Providing Funds for Tourette Syndrome Research

PROVIDING FUNDS FOR TOURETTE SYNDROME RESEARCH -- (Extensions of Remarks - February 01, 2006)

SPEECH OF
HON. PETE SESSIONS
OF TEXAS
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2006

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to applaud Congress for including $1.8 million for Tourette Syndrome research in H.R. 3010, Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2006, and to encourage the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to continue its partnership with the Tourette Syndrome Association (TSA).

The Tourette Syndrome education program provides intensive training and education about Tourette Syndrome for the public, physicians, allied healthcare workers, and teachers. Its objectives are to increase recognition and diagnosis, decrease the stigma, increase the provision of and improve the nature of treatments, decrease negative impacts on families, and improve academic outcomes for children with this disorder.

In May 2004, Chairman Regula indicated in a letter to the CDC Director that the money Congress was appropriating to help those with Tourette Syndrome should be sole-sourced to the Tourette Syndrome Association. He respected TSA's expertise, and I congratulate him for recognizing that they would be the entity best able to undertake the following kinds of successful and efficient use of the funds. It is my sincere hope that CDC will continue to work in partnership with TSA, so they can build upon the successes they have demonstrated to date.

TSA, in partnership with the CDC, completed the first year of the program on August 31, 2005 and began the second year on September 1, 2005. In the first year, TSA offered 25 expert medical education programs, as well as five major education-allied professional programs. The medical programs trained 2,149 physicians, nurses and medical-related allied professional while the education programs trained 745 teachers and school-based allied professionals. These program sites were well distributed across the country.

An April 2005 analysis found that 73.5 percent of the physicians who responded to TSA's evaluation reported that over half of the material presented in the training was new to them.

The Tourette Syndrome Association also videotaped Dr. John Walkup's presentation on ``Diagnosis and Treatment of Tourette Syndrome'' which has been made available on TSA's website as the first of several Continuing Medical Education (CME) programs. To learn more about Tourette Syndrome or to view this presentation please, visit http://tsa-usa.org.

All ready for year two of this program, the Tourette Syndrome Association has scheduled twenty medical education programs and seventeen education programs. TSA also plans to videotape Dr. Jorge Juncos offering training for neurologists in both English and Spanish for a future CME presentation on TSA's website.

It is in the best interest of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to continue its partneship with the Tourette Syndrome Association, so that this established program will continue to reach medical and education specialists across the country.

http://thomas.loc.gov