TEACHER’S LIFE A DRAMA

It’s a good thing a movie about Brad Cohen’s life will be shown on television, rather than a movie theater screen.

The loud barking and “beat box” sounds he makes constantly are beyond his control, so he typically avoids theaters.

Tonight, Cohen will make an exception. He and his wife Nancy will attend the movie’s premiere at the Writers Guild Theatre in Beverly Hills, Calif.

“I’m hoping I don’t get kicked out of my own movie,” Cohen said.

Cohen, a Cobb teacher, was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome at age 10. Tourette’s is a neurological disorder known for its involuntary movements and vocal sounds, called tics.

Cohen’s ongoing struggle to overcome obstacles is the subject of a television movie, airing on CBS at 9 p.m. Sunday. “Front of the Class” stars Emmy Award winner Patricia Heaton and Treat Williams as Cohen’s parents, and Jimmy Wolk as the adult Cohen.

The movie is based on Cohen’s 2005 book by the same name. “All I wanted was to be like everyone else. But I couldn’t get there,” Cohen said. “My teachers wouldn’t allow it to happen.”

In his third year as one of the Cobb’s area lead teachers, Cohen spends time at Mount Bethel and Tritt elementary schools, where he focuses on helping teachers do their jobs better. Although he misses having his own students, he hopes his current job will someday lead to a job as an assistant principal.

When he was younger, Cohen said other students made fun of him and beat him up, and teachers forced him to apologize for the noises that were beyond his control. The lack of compassion from teachers inspired him to become an educator.

“Telling people with Tourette’s to stop a behavior is like ordering someone with allergies not to sneeze,” Cohen wrote in his book.

In the eighth grade, things started to change. A principal gave Cohen the opportunity to educate teachers and students about Tourette’s at a school assembly.

Cohen’s tics aren’t easy for others to ignore. He has been asked to leave restaurants for being too noisy. Louder venues, like sporting events, let Cohen be himself, tics and all.

Some noises come before a sentence or right after he’s said something. When he’s nervous, the number of tics increase. Movie producers videotaped Cohen to make sure his tics were accurately portrayed.

“This movie is very, very authentic,” said Cohen, who makes a cameo appearance, along with his wife.

After graduating with honors from Bradley University in Illinois, Cohen moved to Atlanta, where a Cobb school gave him a job after 24 others had turned him down.

“He had great qualifications,” said Hilarie Straka, now an assistant principal at Tritt Elementary. Straka, along with former principal Jim Ovbey, put him in charge of a class of second-graders.

One parent asked to have a child removed from Cohen’s class. Two weeks later, Straka denied the same parent’s request to move the child back. Cohen’s sense of humor and love of learning made his lessons fun, and kids were talking.

“They all loved him,” Straka said. “In the classroom, he got into his comfort zone.”

The first lesson Cohen taught his students was about his condition. The young teacher answered questions and explained that it’s OK to be different.

Cohen won a state award for first-year teachers in 1997. More than 10 years later, Straka and Cohen remain close friends, so much so that she’s almost like another mother. Straka was surprised when it took Cohen six months to introduce her to his then-girlfriend, Nancy.

“I didn’t really think about him having problems dating,” Straka said. “He’s a good-looking guy, has a great personality, he’s successful.”

Cohen said first dates weren’t the problem, but second dates were harder to come by because his Tourette’s scared girls away.

He and Nancy hit it off right away, and got married in 2006. Nancy Cohen is used to the tics now.

“It’s actually a comforting thing for me,” she said. “I hear his noises, and I know he’s around.”

In November, Cohen was a chairperson for a weekend retreat for Georgia families affected by Tourette’s.

“He’s inspiring and reassuring,” said Patricia Kardon, director of the Tourette Syndrome Association of Georgia. Kardon’s son has Tourette’s. For those who are afflicted, it’s tough knowing their sounds may bother others, she said.

“They want you to ignore their symptoms, but they don’t want to be ignored,” she said.

When his movies airs for millions of viewers, Cohen said it will be very surreal.

“The CBS schedule will be football, ‘60 Minutes,’ ‘Amazing Race,’ then Brad,” said Cohen, almost in disbelief.

“I feel like I am the voice for so many other kids that can’t necessarily speak up,” Cohen said. “And for teachers that need to be reminded that we do make a difference.”

FRONT OF THE CLASS

> TV: CBS, 9 p.m. Sunday

> Summary: A young man with Tourette Syndrome fulfills his dream of becoming a teacher after a childhood full of teachers who didn’t understand his condition. Brad Cohen went on 25 interviews before he got a job, and eventually won a state award for first-year teachers.

> Starring: Patricia Heaton (“Everybody Loves Raymond”), Treat Williams (“Everwood” and “Heartland”) and Jimmy Wolk (“The Spiral Project”)

> From book to movie: Brad Cohen met Timothy Shriver, chairman of the Special Olympics and brother of Maria Shriver, when they both served as motivational speakers for an event in Connecticut. Shriver was touched by Cohen’s story, and told the teacher he planned to pitch the idea to movie officials. Shriver is the executive producer of the movie.

> What you may not know: This isn’t writer Tom Rickman’s first shot at a biographical movie. “Coal Miner’s Daughter” from 1980, the story of country singer Loretta Lynn, is among his credits

TOURETTE SYNDROME

> What it is: Disorder characterized by involuntary, sudden movements and/or vocal outbursts.

> The symptoms: May include blinking, head jerking, throat clearing and clicking, among others.

> How many have it: About 200,000 in the United States, though it can be difficult to diagnose.

> The cursing: It is a common misconception that everyone with Tourette’s utters obscenities. Only a small percentage affected with Tourette’s have this symptom.

> Treatment: There is no cure, but medications are available to help control symptoms.

> For children: Tourette’s doesn’t affect a child’s intelligence, but it can make learning more difficult. Some people afflicted by Tourette’s have difficulty reading or writing. Additionally, some with Tourette’s may also have obsessive-compulsive disorder or attention-deficit disorder.

> Source: Tourette Syndrome Association

For more information

Contact the Tourette Syndrome Association of Georgia

www.georgiatourette.org

706-248-9784