Tag Archives: behaviors

Episode 35: The Past, Present and Future of Autism Research in TSC

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In this episode of TSC Now, host Dan Klein recognizes World Autism Month by taking a deep dive on the past, present and future of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) research in TSC. Dan talks to Shafali Jeste, MD, Chief of Neurology and Las Madrinas Chair at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics at Keck School of Medicine of USC.

Dr. Jeste shares what first sparked her interest in autism and her early work on the characterization of autism at Boston Children’s Hospital, subsequent studies looking for biomarkers of autism, and how the discovery of those biomarkers paved the way for current early intervention studies, including the JASPER Early Intervention for Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (JETS) Study. She also talks about how the JETS Study pivoted to remote participation to help enrollment, and how researchers need to do more to reduce barriers for clinical trials and recruit diverse participation.

Enrollment is ending soon on the JETS Study, learn more about the study and how to participate here: https://www.jetsstudy.org/

Register now for the 20th Anniversary Step Forward to Cure TSC® Global Hybrid Walk-Run-Ride on May 14-15, 2022! 

As part of the weekend’s festivities we will be hosting three in-person events at West Chester, PA; Carrollton, TX; and Irwindale, CA! Simply choose the location you’d like to attend when you register. You can also participate virtually in your neighborhood, around your house or wherever you are!

Learn more at stepforwardtocuretsc.org.

You don’t want to miss the  2022 World Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) Conference, July 28-31, 2022, at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, TX, co-hosted by Tuberous Sclerosis Complex International (TSCi). The conference will bring together 1,000 participants from around the globe, including families and individuals with TSC, caregivers, healthcare professionals, researchers, a wide array of exhibitors and others. Register by June 1, 2022 to get the best price!

Register Today!

Episode 24: Achieving Universal Health Coverage and Driving Innovative Research Through Global Collaboration

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It’s the two-year anniversary of TSC Now and we’re celebrating with a new name, the TSC Alliance! If you missed our announcement on May 16, the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance has changed our name to the TSC Alliance to reflect how the organization has evolved over the years and with the name change we also have a new logo, new branding and a new tagline, “Hope no matter how complex.” Learn more about this evolution.

In recognition of #TSCGlobalDay and TSC Awareness Month, host Dan Klein learns about two global collaborative projects aimed at improving the lives of those living with rare diseases around the world. First, he talks to Matt Bolz-Johnson (02:44), Programme Director of the Collaborative Global Network for Rare Diseases at Rare Diseases International (RDI), who is leading a partnership with the World Health Organization to develop the first Collaborative Global Network for Rare Diseases. RDI envisions a world where people living with a rare disease, no matter where they live, can reach a network of expertise for accurate and timely diagnosis and appropriate care and believe that to strengthen health systems to address the needs of the 300 million people worldwide living with a rare disease requires common strategies and action at the national, regional and global level. The TSC Alliance and the TSC Alliance of India have partnered with RDI to help advance this project and Dan and Matt discuss how advocacy organizations play a vital role in the global network model.

Then, Dan catches up with Professor Petrus de Vries, MBChB, FRCPsych, PhD, Sue Struengmann Professor of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and Professor Anna Jansen, MD, PhD, Pediatric Neurologist at Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium (18:12). Petrus and Anna are Principal and Co-Principal Investigators of the TANDem Project, an international effort to improve the lives of families dealing with TSC-associated neuropsychiatric disorders (TAND) through the development of technology empowering families to self-administer the TAND checklist and access tools to address specific TAND manifestations. They provide an update on the project, what they’ve learned through the first year and a half working with the various clusters, and what the timeline and aims are for the future.

Thank you to everyone who has listened and supported TSC Now over the last two years, we will continue to work hard to provide entertaining and valuable content for families and individuals affected by tuberous sclerosis complex.

Resources and Links

Episode 22: Overcoming Hurdles with Health Plans and Specialty Pharmacies

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In Episode 22 of TSC Now, host Dan Klein explores overcoming hurdles in healthcare, specifically to help parents/caregivers and individuals with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) navigate issues with access to medications, changes to their health plans and how to best communicate with specialty pharmacies. This episode is sponsored by Greenwich Biosciences.

Disclaimer: Greenwich Biosciences utilized Precision Value and Health’s services to gather and respond to the questions being discussed on this podcast. The opinions expressed are those of the speakers individually based on their experience and do not reflect the policies or positions of the speakers’ employers or of Greenwich Biosciences. The following content is for informational purposes only and does not guarantee access or coverage of any product. 

First, to provide some context on what access challenges can be like for individuals and families, Dan talked to Shelly Meitzler (01:40), TS Alliance Regional Program Manager East and mom to Ashlin and Mason with TSC.  Shelly shares about a recent challenging experience refilling a prescription for Ashlin earlier this year. She talks about where she hit roadblocks, how she felt navigating the insurance and pharmacy system, and how she ultimately got resolution. Her story highlights several common hurdles experienced by many families, including problems when switching insurance plans, not knowing when a prior authorization is required, trying to figure out who your care team is at your pharmacy, and finally dealing with a retail pharmacy versus a specialty pharmacy.

Then, to tackle common questions, some of which were mentioned in Shelly’s story, Dan speaks to two former payers, Hetty Lima and Kellie Rademacher from Precision Value and Health (17:44). Building off of their extensive pharmacy knowledge, Hetty and Kellie answer a number of questions members have when dealing with access issues, such as:

  • What do I need to do if my health plan changes?
  • What do I do when my medication is no longer covered by my insurance plan?
  • How do I navigate having two different health plans?
  • How do I know when a medication requires a prior authorization, step therapy, or has a quantity limit or any other type of rule or edit that could impact access?
  • Where can I find available resources if I need emergency access to my medications?

This conversation builds off of an E-Webinar from earlier this year, Overcoming Hurdles: Insurance, Scripts and Specialty Pharmacy, where Jeff Krol, VP of Market Access & Payer Strategy at Greenwich Biosciences, and Ashley Pounders, MSN, FNP, TS Alliance Director of Medical Affairs, provide useful tips on navigating the complex prescription insurance coverage, scripts and specialty pharmacy. We encourage you to re-watch the recording for more information and resources on this topic.

Finally, if you are at risk of running out of a medication for you or your loved one and need assistance, please contact us on our emergency line: (240) 463-7250. That number is available 9 AM to 9 PM Eastern and someone from our team can help.

Resources and Links

 

This episode was sponsored by:

Episode 16: COVID-19 and Back to School

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In episode 16 of TSC Now, host Dan Klein talks to two of the TS Alliance’s Education Parent Mentors to better understand how parents should approach making the decision on sending their kids back to school during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and what rights they have to advocate for the services their kids need. This episode is a follow-up to the webinar “COVID-19 and Back to School” led by our education parent mentors earlier this month.

First, Dan talks with Shannon Grandia (01:21), a mother to three kids with TSC and a spouse to an adult with TSC, who volunteers as an Education Parent Mentor, Adult Regional Coordinator and Dependent Adult Transition Resource Coordinator. In addition to her role as a volunteer, Shannon is also a first-grade teacher in California. They discuss the challenges parents and teachers face in California starting the school year virtually, the incredible workload teachers are taking on to provide resources to kids while they are at home to help address regression from the end of the last school year, and how parents and teachers can develop trust through open communication.

Then Dan talks to Shelly Meitzler (26:45), TS Alliance Regional Program Manager East and an Education Parent Mentor in Pennsylvania. They discuss what decisions she made for her family and what was involved in those decisions, how  Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) will look different during the pandemic, and the importance of establishing a paper trail when advocating for your child.

If you are dealing with educational issues and need support please reach out to Dena Hook, Vice President of Support Services at dhook@tsalliance.org so that she can connect you to one of our trained and dedicated education parent mentors.

Thank you to everyone who came out for the Step Forward to Cure TSC National Virtual Walk Run Ride and to the generous sponsors who made the event possible:

You can re-watch all the videos from the weekend and support the Walk-Run-Ride by going to stepforwardtocuretsc.org.

Resources and Links
COVID-19 and Back to School Webinar Recording: https://youtu.be/jp7cJF4boYY
TS Alliance web page on school issues: https://www.tsalliance.org/individuals-families/school-issues/
Local resources to help you connect with local Education Parent Mentors: https://www.tsalliance.org/individuals-families/find-local-resources/

Episode 15: Managing Behaviors During COVID-19 (Part 2) + A New Partnership with SeizureTracker

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In episode 15 of TSC Now, host Dan Klein continues exploring how to manage harmful and disruptive behaviors associated with TSC-associated neuropsychiatric disorders (TAND) during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Then he explores a new partnership between the TS Alliance and SeizureTracker and how it’s advancing both our understanding of TSC and epilepsy.

First, Dan talks with Tanjala Gipson, MD, Director of the TSC-Associated Neuropsychiatric Disorders Clinic at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital and Director of the Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Clinic at the Boling Center for Disabilities (01:20). She discusses what factors about the pandemic are causing TAND-related behaviors to be more frequent and severe, how parents can begin to address these behaviors, and what parents should do to manage their own anxiety and prepare for an extended period of time at home during the pandemic. She also answers questions from parents about how to deal with sleeplessness, emotional outbursts, and transitioning from one activity to another. See below for more TAND and COVID-related resources.

Then Dan chats with Rob Moss, creator and co-founder of SeizureTracker.com, and Gabrielle Rushing, PhD, Associate Director of Research at the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance (24:33). They discuss a new data sharing partnership that will allow SeizureTracker users to connect their seizure data with the TS Alliance Natural History Database, how individuals with TSC can participate in the TSC Biosample Repository Project, and the role patients and patient-reported outcomes play in research and our understanding of TSC and epilepsy. They also talk about how SeizureTracker and the Natural History Database and TSC Biosample Repository are moving research forward and how these tools will continue to evolve in the future. Learn more about how you or your loved one can participate in the TSC Biosample Repository Project.

Resources
TS Alliance TAND web page featuring recordings of TAND webinars: https://www.tsalliance.org/about-tsc/signs-and-symptoms-of-tsc/brain-and-neurological-function/tand/
Managing Anxiety During COVID-19 Webinar Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4rHD0Zhdpc
TS Alliance COVID-19 & TSC Resources: https://www.tsalliance.org/individuals-families/covid-19/
TAND 101: The TAND Checklist Webinar Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXO9MopLg9k&feature=emb_logo

TS Alliance and SeizureTracker Partnership Announcement: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tuberous-sclerosis-alliance-and-seizure-tracker-partner-to-promote-data-sharing-and-biosample-collection-301079871.html?tc=eml_cleartime
Seizures and Tuberous Sclerosis Complex web page on SeizureTracker.com: https://www.seizuretracker.com/SeizureSuccess/TSC_Tuberous-Sclerosis-Complex/
TSC Biosample Repository and Natural History Database web page: https://www.tsalliance.org/individuals-families/biosample-repository-and-natural-history-database/

Episode 14: Managing Aggressive and Harmful Behaviors During COVID-19 (Part 1)

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In episode 14 of TSC Now, host Dan Klein begins the first of an important two-part discussion focused on how parents can begin to address aggressive and harmful behaviors associated with TSC-associated neuropsychiatric disorders (TAND), while continuing to shelter at home during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

For part one of this conversation, Dan is joined by Nathan Call, PhD, BCBA-D, Clinical Director at the Marcus Autism Center and Associate Professor at Emory University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics. They talk about how the pandemic has created a perfect storm of altered routines, restrictions and barriers to specialists that can lead to an increase in the frequency and severity of behaviors. Dr. Call also shares the importance of prioritizing what behaviors to address and being flexible with the uncertainty. Finally, Dr. Call talks about some of the barriers preventing families from getting access to behavioral specialists and medication to manage their kid’s behaviors.

The TS Alliance is always here to provide support to parents who are dealing with challenging behaviors or are in crisis. You can call us toll free at (800) 225-6872. Be sure to also check out our website for more information on TAND.

Resources
TS Alliance TAND web page featuring recordings of TAND webinars: https://www.tsalliance.org/about-tsc/signs-and-symptoms-of-tsc/brain-and-neurological-function/tand/
How to Manage Disruptive and Harmful Behavior During COVID-19 Interview with Dr. Call courtesy of the Child Neurology Foundation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=688&v=m8tL2xad5i8&feature=emb_logo
Webinar on Effective Behavioral Treatments for TSC-Associated Neuropsychiatric Disorders (TAND) Issues in TSC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5MWX7VEni4&feature=emb_logo

Episode 6: TSC-Associated Neuropsychiatric Disorders (TAND)

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In episode 6 of TSCnow, host Dan Klein talks to Petrus de Vries, MBChB, MRCPsych, PhD, Sue Struengmann Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Capetown in South Africa. They discuss tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC)-associated neuropsychiatric disorders, otherwise known as TAND. TAND refers to a whole spectrum of neurological manifestations of TSC, including aggressive behaviors, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), intellectual disabilities, psychiatric disorders, neuropsychological deficits, as well as school and occupational difficulties. Most people with TSC suffer from one or several of these manifestations and it is often one of the most impacting aspect of the disease for both children and adults affected. They talk about the six levels of TAND (behavioral, intellectual, neuropsychological, psychiatric, academic and psychosocial) and the different manifestations people experience within each level. He also talks about the challenges families and caregivers face when seeking treatment for these manifestations.

In response to the growing need of those affected, Dr. de Vries shares how he worked with other experts at the 2012 Consensus Conference to develop the TAND checklist, a tool to help clinicians identify what aspects of TAND a person is struggling with and develop a personal profile for those affected, and the corresponding consensus guidelines for when and how to use the checklist. He also discusses that, while no two people are affected the same and this uniqueness poses significant challenges for diagnosis and intervention, recent research suggests that there are several TAND “clusters” that those affected generally fall into.

Finally, Dr. de Vries discusses the TANDem Project, an international collaboration of families affected by TSC, researchers and clinicians to provide scientific evidence for greater TAND intervention and treatment. The project is being headed by Drs. de Vries and Anna Jansen at UZ Brussels.

To learn more about TAND visit: www.tsalliance.org/tand

To download the TAND Checklist visit: https://bit.ly/2ObP3wn

To learn more about TAND clusters visit: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29530301

Learn more about the TANDem project here: https://bit.ly/2MkQyqy