Tell Me about It
The short story “Tic and Shout” demonstrates how explanations can lead to acceptance. To begin, a boy named Alex is living his life with Tourette’s syndrome, and the kids at school mock him for it all the time. One day, Alex began ramming himself into lockers and the teacher, Ms. Baskin, had no idea what was going on. The students were not helping him, but quite the opposite. They stood watching him and mocking him. Not only did they call Alex all sorts of names, but they also derisively barked at him. Ms. Baskin knew something had to be done. She fetched for his sister, Catherine, or Cat for short. Once Cat came and calmed Alex down, she began to explain to the teacher about Tourette’s. Cat told her, “The only way