106:(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
192:"People who feel isolated in their own town can come to Galashiels for a weekend and feel part of a like-minded tribe," said John. "They can shout as loud as they like without worrying about upsetting or offending others. Hopefully, they return to their homes in better fettle and feeling stronger and less isolated."
182:
Davidson went on to become a "nationally known ambassador for the condition", "a spokesman for this previously hidden neurological disorder, campaigning to educate people about it." In 2003 he founded a
Borders support group aimed at helping the families of those with the condition. Working with
154:, who had cerebral palsy, 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,
187:
he has visited schools, given talks, and held workshops on living with
Tourette syndrome, and spoken to groups of police and school teachers on supporting people with the condition. He has organised an annual two-day residential Tourette camp for young people in Galashiels:
200:
in recognition of "his efforts to increase understanding of the condition and helping families deal with it across the country." He has also been a leading member of
Borders Action Group, campaigning to save
259:(2009) – Q.E.D. series, directed and produced by Philippa Robinson, executive produced by Todd Austin, broadcast on BBC One. Features Davidson and Greg Storey. Features Davidson and Storey.
962:
942:
972:
511:
957:
543:
286:
609:
977:
255:
160:
682:
167:
After leaving school at age 16 without qualifications, Davidson has worked his whole life as a caretaker at
Langlee Community Centre in
633:
265:(2016) – by Min Clough and Todd Austin, broadcast on BBC One. Features Davidson, Storey, Angela Scanlon, Rory Brown and Paul Stevenson.
131:
730:
381:
110:
in recognition of "his efforts to increase understanding of the condition and helping families deal with it across the country."
947:
765:
658:
197:
107:
89:
26:
220:
233:(2002) – directed by Min Clough, produced by Todd Austin, broadcast on BBC One. Features Davidson and Greg Storey.
240:
175:. As of 2002 he was a part-time youth leader at Loganlea Community Centre and education complex in Galashiels.
952:
150:
reported that "Davidson occupies a position in the psyche of 1980s schoolchildren similar to that of the
967:
706:
343:
405:
574:
821:
248:
472:
62:
317:
773:
582:
482:
415:
353:
215:
140:
119:
102:
93:
184:
450:
738:
202:
135:
936:
196:
As of 2019 he was a board member of
Tourette Scotland. In 2019 he was awarded an
151:
923:
914:
172:
168:
123:
97:
50:
777:
586:
486:
419:
357:
845:
797:
477:
410:
348:
244:
146:
127:
905:
896:
869:
224:
610:"Calls going out for reward for Borders Tourette's campaigner's work"
382:"Tourette's sufferers hope film will help dispel myths of condition"
183:
support groups such as
Tourette Scotland and national organisation
634:"Borderers are rewarded by the Queen in the New Year Honours List"
544:"Tourette's documentary 'the best so far' says inspirational John"
512:"BBC documentary to focus on Tourette's friendship in the Borders"
287:"Tourette's documentary 'the best so far' says inspirational John"
130:, sudden and violent body movements; as well as a severe form of
144:(1989), which "became a major talking point" nationally—in 2004
100:. At age 16, Davidson was the subject of the BBC TV documentary
604:
602:
822:"Sky l Vision – Sky's production and distribution arm"
538:
536:
534:
532:
506:
504:
502:
118:
Davidson's condition encompasses a range of symptoms:
76:
68:
58:
33:
21:
281:
279:
568:
566:
564:
92:(born 1 June 1971) is a Scottish campaigner for
798:"BBC One - Tourettes: I Swear I Can't Help It"
318:"Meeting the Queen when you've got Tourette's"
659:"Tourette charity hope to set up local group"
375:
373:
8:
759:
757:
755:
683:"Scot's Tourette's struggle to become film"
451:"What happened to the boy with Tourette's?"
445:
443:
441:
439:
437:
435:
312:
310:
308:
223:series, by Valerie Kaye, broadcast on the
18:
963:People with obsessive–compulsive disorder
16:Scottish campaigner for Tourette syndrome
575:"Tourette's sufferer rails against cuts"
275:
171:. He has also done a lot of voluntary
164:(2009), caught up with him at age 37.
943:People educated at Galashiels Academy
846:"BBC Three - Tourettes: Teenage Tics"
7:
657:Chalmers, Robbie (22 January 2019).
973:British disability rights activists
766:"The One to Watch: Thursday 28 May"
916:Tourettes: I Swear I Can't Help It
256:Tourettes: I Swear I Can't Help It
161:Tourettes: I Swear I Can't Help It
14:
911:– documentary film at Dailymotion
902:– documentary film at Dailymotion
786:– via www.telegraph.co.uk.
595:– via www.theguardian.com.
138:documentary was made about him,
764:Collins, Robert (27 May 2009).
495:– via www.thetimes.co.uk.
428:– via www.thetimes.co.uk.
366:– via www.thetimes.co.uk.
731:"The Boy Can't Help It (2002)"
573:Khan, Stephen (3 March 2002).
1:
958:People with Tourette syndrome
929:– documentary film at YouTube
920:– documentary film at YouTube
638:www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk
614:www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk
471:Wark, Penny (31 March 2004).
380:McIver, Brian (23 May 2012).
132:obsessive–compulsive disorder
978:21st-century Scottish people
460:– via news.bbc.co.uk.
344:"John's not mad. He's fine"
994:
870:"What is my movie? - Item"
263:Tourette's: Teenage Tics
247:. Includes Davidson and
406:"He swears hes happier"
178:Since the broadcast of
948:People from Galashiels
194:
907:The Boy Can't Help It
874:www.whatismymovie.com
243:series, broadcast on
231:The Boy Can't Help It
190:
158:(2002), and another,
156:The Boy Can't Help It
741:on February 25, 2020
473:"John's Not Mad (E)"
227:. Features Davidson.
770:The Daily Telegraph
134:(OCD). At age 16 a
707:"Sworn allegiance"
518:. 21 December 2016
63:Galashiels Academy
826:skyvision.sky.com
550:. 16 January 2017
293:. 16 January 2017
120:Tourette syndrome
94:Tourette syndrome
84:
83:
77:Years active
985:
925:Tourettes and Me
884:
883:
881:
880:
866:
860:
859:
857:
856:
842:
836:
835:
833:
832:
818:
812:
811:
809:
808:
794:
788:
787:
785:
784:
761:
750:
749:
747:
746:
737:. Archived from
727:
721:
720:
718:
717:
711:www.scotsman.com
703:
697:
696:
694:
693:
687:www.scotsman.com
679:
673:
672:
670:
669:
654:
648:
647:
645:
644:
630:
624:
623:
621:
620:
606:
597:
596:
594:
593:
570:
559:
558:
556:
555:
548:Border Telegraph
540:
527:
526:
524:
523:
516:Border Telegraph
508:
497:
496:
494:
493:
468:
462:
461:
459:
458:
447:
430:
429:
427:
426:
402:
396:
395:
393:
392:
377:
368:
367:
365:
364:
339:
333:
332:
330:
329:
314:
303:
302:
300:
298:
291:Border Telegraph
283:
237:Tourettes and Me
185:Tourettes Action
47:
43:
41:
19:
993:
992:
988:
987:
986:
984:
983:
982:
933:
932:
893:
888:
887:
878:
876:
868:
867:
863:
854:
852:
844:
843:
839:
830:
828:
820:
819:
815:
806:
804:
796:
795:
791:
782:
780:
763:
762:
753:
744:
742:
729:
728:
724:
715:
713:
705:
704:
700:
691:
689:
681:
680:
676:
667:
665:
656:
655:
651:
642:
640:
632:
631:
627:
618:
616:
608:
607:
600:
591:
589:
572:
571:
562:
553:
551:
542:
541:
530:
521:
519:
510:
509:
500:
491:
489:
470:
469:
465:
456:
454:
449:
448:
433:
424:
422:
404:
403:
399:
390:
388:
379:
378:
371:
362:
360:
341:
340:
336:
327:
325:
316:
315:
306:
296:
294:
285:
284:
277:
272:
211:
203:public services
180:John's Not Mad,
122:tics including
116:
96:, who lives in
54:
48:
45:
39:
37:
29:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
991:
989:
981:
980:
975:
970:
965:
960:
955:
950:
945:
935:
934:
931:
930:
921:
912:
903:
898:John's Not Mad
892:
891:External links
889:
886:
885:
861:
837:
813:
789:
751:
722:
698:
674:
649:
625:
598:
560:
528:
498:
463:
431:
397:
369:
334:
324:. 10 July 2019
304:
274:
273:
271:
268:
267:
266:
260:
252:
234:
228:
216:John's Not Mad
210:
207:
141:John's Not Mad
115:
112:
103:John's Not Mad
82:
81:
78:
74:
73:
70:
66:
65:
60:
56:
55:
49:
35:
31:
30:
25:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
990:
979:
976:
974:
971:
969:
966:
964:
961:
959:
956:
954:
953:Living people
951:
949:
946:
944:
941:
940:
938:
928:
926:
922:
919:
917:
913:
910:
908:
904:
901:
899:
895:
894:
890:
875:
871:
865:
862:
851:
847:
841:
838:
827:
823:
817:
814:
803:
799:
793:
790:
779:
775:
771:
767:
760:
758:
756:
752:
740:
736:
732:
726:
723:
712:
708:
702:
699:
688:
684:
678:
675:
664:
660:
653:
650:
639:
635:
629:
626:
615:
611:
605:
603:
599:
588:
584:
580:
576:
569:
567:
565:
561:
549:
545:
539:
537:
535:
533:
529:
517:
513:
507:
505:
503:
499:
488:
484:
480:
479:
474:
467:
464:
453:. 28 May 2009
452:
446:
444:
442:
440:
438:
436:
432:
421:
417:
413:
412:
407:
401:
398:
387:
383:
376:
374:
370:
359:
355:
351:
350:
345:
342:Wark, Penny.
338:
335:
323:
319:
313:
311:
309:
305:
292:
288:
282:
280:
276:
269:
264:
261:
258:
257:
253:
250:
246:
242:
238:
235:
232:
229:
226:
222:
218:
217:
213:
212:
208:
206:
204:
199:
193:
189:
186:
181:
176:
174:
170:
165:
163:
162:
157:
153:
149:
148:
143:
142:
137:
133:
129:
125:
121:
113:
111:
109:
105:
104:
99:
95:
91:
88:
87:John Davidson
79:
75:
71:
67:
64:
61:
57:
52:
46:(age 53)
36:
32:
28:
23:John Davidson
20:
968:1970s births
924:
915:
906:
897:
877:. Retrieved
873:
864:
853:. Retrieved
849:
840:
829:. Retrieved
825:
816:
805:. Retrieved
801:
792:
781:. Retrieved
769:
743:. Retrieved
739:the original
734:
725:
714:. Retrieved
710:
701:
690:. Retrieved
686:
677:
666:. Retrieved
662:
652:
641:. Retrieved
637:
628:
617:. Retrieved
613:
590:. Retrieved
579:The Observer
578:
552:. Retrieved
547:
520:. Retrieved
515:
490:. Retrieved
476:
466:
455:. Retrieved
423:. Retrieved
409:
400:
389:. Retrieved
385:
361:. Retrieved
347:
337:
326:. Retrieved
321:
295:. Retrieved
290:
262:
254:
236:
230:
214:
195:
191:
179:
177:
166:
159:
155:
145:
139:
117:
101:
86:
85:
80:1989–present
44:June 1, 1971
663:dailyrecord
386:dailyrecord
249:Keith Allen
152:Joey Deacon
937:Categories
879:2020-03-09
855:2020-02-25
831:2020-02-25
807:2020-02-25
783:2020-02-25
745:2020-02-25
716:2020-02-25
692:2020-02-25
668:2020-03-10
643:2020-03-11
619:2020-03-11
592:2020-02-25
554:2020-03-08
522:2020-02-25
492:2020-02-25
457:2020-02-25
425:2020-03-10
391:2020-02-25
363:2020-02-25
328:2020-02-25
270:References
241:Only Human
173:youth work
169:Galashiels
124:coprolalia
98:Galashiels
72:Campaigner
69:Occupation
53:, Scotland
51:Galashiels
40:1971-06-01
778:0307-1235
587:0029-7712
487:0140-0460
478:The Times
420:0140-0460
411:The Times
358:0140-0460
349:The Times
245:Channel 4
239:(2007) –
219:(1989) –
147:The Times
128:echolalia
114:Biography
59:Education
322:BBC News
297:8 August
225:BBC One
927:(2007)
918:(2009)
909:(2002)
900:(1989)
776:
585:
485:
418:
356:
221:Q.E.D.
136:BBC TV
209:Films
774:ISSN
583:ISSN
483:ISSN
416:ISSN
354:ISSN
299:2022
34:Born
850:BBC
802:BBC
735:BFI
198:MBE
108:MBE
90:MBE
27:MBE
939::
872:.
848:.
824:.
800:.
772:.
768:.
754:^
733:.
709:.
685:.
661:.
636:.
612:.
601:^
581:.
577:.
563:^
546:.
531:^
514:.
501:^
481:.
475:.
434:^
414:.
408:.
384:.
372:^
352:.
346:.
320:.
307:^
289:.
278:^
205:.
126:,
42:)
882:.
858:.
834:.
810:.
748:.
719:.
695:.
671:.
646:.
622:.
557:.
525:.
394:.
331:.
301:.
251:.
38:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.