Improving understanding of the psychosocial experiences of adolescents with Tourette Syndrome
2 December 2009
Tourettes Action is being funded by the Big Lottery Fund to carry out a three year programme of research with Professor Georgina Jackson at the University of Nottingham. The research aims to explore the experiences of young people aged between 10-20 years who are living with Tourette Syndrome and to develop ways to improve support, particularly in schools.
This is the first study of its kind and should provide the researchers with detailed insights into the problems at school faced by young people with TS, and suggest ways of tackling them. Better understanding will allow the researchers to develop with Tourettes Action a training package for teachers, pupils and parents. In the longer term, young people with TS will benefit more from education and the transition to secondary school will be easier.
"The Big Lottery Fund grant represents a major breakthrough for Tourettes Action," commented chair Robin Paxton. "We have communicated the importance and seriousness of TS issues to a major funder. And we have convinced The Big Lottery Fund that the charity can safely be entrusted with the award and management of a very substantial multi-year funded research project."
Professor Georgina Jackson and two researchers from her group at the University of Nottingham will carry out the study, and we at Tourettes Action will manage and oversee it. The project is due to start on 1 April 2010.
Would you like to take part in this research, which aims to help young people with TS achieve their full potential at school?
The first phase of this research involves interviews with young people about their day to day experiences of living with Tourette Syndrome. We will officially start to recruit participants for this study in the New Year, when we will issue more detailed information about what taking part would involve.
Meanwhile, if you'd like to register your interest or would like to be notified of developments, please contact Research Officer Dr Linnea Larsson linnea@tourettes-action.org.uk.
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Notes to editors:
Big Lottery Fund is the joint operating name of the New Opportunities Fund and the National Lottery Charities Board (which made grants under the name of the Community Fund). Big Lottery Fund, launched on 1 June 2004, is distributing half of all National Lottery good cause funding across the UK. Big Lottery Fund is building on the experience and best practice of the merged bodies to simplify funding in those areas where they overlap and to ensure Lottery funding provides the best possible value for money. To date, the two merged Funds have committed more than £5 billion to initiatives with national, regional and local partners from the public, voluntary, charity and private sectors, with a particular focus on disadvantage.