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Supporting People with Tourette’s in the Workplace

Explore the various ways you can offer professional support to those living and working with Tourette syndrome.

Workplace professional receiving support from colleague
  • Duration

    1 week
  • Weekly study

    3 hours

Join Tourettes Action in dismantling stereotypes and fostering TS understanding

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurological condition affecting one per cent of the world’s population. That means, nearly 330,000 adults living in the UK manage Tourettes-related symptoms daily in the workplace.

Despite the misconceptions about Tourette’s, this neurological condition presents itself very differently, with these professionals as capable as any other to make an impact at work.

How can we evolve our workplaces to allow more understanding and support for those with TS?

Create inclusive workspaces and work processes to help employees with TS

On this one-week online course from Tourettes Action, learn about the realities of living and working with Tourette syndrome and gain practical strategies to create more inclusive and supportive work environments.

With this awareness, you’ll be empowered to help people with TS feel understood and supported in achieving their professional goals.

Identify common symptoms of Tourettes and other tic disorders

Gain a comprehensive understanding of what TS is, including its misconceptions, symptoms, and impact on an individual’s personal and professional life.

Examine both simple and complex categorisations of motor and vocal tics, looking further into coprophenomena, as well as repetitive and hidden tics.

Implement supportive measures for employees with TS during the employment process, from recruitment to retention

Towards the end of this course, you’ll identify and discuss strategies for creating inclusive work environments.

Which in turn will help support individuals with TS throughout the employment process, from providing accommodations in the interview process to fostering understanding and acceptance in the workplace environment.

Syllabus

  • Week 1

    Supporting those with Tourette Syndrome in the workplace

    • Introduction

      In this section you will learn what Tourette Syndrome (TS) is, the common misconceptions around TS and what other Tic disorders there are.

    • Symptoms of Tourette Syndrome

      In this section you will learn about the key features of TS, tics and how they are categorised.

    • Impact of TS

      In this section you will learn about the impact of TS, what tics can feel like for an individual, what suppression is and how this can affect people.

    • Support

      In this section you will learn what can help support those with TS, what is known to increase and reduce tics and what help is available from Tourettes Action.

    • Supporting in the Workplace

      In this section you will learn how best to support those with TS in the workplace

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Describe what Tourette Syndrome is, the prevalence of TS, misconceptions that surround it and other tic disorders.
  • Identify the symptoms of TS, what are motor and vocal tics, how these are defined into simple and complex categories, what is the coprophenomena and what are repetition and hidden tics.
  • Explore the impact of TS and how it can affect an individual from a physical and emotional level.
  • Classify what support is available for people with TS, their families and friends and anyone supporting them.
  • Identify what your workplace can do to support those with Tourette's

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for anyone interested in learning about Tourette syndrome and how workplaces can offer accommodation and support to employees with neurodivergent conditions.

Who will you learn with?

Who developed the course?

Tourettes Action

Tourettes Action works in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is the leading support and research charity for people with Tourette Syndrome and their families. The charity aims to ensure people with TS receive the practical support and social acceptance they need to help them live their lives to the full.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn

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You can use the hashtag #TourettesAndEmployment to talk about this course on social media.