[3][4][5] He is a "nationally known ambassador for the condition",[1] who gives talks and workshops for school pupils, teachers and police, and has organised an annual two-day residential Tourette camp for young people.
"[2] 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).
[6] At age 16 a BBC TV documentary was made about him, John's Not Mad (1989), which "became a major talking point" nationally[6]—in 2004 The Times reported that "Davidson occupies a position in the psyche of 1980s schoolchildren similar to that of the Joey Deacon, who had cerebral palsy, for the kids of the 1970s.
[8] After leaving school at age 16 without qualifications,[6] Davidson has worked his whole life as a caretaker at Langlee Community Centre in Galashiels.
[10] Since the broadcast of John's Not Mad, Davidson went on to become a "nationally known ambassador for the condition",[9] "a spokesman for this previously hidden neurological disorder, campaigning to educate people about it.