[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 10 (Wednesday, February 1, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E66]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             PROVIDING FUNDS FOR TOURETTE SYNDROME RESEARCH

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                           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.

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