We are delighted to announce our annual meeting for patient associations & advocacy groups in Athens, Greece in connection with the ESSTs conference!
Date: May 21th, 2025
Time: 9.00 – 13.00
Location: Athens, Greece
“Empowering Minds:
Creating Supportive Educational Environments
for People touched by Tourette”
Themes:
In-Service Presentations / Rethinking TS in Education
Language Creates Reality: Reframing Tourette’s as a Strength in the Classroom
The way we talk about Tourette shapes how individuals and educators perceive it, making strength-based language essential for creating empowering environments. Language impacts identity and self-esteem in the classroom, and deficit-based descriptions can limit a student’s potential by focusing on challenges rather than strengths.
Problem-Solving Workshop: Addressing Challenges in the Classroom
This session equips educators with tools and strategies to navigate real-world classroom challenges while maintaining a strength-based mindset. Participants will break into small groups to discuss specific scenarios, such as a student experiencing disruptive tics during a group project, peer teasing, or frustration with academic tasks. Groups will brainstorm solutions, reframing challenges as opportunities and fostering inclusion. They’ll role-play or present ideas for facilitator feedback. The session ends with a strength-based strategy toolkit for classroom challenges.
“A Future of Empowerment”
To conclude on an uplifting note, the session will highlight the progress and potential of students with Tourette through personal success stories that showcase their achievements. Emphasizing the transformative power of supportive environments, the discussion will reinforce how encouragement and understanding can make a meaningful difference.
ESSTS 2025 Conference
17th International Conference on Tourette Syndrome & Tic Disorders will take place in Athens, Greece, on 21-23 May 2025.
