John Davidson MBE (born 1972  ) is a Scottish campaigner for Tourette syndrome, who lives in Galashiels. At age 15 , Davidson was the subject of the BBC TV documentary John's Not Mad (1989) about the manifestations of Tourette syndrome with which he lived, and a number of follow-up BBC documentaries throughout his life. He is a "nationally known ambassador for the condition", who gives talks and workshops for school pupils, teachers and police, and has organised an annual two-day residential Tourette camp for young people. In 2019 he was awarded an MBE in recognition of "his efforts to increase understanding of the condition and helping families deal with it across the country." Biography Davidson's condition encompasses a range of symptoms: Tourette syndrome tics including coprolalia, echolalia, sudden and violent body movements; as well as a severe form of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). At age 15 a BBC TV documentary was made about him, John's Not Mad (1989), which "became a major talking point" nationally—in 2004 The Times reported that "Davidson occupies a position in the psyche of 1980s schoolchildren similar to that of the cerebral palsy sufferer Joey Deacon for the kids of the 1970s. Both were the subjects of serious television programmes about their disabilities, and both promptly became the victims of nationwide playground mocking campaigns." A follow-up BBC TV documentary was made about him at age 30, The Boy Can't Help It (2002), and another, Tourettes: I Swear I Can't Help It (2009), caught up with him at age 37.
John Davidson MBE (born 1972 /73 ) is a Scottish campaigner for Tourette syndrome, who lives in Galashiels. At age 16 , Davidson was the subject of the BBC TV documentary John's Not Mad (1989) about the manifestations of Tourette syndrome with which he lived, and a number of follow-up BBC documentaries throughout his life. He is a "nationally known ambassador for the condition", who gives talks and workshops for school pupils, teachers and police, and has organised an annual two-day residential Tourette camp for young people. In 2019 he was awarded an MBE in recognition of "his efforts to increase understanding of the condition and helping families deal with it across the country." Biography Davidson's condition encompasses a range of symptoms: Tourette syndrome tics including coprolalia, echolalia, sudden and violent body movements; as well as a severe form of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). At age 16 a BBC TV documentary was made about him, John's Not Mad (1989), which "became a major talking point" nationally—in 2004 The Times reported that "Davidson occupies a position in the psyche of 1980s schoolchildren similar to that of the cerebral palsy sufferer Joey Deacon for the kids of the 1970s. Both were the subjects of serious television programmes about their disabilities, and both promptly became the victims of nationwide playground mocking campaigns." A follow-up BBC TV documentary was made about him at age 30, The Boy Can't Help It (2002), and another, Tourettes: I Swear I Can't Help It (2009), caught up with him at age 37.
A
/73
R
15
16
R
15
16