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Seventh-grader urges Tourette awareness at Rowan County meeting
Summary
Matthew Cornett, a seventh-grader and RCMS speech team member, delivered a prepared speech at the board meeting describing Tourette Syndrome, countering misconceptions, and urging education and support.
Matthew Cornett, a seventh-grade member of the Rowan County Middle School speech team, addressed the Rowan County Board of Education to raise awareness about Tourette Syndrome and to ask listeners to educate themselves and reduce stigma.
“Over 1.8 million people have Tourette's, but many people don't understand what it really is,” Cornett said in the prepared speech, describing Tourette Syndrome as “a neurodevelopmental disorder” characterized by involuntary movements or sounds called tics. He spoke about his own experience with eye‑blinking and sniffing tics, and about common misconceptions, including the belief that people with Tourette's always cuss — a symptom, he noted, that affects only about one in 10 people with the condition.
Cornett cited the Tourette Association of America’s description of the disorder and said stereotypes lead to discrimination, social exclusion and mental‑health problems. “Some people believe that people with Tourette's will fake someone for attention. However, this is obviously not the case,” he said, describing how classmates sometimes misunderstand tics.
He urged both individuals with Tourette's to seek self‑acceptance and others to “get educated and treat people with Tourette's with respect,” offering solutions such as support groups and trained counselors in schools. Cornett concluded by challenging the audience to “make life better for people with Tourette's” through education and inclusion.
The speech was delivered as a student presentation during the district’s board meeting; no formal board action followed the presentation.
