Nathan Chamot, a junior at Indian Hill High School, has faced adversity head-on from a young age, navigating the challenges of living with Tourette's Syndrome (TS), ADHD, OCD, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. After years of feeling alienated and misunderstood, finally receiving a diagnosis in sixth grade empowered him to reclaim his story and work toward his full potential. Today, Nathan is not only a standout student and leader in his community, but also a Youth Ambassador for the Tourette Association of America (TAA), where he advocates nationally for greater awareness, acceptance, and support for the TS community. Through public speaking, meetings with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, and local outreach, Nathan is passionate about helping others with TS feel seen, understood, and empowered — just as he once needed when beginning his own journey. In April, Nathan presented his story to the staff at Indian Hill High School, and we wanted to share a special Q&A with you.
Indian Hill School District (IHSD): Nathan, can you start by sharing a little about your journey — your story of growing up with Tourette's Syndrome and how it has shaped who you are today?
Nathan Chamot (NC): My journey began in kindergarten when my parents and teachers first noticed my hyperactivity and differences compared to my peers. I was always full of energy, and this was attributed to my ADHD, which I was diagnosed with around this time. I never fully realized how different I was until the third grade, however, which is when I began showing symptoms of Tourette’s Syndrome. I began to sniffle, twitch, and jerk involuntarily, which left me feeling as if I was caught up in a tornado I couldn’t control, leading me to struggle mentally in the following years. I continued to feel unjustified in myself until I finally got a diagnosis for Tourette’s in the sixth grade, which allowed me to understand that my irregularity was not my fault, empowering me to get more diagnoses for OCD and Generalized Anxiety disorder and improve my habits in the following years. In my sophomore year of high school, having the resources and maturity to do so, I began to take off and I made a final push to improve my diet, exercise, and social media habits to reach my full potential, translating into me losing 20 pounds to improve my health and quitting almost all social media. Today, I am a proud athlete, leader, student, and advocate who has faced a lot of adversity to reach the place I am today. Before my sophomore year, I think a major mindset that held me back was that I always had thought of myself as “less” than my peers because I was unable to do the same things as them; however, when I put it into the perspective that I have to put in often much more effort than someone else without the same conditions as me to get the same results, I realized how much effort, diligence, and willpower I was using was something to be proud of, which allowed me to have confidence and grow in a way that made me feel proud of who I am.
IHSD: How did your experience as a student at Indian Hill influence your ability to overcome the challenges associated with Tourette's Syndrome, ADHD, OCD, and anxiety?
NC: I think being a student at Indian Hill gave me the resources I needed to succeed and overcome a lot of the obstacles that come with having four different disorders, especially going into high school. For much of my life in primary, elementary, and middle school, my parents had to put in a lot of effort to help me overcome my problems. For me, these problems included spending multiple hours on a single math problem, lacking the attention span to read a chapter of a book, or having problems with regulating my behavior in class. I felt I was being pushed around by an invisible force, and although the school and my parents did a lot to try and help me, I truly had to take it upon myself to reach my full potential, and I think the incredible staff at Indian Hill High School helped me to make positive changes in my life to help me overcome challenges.
IHSD: As a Youth Ambassador for the Tourette Association of America, can you explain what your role entails and why it’s so important to you?
NC: As a Youth Ambassador for the Tourette’s Association of America, I get to advocate for Tourette’s Syndrome on a national level through meetings with public officials, community presentations, and fundraisers that I plan on doing in the future. Some of my proudest accomplishments in this position have been going to Capitol Hill this past March to talk to Congress about my experience with Tourette’s Syndrome and how they can support our community, as well as doing a community presentation to the Indian Hill High School staff to educate them about Tourette’s Syndrome. For me, being in this position is very meaningful because I get to be a voice for the voiceless in a community that is often misunderstood and underrepresented and being an example and role model who can help improve the lives of future generations with Tourette’s Syndrome is truly an awesome feeling. The reason I wanted to be a Youth Ambassador specifically was because 50% of people with Tourette’s Syndrome are estimated to be undiagnosed, and this statistic affected me in a very real way, as it took me many years to receive my diagnosis for Tourette’s Syndrome. This led me to feel unjustified in myself, and I don’t want future generations with Tourette’s to face the same struggles as I did, so they can feel confident in themselves and reach their full potential.
IHSD: What do you want people to understand most about Tourette's Syndrome, especially those who may not be familiar with the disorder?
NC: For those who aren’t familiar with Tourette’s (TS), it is a neurodevelopmental condition that can affect all groups of people - it is not a mental health condition. TS weakens the brain's ability to regulate chemical messengers, which causes involuntary movements or sounds known as tics. These tics occur in the subconscious of someone with the condition, and cases of the disorder can range from mild to severe. The prevalence of tics in an individual can also change due to external factors such as stress, sleep, illness, etc. Additionally, tics in those with TS can change, and they can gain or lose certain tics over time. Finally, I also want to note that TS is a lifelong condition with no cure, and that it’s often misrepresented in the media, such as that TS is only involuntary swearing or yelling obscenities. However, the yelling of obscenities is a type of vocal tic known as coprolalia, which represents less than 10% of people with Tourette’s Syndrome.
IHSD: If you could go back and give one piece of advice to your younger self — the version of you before your diagnosis — what would you say?
NC: I would tell myself that you are not any less than anyone else and that your differences are not your fault. I would also say that despite your challenges, your tenacity makes you unique, that you have to use your strengths to help overcome your challenges, and that you should work to get outside of your comfort zone to be the best version of you.
About the Tourette Association of America
Founded in 1972, the TAA is the only national organization serving the TS and Tic Disorders community. The TAA works tirelessly to raise awareness, advance research, and provide ongoing support to individuals and families impacted by TS and Tic Disorders. The TAA directs a network of 31 chapters, 83 support groups, and recognizes 29 Centers of Excellence across the country. The TAA is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more about Tourette Syndrome, Tic Disorders, and the TAA at
tourette.org.
Photo caption: Indian Hill High School Principal Andy Gruber with junior Nathan Chamot following his presentation to the Indian Hill High School staff on living with Tourette’s Syndrome.