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Community Corner

East Brunswick psychologist gives talk on Tourette, OCD, anxiety at Inclusion Conference

EWING – Scores of education professionals from all over New Jersey were made aware of the myriad programs and services available through the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome & Associated Disorders (NJCTS) at the New Jersey Coalition for Inclusive Education’s (NJCIE) 11th annual Summer Inclusion Conference on June 26-27 at The College of New Jersey.

Teachers, administrators and other educators asked all the right questions about Tourette – an inherited, misdiagnosed, misunderstood neurological disorder characterized by sounds and movements known as tics that affects 1 in 100 children. Many of those educators took home valuable information that can help their districts and organizations better handle children affected by TS or other neurological conditions such as OCD, ADHD, anxiety and depression.

Another component of NJCTS’ participation was the “OCD and Anxiety Disorders in the Classroom” workshop given by Dr. Robert Zambrano, Psy.D, of Stress and Anxiety Services of New Jersey in East Brunswick. Dr. Zambrano, a regular NJCTS in-service presenter, discussed how to recognize the symptoms and implications of diagnosis for these neurological disorders.

“Dr. Zambrano’s presentation was very well-received,” said NJCTS Education Outreach Coordinator Melissa Fowler, who assisted Dr. Zambrano in his presentation. “It was clearly a high-interest topic for teachers who might not typically get to explore such a topic in so much depth. The wealth of information helped the educators understand stress and anxiety disorders more fully and comprehensively so that when they return to school in September, they will be better equipped to address these important issues.”

OCD and anxiety disorders have ramifications in terms of how they impact a student’s learning experience, academic achievement and participation in the classroom. According to Dr. Zambrano, recognizing the signs and symptoms of these disorders is critical to providing appropriate support services so students can thrive.

More information about the Inclusion Conference is available by visiting www.njcie.net, while more information about Tourette Syndrome and NJCTS’ programs and services is available by calling 908-575-7350 or by visiting www.njcts.org.

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