Brad Cohen
Encyclopedia
Brad Cohen is an American motivational speaker and an award-winning teacher and author who has severe Tourette syndrome
(TS). Cohen described his experiences growing up with the condition in his book, Front of the Class: How Tourette Syndrome Made Me the Teacher I Never Had, co-authored with Lisa Wysocky
. The book has been made into a Hallmark Hall of Fame
TV movie titled Front of the Class
.
During his childhood, Cohen was accused of being a troublemaker in school and was punished by his teachers for the tic
s and noises caused by TS. He decided to "become the teacher that he never had". After he graduated and received his teaching certificate, 24 elementary schools rejected him before he was hired at Mountain View Elementary School in Cobb County, Georgia
. As a new teacher, he was named Georgia's First Class Teacher of the Year.
, in a Jewish family. His parents divorced during his early childhood. Cohen barked and twitched constantly during his waking hours, and would knock his knee against the inside of the car door. Someone asked his mother once if she had considered an exorcist
. His mother was compassionate, but his father did not understand why his son did the things he did, often getting frustrated and punishing him for making noises or other physical tic
s.
Doctors initially told Cohen's mother that his tics were an emotional reaction to his parents' divorce. Teachers did not understand Cohen; they thought he was mischievous, due to the noises (tics) caused by his TS. His fifth-grade teacher forced him to walk to the front of the classroom to apologize for the noises he made and promise that he would never make them again. He felt humiliated and decided that he would become the teacher he never had, saying: "I always felt like the kid in the corner. I really needed support and acceptance from my teacher and didn't get it. From then on, I knew that I wanted to be that teacher—one who would offer support and acceptance and really be there for each kid." When Cohen was 12 years old, his mother identified his behavior as TS from her own research. She took him to a Tourette syndrome support group
meeting, where Cohen realized that other attendees "seemed resigned to a life of defeat" and was "inspired to triumph over the disorder".
In the beginning of his eighth grade year, after Cohen appeared on the Sally Jessy Raphaël show
, his middle-school principal decided to let Cohen speak to the school about his Tourette syndrome. Cohen continued to educate people about TS, increasing his confidence and speaking skills.
Cohen graduated from Parkway Central High School
in 1992, and was president of the St. Louis Council of Aleph Zadik Aleph
.
in Peoria, Illinois
, majoring in elementary education. During his first week at school he was kicked out of a local fast food restaurant when an employee thought Cohen was drunk and threatened to call the police, even as Cohen and his friends were trying to explain about his vocal tics and TS. Within hours, fellow students began to organize a boycott of the restaurant; the manager phoned Cohen and asked him to come back to the restaurant so he could apologize in person.
After graduating cum laude with many academic honors, Cohen moved to Atlanta, Georgia
in the 1990s to seek employment, applying to numerous elementary schools for a teaching position. He interviewed with administrators, but his interviews were always punctuated by his tics. He was rejected 24 times before Mountain View Elementary School hired him to teach the second and third grades. Cohen, who taught about his Tourette syndrome at the beginning of each year, was popular with students; one parent requested his child be removed from his class, but asked to have the child moved back only weeks later. He was awarded the Sallie Mae First Class Teacher of the Year in 1997. Cohen later taught second grade at Tritt Elementary School in suburban Atlanta, before leaving the classroom on the path to becoming a school administrator, supervising other teachers.
Cohen was less lucky in romance, saying, "We called it second-date syndrome: I couldn't get past the first date." Cohen met Nancy Lazarus of Charleston, South Carolina, through an Internet dating service; they married in June 2006 and have one child.
, was published in 2005. It won the Independent Publisher Book Award
for Best Education Book for that year. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
, the book is "well worth reading, giv[ing] insight into what it is like to live with Tourette's—such as when Brad's noises disturbed other people at restaurants, sports bars, golf courses and movie theaters, and when Brad could get a first date with a woman but never a second".
He continued to act as a spokesman for the condition, appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show
on May 26, 2006. He has been featured in a public service announcement for the national Tourette Syndrome Association
, and he serves as the vice president for the Tourette Syndrome Association of Georgia. He was a chairman of Relay for Life
, a Little League
coach, a Major League Baseball mascot
, and has received recognition and several awards for volunteerism and community involvement.
TV movie Front of the Class
; the movie aired on CBS
on December 7, 2008.
Following his 2006 appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, in 2007 Cohen spoke at a conference after Timothy Shriver of the Special Olympics
. According to Shriver, "The audience 'was laughing, then crying, then laughing, then crying, then cheering, and at the end, they gave him a huge standing ovation.'" Shriver suggested the movie to Cohen, and became the executive producer one year later. Cohen was concerned that the movie should stay truthful and avoid sensationalizing Tourette syndrome. He was pleased with the overall result, although he noted some dates in his life were sped up for effect (for example, the date of his wedding). Cohen said the portrayal of his tics is "very, very authentic".
Although tics steadily decline for most children as they pass through adolescence, Cohen still has frequent and loud vocal tics and barking. He joked: "I'm hoping I don't get kicked out of my own movie."
Tourette syndrome
Tourette syndrome is an inherited neuropsychiatric disorder with onset in childhood, characterized by multiple physical tics and at least one vocal tic; these tics characteristically wax and wane...
(TS). Cohen described his experiences growing up with the condition in his book, Front of the Class: How Tourette Syndrome Made Me the Teacher I Never Had, co-authored with Lisa Wysocky
Lisa Wysocky
Lisa Wysocky is an author, motivational speaker and equine clinician who was born in Mound, Minnesota. She spent her early years showing horses on the WSCA horse show circuit and later received a degree in Light Horse Management from the University of Minnesota...
. The book has been made into a Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City based greeting card company. The second longest-running television program in the history of television, it has a historically long run, beginning in 1951 and continuing into 2011...
TV movie titled Front of the Class
Front of the Class (film)
Front of the Class is a 2008 American drama film based on the book by Brad Cohen, Front of the Class: How Tourette Syndrome Made Me the Teacher I Never Had, co-authored by Lisa Wysocky....
.
During his childhood, Cohen was accused of being a troublemaker in school and was punished by his teachers for the tic
Tic
A tic is a sudden, repetitive, nonrhythmic, stereotyped motor movement or vocalization involving discrete muscle groups. Tics can be invisible to the observer, such as abdominal tensing or toe crunching. Common motor and phonic tics are, respectively, eye blinking and throat clearing...
s and noises caused by TS. He decided to "become the teacher that he never had". After he graduated and received his teaching certificate, 24 elementary schools rejected him before he was hired at Mountain View Elementary School in Cobb County, Georgia
Cobb County, Georgia
Cobb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its county seat and largest city is Marietta, which is located in the center of the county. The county was named for Thomas Willis Cobb, who in the early 19th century was a United States representative and senator from Georgia...
. As a new teacher, he was named Georgia's First Class Teacher of the Year.
Early life
Cohen grew up in St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, in a Jewish family. His parents divorced during his early childhood. Cohen barked and twitched constantly during his waking hours, and would knock his knee against the inside of the car door. Someone asked his mother once if she had considered an exorcist
Exorcism
Exorcism is the religious practice of evicting demons or other spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed...
. His mother was compassionate, but his father did not understand why his son did the things he did, often getting frustrated and punishing him for making noises or other physical tic
Tic
A tic is a sudden, repetitive, nonrhythmic, stereotyped motor movement or vocalization involving discrete muscle groups. Tics can be invisible to the observer, such as abdominal tensing or toe crunching. Common motor and phonic tics are, respectively, eye blinking and throat clearing...
s.
Doctors initially told Cohen's mother that his tics were an emotional reaction to his parents' divorce. Teachers did not understand Cohen; they thought he was mischievous, due to the noises (tics) caused by his TS. His fifth-grade teacher forced him to walk to the front of the classroom to apologize for the noises he made and promise that he would never make them again. He felt humiliated and decided that he would become the teacher he never had, saying: "I always felt like the kid in the corner. I really needed support and acceptance from my teacher and didn't get it. From then on, I knew that I wanted to be that teacher—one who would offer support and acceptance and really be there for each kid." When Cohen was 12 years old, his mother identified his behavior as TS from her own research. She took him to a Tourette syndrome support group
Tourette Syndrome Association
The Tourette Syndrome Association , based in Bayside, New York, United States, is a non-profit voluntary organization and the only national health-related organization serving people with Tourette syndrome. It was founded in 1972 by five couples, parents of children with Tourette syndrome...
meeting, where Cohen realized that other attendees "seemed resigned to a life of defeat" and was "inspired to triumph over the disorder".
In the beginning of his eighth grade year, after Cohen appeared on the Sally Jessy Raphaël show
Sally Jessy Raphaël show
Sally is an American syndicated tabloid talk show that was hosted by radio talk show host Sally Jessy Raphael. It originally was a local St...
, his middle-school principal decided to let Cohen speak to the school about his Tourette syndrome. Cohen continued to educate people about TS, increasing his confidence and speaking skills.
Cohen graduated from Parkway Central High School
Parkway Central High School
Parkway Central High School is a secondary school located in Chesterfield, Missouri. The school's mascot is the Colt. Parkway Central High School is the original high school in the Parkway School District in St. Louis County. It serves 1,353 students in grades 9-12...
in 1992, and was president of the St. Louis Council of Aleph Zadik Aleph
Aleph Zadik Aleph
The Grand Order of the Aleph Zadik Aleph is an international youth-led fraternal organization for Jewish teenagers, founded in 1924 and currently existing as the male wing of BBYO Inc., an independent non-profit organization...
.
College and later life
Cohen attended Bradley UniversityBradley University
Bradley University, founded in 1897, is a private, co-educational university located in Peoria, Illinois. It is a small institution with an enrollment of approximately 6,100 undergraduate and postgraduate students and a full-time faculty of approximately 350....
in Peoria, Illinois
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
, majoring in elementary education. During his first week at school he was kicked out of a local fast food restaurant when an employee thought Cohen was drunk and threatened to call the police, even as Cohen and his friends were trying to explain about his vocal tics and TS. Within hours, fellow students began to organize a boycott of the restaurant; the manager phoned Cohen and asked him to come back to the restaurant so he could apologize in person.
After graduating cum laude with many academic honors, Cohen moved to Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
in the 1990s to seek employment, applying to numerous elementary schools for a teaching position. He interviewed with administrators, but his interviews were always punctuated by his tics. He was rejected 24 times before Mountain View Elementary School hired him to teach the second and third grades. Cohen, who taught about his Tourette syndrome at the beginning of each year, was popular with students; one parent requested his child be removed from his class, but asked to have the child moved back only weeks later. He was awarded the Sallie Mae First Class Teacher of the Year in 1997. Cohen later taught second grade at Tritt Elementary School in suburban Atlanta, before leaving the classroom on the path to becoming a school administrator, supervising other teachers.
Cohen was less lucky in romance, saying, "We called it second-date syndrome: I couldn't get past the first date." Cohen met Nancy Lazarus of Charleston, South Carolina, through an Internet dating service; they married in June 2006 and have one child.
Accomplishments
Cohen's book, Front of the Class: How Tourette Syndrome Made Me the Teacher I Never Had, co-written with Lisa WysockyLisa Wysocky
Lisa Wysocky is an author, motivational speaker and equine clinician who was born in Mound, Minnesota. She spent her early years showing horses on the WSCA horse show circuit and later received a degree in Light Horse Management from the University of Minnesota...
, was published in 2005. It won the Independent Publisher Book Award
Independent Publisher Book Award
The Independent Publisher Book Awards , launched in 1996, are designed to bring increased recognition to titles published by independent authors and publishers...
for Best Education Book for that year. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
, the book is "well worth reading, giv[ing] insight into what it is like to live with Tourette's—such as when Brad's noises disturbed other people at restaurants, sports bars, golf courses and movie theaters, and when Brad could get a first date with a woman but never a second".
He continued to act as a spokesman for the condition, appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
on May 26, 2006. He has been featured in a public service announcement for the national Tourette Syndrome Association
Tourette Syndrome Association
The Tourette Syndrome Association , based in Bayside, New York, United States, is a non-profit voluntary organization and the only national health-related organization serving people with Tourette syndrome. It was founded in 1972 by five couples, parents of children with Tourette syndrome...
, and he serves as the vice president for the Tourette Syndrome Association of Georgia. He was a chairman of Relay for Life
Relay For Life
Relay For Life is the main volunteer-driven cancer fundraising event of the American Cancer Society. Originating in the United States, the Relay For Life event has spread to 21 countries. Relay events are held in local communities, campus universities, military bases, and in cyberspace...
, a Little League
Little League
Little League Baseball and Softball is a non-profit organization in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States which organizes local youth baseball and softball leagues throughout the U.S...
coach, a Major League Baseball mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
, and has received recognition and several awards for volunteerism and community involvement.
Hallmark Hall of Fame movie
The book was made into a Hallmark Hall of FameHallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City based greeting card company. The second longest-running television program in the history of television, it has a historically long run, beginning in 1951 and continuing into 2011...
TV movie Front of the Class
Front of the Class (film)
Front of the Class is a 2008 American drama film based on the book by Brad Cohen, Front of the Class: How Tourette Syndrome Made Me the Teacher I Never Had, co-authored by Lisa Wysocky....
; the movie aired on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
on December 7, 2008.
Following his 2006 appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, in 2007 Cohen spoke at a conference after Timothy Shriver of the Special Olympics
Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....
. According to Shriver, "The audience 'was laughing, then crying, then laughing, then crying, then cheering, and at the end, they gave him a huge standing ovation.'" Shriver suggested the movie to Cohen, and became the executive producer one year later. Cohen was concerned that the movie should stay truthful and avoid sensationalizing Tourette syndrome. He was pleased with the overall result, although he noted some dates in his life were sped up for effect (for example, the date of his wedding). Cohen said the portrayal of his tics is "very, very authentic".
Although tics steadily decline for most children as they pass through adolescence, Cohen still has frequent and loud vocal tics and barking. He joked: "I'm hoping I don't get kicked out of my own movie."
External links
- Cohen's blog
- Front of the Class - Cohen's book.
- Video clip from The Oprah Winfrey ShowThe Oprah Winfrey ShowThe Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....