Brad Cohen: An Inside Look at a School Leader with Tourette Syndrome

11/22/23 • 38 min

2 Listeners

About The Guest(s): Brad Cohen is an educator, author, and motivational speaker. He has Tourette Syndrome and has dedicated his career to advocating for individuals with disabilities. Brad has written a book called "Front of the Class: How Tourette Syndrome Made Me the Teacher I Never Had," and his story has been made into a movie. He has also worked as a mascot for the Atlanta Braves.

Summary: Brad Cohen, an educator with Tourette Syndrome, shares his experiences and insights on working with individuals with disabilities. He emphasizes the importance of understanding and acceptance, dispelling misconceptions about Tourette's, and providing support for students with neurological disorders. Brad also discusses his own journey as an educator and the impact he has made in the lives of others.

Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/ye6nk1AR0hWIVABR-pqZMwXjDTk

Key Takeaways:

Misconceptions about Tourette's include viewing it as a behavior problem and assuming individuals with Tourette's are disabled.
Educators should educate themselves about Tourette's and communicate with students to understand their needs.
Tourette's can be influenced by emotions and stress, leading to increased tics in certain situations.
It is crucial for educators to believe in students with Tourette's and provide them with opportunities for success.
Families of children with disabilities should educate others, focus on strengths, and promote self-confidence.

Brad Cohen:

Website: http://www.classperformance.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradcohentourettefoundation/

MCIE:

Website: https://www.mcie.org/

Email List: https://bit.ly/MCIE-Email-List

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThinkInclusive/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/think_inclusive/

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/think_inclusive

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ThinkinclusiveUs

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inclusive-education/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/ye6nk1AR0hWIVABR-pqZMwXjDTk

Key Takeaways:

Misconceptions about Tourette's include viewing it as a behavior problem and assuming individuals with Tourette's are disabled.
Educators should educate themselves about Tourette's and communicate with students to understand their needs.
Tourette's can be influenced by emotions and stress, leading to increased tics in certain situations.
It is crucial for educators to believe in students with Tourette's and provide them with opportunities for success.
Families of children with disabilities should educate others, focus on strengths, and promote self-confidence.

Brad Cohen:

Website: http://www.classperformance.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradcohentourettefoundation/

MCIE:

Website: https://www.mcie.org/

Email List: https://bit.ly/MCIE-Email-List

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThinkInclusive/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/think_inclusive/

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/think_inclusive

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ThinkinclusiveUs

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inclusive-education/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

Inclusion in Early Childhood Education with OSEP Director Valerie Williams

1 Recommendations

About The Guest(s): Valerie Williams is the Director of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) at the U.S. Department of Education. She is passionate about early childhood inclusion and ensuring that all children have access to quality education.

Summary: Valerie Williams, Director of OSEP, discusses the importance of inclusion in early childhood education. She shares a personal story about finding the right preschool for her son with Down syndrome and highlights the need for a mindset shift among educators and administrators. Valerie emphasizes the importance of providing resources and technical assistance to support inclusive practices. She also discusses the current state of inclusive education in different states and the need for implementation and accountability.

Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/aHwtuZFhIyncVjkeHBdVS1Yk-Zc

Key Takeaways:

Inclusion starts early and should continue throughout a child's education.
The mindset of educators and administrators plays a significant role in promoting inclusion.
There are federal resources available to support inclusive practices, but there is a need for better dissemination and outreach.
Implementation and accountability are crucial for ensuring that inclusive practices are effectively implemented in schools.

Resources:

Office of Special Education Programs Techincal Assistance Network: https://osepideasthatwork.org/sites/default/files/2023-10/OSEP-IDEAs-Menu-508.pdf

This episode was produced in collaboration with the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (https://ectacenter.org/) and the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (https://fpg.unc.edu/).

MCIE:

Website: https://www.mcie.org/

Email List: https://bit.ly/MCIE-Email-List

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThinkInclusive/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/think_inclusive/

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/think_inclusive

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ThinkinclusiveUs

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inclusive-education/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

Palm Beach County's Journey Towards Inclusion for Young Learners with Disabilities

About The Guest(s): Lori Miranda is an advocate for inclusive education and the Director of Pre-K Exceptional Student Education (ESE) in Palm Beach County, Florida. She has been instrumental in implementing inclusive practices for young children with disabilities in the county's school district, Head Start programs, and community centers.

Summary: Lori Miranda discusses the importance of inclusive placements for students with disabilities in Palm Beach County. She explains that the traditional model of removing students from their natural environments and sending them to separate special education programs was disruptive and limited their opportunities for socialization and learning. To address this issue, Palm Beach County implemented a collaborative approach, partnering with community centers and Head Start programs to provide inclusive education for young learners with disabilities.

Miranda highlights the challenges they faced in implementing this model, including concerns about behavior management, funding, and teacher buy-in. However, through extensive training, relationship-building, and a commitment to putting children and families first, they were able to overcome these barriers and create a successful inclusive program.

She also discusses the positive impact of inclusive placements on students' transitions to kindergarten. By providing support and services in their natural environments, students are better prepared for the general education setting and have a higher likelihood of continuing in inclusive classrooms.

Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/2jWLSDDkk-cKV2lPhwr9WbfF1qQ

Key Takeaways:

Inclusive placements allow students with disabilities to remain in their natural environments and receive support and services in community centers and Head Start programs.
Building relationships and trust with community partners and teachers is crucial for the success of inclusive programs.
Palm Beach County's inclusive model has resulted in 100% of students transitioning to general education kindergarten.

Editorial Note: 1. Regarding large waiting lists for evaluation: Recent verification data from Palm Beach County indicate diagnostic teams make every effort to connect with families prior to closing files. This effort takes time and can appear as if families are waiting while diagnostic teams work diligently to make contact and meet with families that can be hard to reach. 2. Regarding there being no cap on class size for FL early childhood special education classrooms: Per Section 1003.03, Florida Statute – Maximum class size (1) CLASS SIZE MAXIMUMS. – Each year, on or before the October student membership survey, the following class size maximum shall be satisfied: (a) The maximum number of students assigned to each teacher who is teaching core-curricula courses to public school classrooms for prekindergarten through grade 3 may not exceed 18 students. The School District of Palm Beach County has a PreK ESE allocation formula that is below Florida's class size requirements. Comments in this podcast episode reference the district allocation formula.

Resources:

Partners in Education Video (Palm Beach County School District): https://youtu.be/VEpX6EqCV50

Palm Beach County School District: https://www.palmbeachschools.org/domain/456

MCIE: https://www.mcie.org/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.