcliff Manor
• Camerin Figueroa of Middletown
• Josh Wachtenheim of Scarsdale
• Jack Klion of Scarsdale

Among them during the past year they have done presentations for schools in Brewster, Mahopac, White Plains and Edgemont as well as to the Briarcliff girl scout troop.  They have also represented the chapter at the Make a Difference Fair in West Nyack, the Guidance Expo at the Westchester County Center, the New Rochelle Transition Fair and on two radio shows, “Health Matters” on WTBQ in Warwick and z100 in New York City, which reached an audience of about a million listeners.

If you’d like to schedule a Youth Ambassador presentation, contact the chapter at info@tsa-hyhv.org    A new brochure has also been produced for the chapter’s YA program.  Anyone wishing to obtain copies should contact the chapter.

Ben Tamarin

Julia Gottlieb

Camerin Figueroa

Jack Klion

Josh Wachtenheim

On April 30^th, the chapter held an informational meeting with special speaker Dr. John Walkup, Co-Chair of the Tourette Syndrome Medical Advisory Board and Vice Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Director, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College and New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Walkup has been involved in a number of large research initiatives relating to TS, adolescent depression and anxiety.   He has received a number of awards for scientific achievement.  He spoke about TS symptoms, drug treatments and Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT) and spent a considerable amount of time answering the questions from an audience consisting of members, medical professionals and others.