The Tourette Association of America (TAA), based in

Bayside, New York Bayside is a neighborhood in the New York City Borough (New York City), borough of Queens. It is bounded by Whitestone, Queens, Whitestone to the northwest, the Long Island Sound and Little Neck Bay to the northeast, Douglaston, Queens, Douglasto ...

, United States, is a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

voluntary organization and the only US health-related organization serving people with

Tourette syndrome Tourette syndrome or Tourette's syndrome (abbreviated as TS or Tourette's) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that begins in childhood or adolescence. It is characterized by multiple movement (motor) tics and at least one vocal (phonic) ...

. It was founded in 1972 as the Tourette Syndrome Association (TSA), later changing its name.

History

The TAA was founded in 1972 as the TSA by five couples, parents of children with Tourette syndrome including Bill and Eleanor Pearl, along with psychiatrist

Arthur K. Shapiro Arthur K. Shapiro, M.D., (January 11, 1923 – June 3, 1995) was an American psychiatrist and expert on Tourette syndrome. His "contributions to the understanding of Tourette syndrome completely changed the prevailing view of this disorder"; Co ...

and his wife, Elaine.Pagewise, Inc.
Tourette syndrome.
Retrieved on June 29, 2006. In 2015, the organization's name was changed from TSA to TAA.

Mission and structure

The TAA's mission is to identify the cause of, find the cure for and control the effects of Tourette syndrome. As of 2008, it had 35 US chapters, 300 support groups, and international contacts around the world.Tourette Syndrome Association

Retrieved on February 28, 2008.

Activities

The TSA was "the major driving force in scientific and clinical progress relevant to TS", using its resources to encourage research and scientific initiatives,Walkup, JT, Mink, JW, Hollenback, PJ, (eds). ''Advances in Neurology, Vol. 99, Tourette Syndrome.'' Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, PA, 2006. p. xv. and working tirelessly to promote information about TS. Cohen DJ, Jankovic J, Goetz CG, (eds). ''Advances in Neurology, Vol. 85, Tourette Syndrome.'' Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, PA, 2001, pp. xvii–xviii. It worked for recognition of Tourette syndrome as an organic disorder, lobbying the public, the government, and physicians. It is adept at winning grants and shaping media treatment of the condition. Since its inception, research spurred by the organization has grown in volume and sophistication, including controlled treatment studies and studies of

pathophysiology Pathophysiology ( physiopathology) – a convergence of pathology with physiology – is the study of the disordered physiological processes that cause, result from, or are otherwise associated with a disease or injury. Pathology is the ...

and

etiology Etiology (pronounced ; alternatively: aetiology or ætiology) is the study of causation or origination. The word is derived from the Greek (''aitiología'') "giving a reason for" (, ''aitía'', "cause"); and ('' -logía''). More completely, e ...

.Black, KJ
Tourette Syndrome and Other Tic Disorders.
''eMedicine'' (March 22, 2006). Retrieved on June 27, 2006. Many new research findings are the direct result of the organization's "active facilitation of large collaborative research consortia in genetics, neuro-imaging, clinical trials, and the behavioral sciences", and their "concerted effort to identify current research advances, disseminate them among the scientific and clinical communities, and establish networks of basic and clinical scientists from all over the world".

Media

In 2005

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

, in conjunction with the TSA, produced an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

-winning documentary film, ''

I Have Tourette's but Tourette's Doesn't Have Me ''I Have Tourette's but Tourette's Doesn't Have Me'' is a 2005 documentary film featuring children between the ages of six and thirteen with Tourette syndrome. The film examines the lives of more than a dozen children who have Tourette's, and expl ...

.''

References

External links

TAA Official Website
{{Topics related to Tourette syndrome Health charities in the United States Tourette syndrome organizations Health and disability rights organizations in the United States Organizations established in 1972 Medical and health organizations based in New York (state)