PA Tourette Syndrome Alliance

02/03/2026

Legislative Committee Update:

Governor Shapiro spoke in a joint House & Senate session today on his 2026-2027 budget.

I'm happy to report that Tourettes has been included in the preliminary proposal for the full $159,000.

While this is good we are hoping to finally be brought on a level playing field with many of the other disabilities line items we are grouped with as we are lagging greatly.

I encourage all families to please sign up for our 2026 Advocacy Day at the Capital on March 24th 8:30-3 in the Main Rotunda.

Legislators love to hear directly from students and children about how they are affected both in school and at home while learning how PATSA has directly impacted them for the better.

If you can't make Harrisburg please reach out to Jeffrey Mason at: jcmason412patsa@gmail.com as we have a program to meet with your legislators in the district office.

Thanks
Jeffrey C Mason
Legislative Chair

01/29/2026

Feel free to share this with your school! Upcoming FREE webinars for Educators and Nurses. Three choices of times available. Feb 16th and Feb 18th. Read more and register here: https://patsainc.org/resources-and-support/support-for-schools/

01/23/2026

One of our board members, Jordan Galing, is holding a fundraiser for PATSA on April 18, 2026! See the info in the image:

01/22/2026

Read about this fella from Michigan who runs his own cafe and has TS:

Dylan Larson bought a small restaurant in Michigan at just 18 years old. Now 21, he runs Rare Earth Goods Café in Ishpeming completely alone. He takes every order, cooks every meal, washes every dish, and manages the books, including taxes. When he gets sick, the café simply closes until he recove...

01/19/2026

🚨 NEW RESEARCH ALERT 🚨

A new article published in Neurology sheds light on how s*x differences impact diagnosis, lived experiences, and health outcomes in Tourette syndrome and chronic tic disorders.

🧠 What does this study highlight?
Based on data from a large international sample, the authors found that:
• Females with Tourette syndrome are less likely to receive a clinical diagnosis
• They often experience later diagnosis and longer delays between symptom onset and diagnosis
• These differences may contribute to unmet needs and disparities in care

📊 Understanding how s*x and gender influence tic disorders is essential to improving early recognition, accurate diagnosis, and equitable support worldwide.

🔗 Read the full article here:
https://www.neurology.org/doi/full/10.1212/WNL.0000000000210249

At TTAG, we are committed to sharing research that helps drive awareness, equity, and better care for the global Tourette community.

💬 Join the conversation and help spread evidence-based knowledge.

01/19/2026

01/11/2026

One more winter retreat update for you here

We are still looking for 2 to 3 families interested in signing up for the winter retreat. Remember that if for any reason you are experiencing financial hardships we do have scholarships available. Take a look at the schedule for the day here and if you are interested be sure to sign up before the end of the Philadelphia Eagles victory today!.....I mean by the end of the day today ;)

Our Schedule For The Day
10:00-10:30 Welcome by our youth board representative Dan Herschal
10:30-11:30 Main events for the morning:

Bake and Decorate gingerbread or sugar cookies: In this breakout room you will be lead through how to bake some beautiful cookies. You'll make some homemade icing and decorate your way. Later on you'll show off your amazing creation!

Make a beautiful no stress craft: You'll create some winter garland and paper snowflakes to decorate your home with. Maybe you'll use them as a part of the set for your talent show later in the day!

Teen Chat: Led by our Youth board rep, you'll join an informal chat. Laugh a little, maybe cry a little, and enjoy time with your TS community.

Parent Chat: We will have several roundtable groups (depending on how many volunteers we have to help lead a group) for parents. Discussions will be guided but very informal. Get some great info and lean on your fellow parents in the TS community.

11:30-12:30 Lunch Break: Enjoy something delicious :)

12:30-1:30 Afternoon Finishing Session: All groups will finish up the mornings activities and discussions.

1:30-2:30 Share lovely creations from this morning and then prepare for the talent show.

2:30- 3:30 Family talent show--you can do something live, share an accomplishment you have had recently or even share a video of your talent!

Wishing you the best!

https://givebutter.com/Winterretreat26

01/10/2026

We are still looking for approximatly 15 people to sign up for the winter weekend before the end of the day on Monday. This is 15 total people which means 2 or 3 families should place us where we need to be. If you are interested check out the details on the website. https://givebutter.com/Winterretreat26

Click on the link to find,

The entire schedule for the event
The cost to register
the registration link.

Have a wonderful weekend!

01/08/2026

Hi Friends,
An important message here about the upcoming online winter retreat scheduled for Janurary 31st. However the deadline to register and be guarenteed a T-shirt is this coming Monday Janurary 12th.

Currently we only have a handful of people registered and they are all volunteers helping to plan the event. SO...

We are setting a hard deadline here to be understand if this is something that we need to let go of or push through and begin final planning.

WE NEED TO SEE 25 PEOPLE REGISTERED BY THE END OF THE DAY JANURARY 12th in order to lock in the event. Remember that the cost without a shirt is $15 and $30 with a shirt. If you have been thinking of joining us there is no better time to sign up then right now. Link is right here.

A winter morning and afternoon spent with your TS community.

01/07/2026

This grant will provide full scholarships for 15 youth to attend our TS Family Camp in May! If you are interested in applying for a scholarship, send an email to sherrie@patsainc.org and she will send you the application!