What's wrong with Me?: An Autoethnographic Investigation of the Co-Cultural Communicative Practices of Living with Tourette Syndrome during Adolescence

Using an Autoethnographic methodology, this essay explores how I was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome. My experience illustrates a dynamic and difficult process of understanding and negotiating assimilation, using a variety of communication strategies related to self-perception, perceptions of others, and interactions with others. Using Co-Cultural theory (CCT) as a theoretical framework, three themes emerged from my experience: (1) nonassertive assimilation: negotiating with relationships of authority, (2) aggressive assimilation: negotiating relationships with peers, and (3) nonassertive separation: the convergence of negotiating relationships of authority and with peers. It is my hope that my story expands the awareness and conversation among and within academia regarding the influence that dominant cultural groups, norms, and labels have on the experience of adolescence living with TS as it relates to educational experiences.