It's a moving season finale episode talking with guest Allen Shoaff (a Tourette Association Rising Leader and Youth Ambassador) after highlighting the upcoming Tic Con and a dedication to a Touretter the community recently lost. A subsequent project seeks to build a top-class treatment facility for complex cases of Tourette.  Thanks so much to the Tourette Association of America for making another season of episodes possible.  Tw: Some discussion of suicide, suicidal ideation, depression during our conversation with Allen.  Condolences to the family and friends of Ryan "Larry" L ..read more

Back after Ben's laryngitis outage, it's a new episode, and our guest is Shelby Ally, a model and actor from Orange County, Calif., who manages a tic disorder and insomnia but has found power in self-acceptance and advocacy. Shelby, doing professionally what she loves, emphasizes the pursuit of dreams, with the acknowledgement of challenges. Plus: Listener questions about tics and temperture, art, and the TAA explainer card.  Shelby Ally on Instagram  Print a Tourette Association ID/explainer card Tourette's Action ID Card (UK) https://tourette.org/    ..read more

We're back from our holiday and personal-biz break with a solid conversation Ben recorded recently with guest Sophie. This wasn't their first time talking; Sophie had involved Ben in a project she was working on regarding Tourette portrayals and the media experience. They examine that a bit before covering all sorts of life ground, as tends to happen with Tourette conversations. And mark this on your calendar (United States folks): March 8, the National Day of Advocacy, with a visit to Capitol Hill to advocate for Tourette and tic disorders. We'll repeat this info on the podcast in the episode ..read more

On this episode, a thoroughly good-vibe conversation with Raven, aka @poecrastinator on the socials. The conversation covers stigma, ticcing openly without disclosure, developing coprolalia and much more. Plus: A parent wants some ideas for activities his son can take up that might help him live with Tourette.  https://www.youtube.com/@poecrastinator  https://www.instagram.com/poecrastinator/ TAA resouce directory ..read more

A very special episode today with guest Bianca Saez and guest host Kass @ticsntatts, two adult women with Tourette sharing raw experiences. Both from Australia, the voices you hear today are well-known in the community -- Kass for her many angles on neurodiversity awareness on social media, and Bianca for her popular YouTube channel and appearances on television highlighting the dynamicism of her Tourette. Guided by Kass, Bianca shares powerful stories and perspective on what it means to have Tourette. Content warning: Brief but significant mentions of suicide and rape; some uncensored, casual ..read more

Stephen DiJoseph of Pennsylvania is a lifelong musician whose work connects art and Tourette Syndrome and came to the podcast's attention by way of a short film he made expressing just that -- in a really effective way. It's an art film, but comes off relatable to people with Tourettic brains, and this episode -- exploring Tourette, OCD and so on through music and expression -- flows in that spirit. DiJoseph has a concert coming right up that people can stream online Nov. 11. See below. Watch - A SynapTic Adventure: Tourettes and Beyond Stephen DiJoseph concert on NOV 11 @ 8pm EST at The Royal ..read more

We welcome back to the podcast Amanda Talty, president and CEO of the Tourette Association of America. We talk about what TAA has been up to, the upcoming TAA gala (Nov. 10 in NYC), science and research, and more. Don't miss this one! Plus: A question from a parent about a situation at school.  Tourette Gala, Nov. 10 in NYC TAA's YouTube  Update on wearable devices for Tourette Amanda's bio ..read more

Our guest is Erick, a trans man and lifelong Touretter who, in navigating outsider judgments, became his own boss, found success with it, and realized that you "can't waste your energy anymore worrying about the people who try and deny who you are or what you have," as he put it. The discussion covers self-acceptance, co-occuring conditions like OCD, working in one's own, best way, and the difference between group advocacy success and exhausting, individual battles.  Tourette Gala, Nov. 10 in NYC ..read more

We talk with the eloquent Tom White, who works in the space of startups, in a great conversation covering pursuit of intellectual curiosities and how to keep momentum through often serious challenges. Plus, listener questions: 1) How do Touretters get used to ticcing in public?; and 2) When is Billie Eilish going to be on the show?  Tourette Gala, Nov. 10 in NYC https://www.tomwhitenoise.com ..read more

We start this week with some breaking news from the Tourette Association of America: a Tourette Syndrome research study from the CDC has just landed, and it concludes that the prevalence numbers for Tourette Syndrome and persistent tic disorders are double what we previously thought. One in 50 school-age children has Tourette or a persistent tic disorder. Read more.  Our conversation this week is with superb guest host Jhonelle and an excellent guest Touretter named Shawna -- the two of them met at the Tourette Association of America's recent annual conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a ..read more