Perspectives on Training Clinicians to Effectively Implement Evidence-based Treatment for Tourette Syndrome

Abstract

Tourette Syndrome is a common childhood disorder that is often misunderstood by the public and undertreated due to a lack of knowledge among medical and mental health professionals. This paper describes how the Tourette Syndrome (TS) Program at Rutgers University provides and disseminates specialized care to the TS community while allowing psychologists-in-training to develop expertise in evidence-based assessment and intervention for individuals with TS. Discussion will focus on training doctoral students in clinical and school psychology to specialize in this area. We will utilize Lichtman’s (2017) case study of Hiro, which was implemented within the TS Program at Rutgers, to emphasize important training issues and illustrate some common pitfalls of novice clinicians conducting this treatment.