Working with uniqueness: optimizing vocational strengths for people with tourette syndrome and co-morbidities

This paper shares discoveries from a grounded theory inspired study of “optimizing vocational strengths” and the unique attributes of Tourette Syndrome and co-morbidities, including Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (or TS/TS+), in the workplace. This one year study featured 16 participants with various levels of workplace functioning and health status and was set in an art college. Data gathering methods included individual/group interviews alongside observations of, and products from, studio art workshops in drawing, sculpture, performance, and creative writing. Data collected in this way elicited a breadth and depth of representation and harnessed the uniqueness and imagination of participants pivotal to recovery and supporting vocational optimization. The process of “optimizing vocational strengths” is revealed both visually and textually in this paper and is instructive for educational and vocational supports for people with TS/TS+.