Aim: This article explores the Tourette’s training recently undertaken by iDiversity, reflecting on what we learned and, importantly, how this learning will shape our approach to inclusion and be applied across the services and support we provide.

We are incredibly proud to share that iDiversity Consulting Ltd is now a part of the Tourette’s Action TS Friendly Scheme.

For us, this represents a commitment to continually developing our understanding, knowledge, and making sure the support we provide is genuinely inclusive.

Our training with Ione Georgakis from Tourette’s Action has given us a greater understanding of how Tourette syndrome can affect individuals, as well as how we can reflect that understanding in the way we deliver our services.

What We Learned

Our training was insightful and eye-opening. What really stuck with us was the importance of moving beyond simple awareness to understanding how our knowledge should influence the way we work.

One of the biggest misconceptions about Tourette syndrome is that it simply means swearing. In reality, only a minority of people with Tourette syndrome experience coprolalia – the involuntary expression of socially inappropriate words or phrases- and it is not a defining feature of the condition.

This really highlighted the importance of creating environments where individuals do not feel they have to explain or justify every aspect of their condition; where differences in communication or behaviour are understood rather than judged; and where support is built around the individual rather than assumptions about their diagnosis.

Our training also strengthened our understanding of tics and the impact of suppressing them on an individual. This is something we will carry directly into our services.

For example, allowing someone to tic without drawing unnecessary attention to it, considering the environments our services take place in, adapting structures, or creating atmospheres where individuals understand that they are accepted and do not need to mask for our benefit. Small changes can have a significant impact on someone’s ability to participate, communicate, and get the most from a service.

When applying this to the workplace, we see that when colleagues, managers and organisations understand Tourette syndrome, there is less room for misunderstanding. A tic is less likely to be interpreted as inappropriate behaviour. Someone’s need to move, make a sound or take a short break is less likely to be viewed negatively. And an individual is less likely to feel that they need to hide an important part of themselves in order to be accepted.

For us, this demonstrates why awareness and education are so important. Understanding can help create environments where people are supported rather than judged.

Co-Occurring Conditions

One of the particularly important learning points from our training was the prevalence of co-occurring conditions, with as much as 85-90% of those with Tourette’s having another co-occurring condition or secondary disability.

Tourette syndrome can occur alongside conditions such as ADHD, OCD, anxiety, and other neurodevelopmental or mental health conditions. This is particularly relevant to our work because we often support people with multiple, overlapping experiences and needs.

This reinforced something that is at the heart of iDiversity’s approach: we need to take a whole-person approach, rather than making assumptions based on a diagnosis in isolation.

Our training has therefore strengthened our commitment to taking a genuinely person-centred approach.

When we are coaching, providing training, assessments, or advising organisations and supporting individuals, we want to understand the whole person – including the things that may not immediately be visible – rather than making assumptions based on a label.

What this means for iDiversity

Joining the Tourette’s Friendly Scheme has prompted us to reflect on how we can continue embedding this learning across everything we do.

We will continue to consider Tourette syndrome within our support for disabled and neurodivergent individuals, including through coaching and our wider services.

We will continue to challenge myths and assumptions, consider how environments can be made more accessible, and maintain our willingness to learn, reflect, adapt, and improve.

We are incredibly proud to now be part of the Tourette’s Action TS Friendly Scheme and to display this commitment on our website.

Thank you to Ione Georgakis and the Tourette’s Action team for delivering such valuable training and for helping us deepen our understanding of Tourette syndrome.

For iDiversity, this is another step in our commitment to delivering high-quality, inclusive services for disabled and neurodivergent people.