Posts Tagged ‘talking about stuttering’
Popular Media On Stuttering
Posted on: October 30, 2014
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Buzzfeed has a great article called “25 Things All People Who Stutter Will Understand.” It’s surprisingly spot-on and doesn’t make fun of, or demean, people who stutter.
Enjoy! Can you relate to any of them?
Can We Be Memorable?
Posted on: October 16, 2014
- In: Video
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The following is my submission for the 2014 International Stuttering Awareness Day on-line conference, which runs from Oct.1 – Oct. 22 each year.
This is a reprisal of a talk I did at the 2014 NSA conference in Washington DC in July.
I was worried about making myself so vulnerable by submitting a video, but it has been favorably accepted, judging by the many great comments the video has received, many from SLP graduate students.
What do you think? Can our stuttering make us memorable?
Hear Me – Episode 129
Posted on: September 30, 2014
Episode 129 features LaShanda Lewis, who hails from Chicago, Illinois. LaShanda and her husband have three young children, who LaShanda will be home schooling.
LaShanda is also a singer, and has been singing since about 8 years old. She is working on a solo album of Christian music, which she hopes to release in a year.
And she doesn’t stutter when she sings!
Listen in as we discuss avoidance and shame, confidence and the importance of finding support with other people who stutter. We also discuss her children’s reactions to her stuttering.
The podcast safe music used in this episode is credited to ccMixter.
2014 ISAD Conference
Posted on: September 12, 2014
This year’s International Stuttering Awareness Day (ISAD) online conference begins on October 1, 2014 and runs for three weeks through October 22, 2014.
Authors will present papers on a variety of topics relating to stuttering – attitudes and feelings, therapy techniques, research updates and personal experiences.
Presenters are a mix of people from the international stuttering community – people who stutter, family members of people who stutter, clinical therapists and scientific researchers. This is an exciting conference where different voices from all over the world are heard.
This will be a treasure trove of information on stuttering, and you will have the opportunity to interact with the contributors and ask questions of professionals in the field.
Plan to check out the conference and plan to learn a lot. Spread the word!
Episode 128 features Farah Al Qaissieh who hails from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emerites. Farah works in the strategy department of a government office.
She is also the co-founder of a stuttering support group, called “Stutter With A Smile“, which began in July 2013.
Farah and a friend started the group through Meet-Up.com and advertised through social media and word of mouth. Their first meeting attracted 15 people, and has since averaged 10 people of all ages, including speech language pathologists.
Listen in as we discuss why she wanted to start a support group, the impact it has had on her and members and the group’s goals. We also discuss Farah’s own personal journey with stuttering and what it has meant to her.
This was a great conversation, where we hear a voice from another part of the world. Listen and feel free to leave comments. Feedback is a gift.
The podcast safe music used in today’s episode is credited to ccMixter.
Reflections Of Us
Posted on: September 2, 2014
What do you think of this? Being around other people who stutter is like seeing a reflection of our self. We see ourselves in other people who stutter.
Maybe when you are around other people who stutter, you think to yourself, “oh, that’s how I sound.” Maybe you’re OK with that. Maybe you are not.
Maybe it makes us feel vulnerable when we’re around other people who stutter.
Other people may remind of us ourselves, both the parts we love and the parts we don’t love quite as much.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.
Episode 21 of the occasional male podcast series features Dylan Madeley, who hails from a suburb of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Dylan is a writer. He currently works as a copy editor for Auxiliary Magazine and is preparing to self publish his own novel. He is readying a Kickstarter campaign to secure a publishing budget.
Dylan’s book is an ambiguous-magic fantasy titled “The Gift-Knight’s Quest.” Check here to find out more about the book.
Dylan discusses his plans to advertise and promote his first book, which leads us to talk about advertising stuttering before public speaking events. Dylan plans to be more “out there” with his stuttering once he is published.
We also discuss his strategies for book readings and how performance anxiety really triggers his stuttering.
This was a great conversation. Dylan shares professionally about his writing and personally about his stuttering. Feel free to leave comments or ask questions.
The podcast safe music used in this episode is credited to DanoSongs.
Talk To People – Episode 126
Posted on: August 18, 2014
Episode 126 features Christine Birney who hails from Kesh, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. Christine works as a child care assistant.
She is also the founder of the Northern Ireland Support for Stammering and Dysfluency (NISSD) Fermanagh chapter for people who stammer in the west of Northern Ireland.
Listen in as we discuss the impact of workplace stammering and about confidence building. Christine shares about her journey with speech and language therapy, and meeting and talking with other people who stammer.
We also discuss Christine’s start-up of the stammering support chapter and the advertising she has done to reach out to people. Christine has done several interviews about her new support group.
This was a wonderful conversation with a confident young woman who embodies the importance of talking to people. Feel free to leave comments or ask questions in the comment section.
The podcast safe music used in today’s episode is credited to ccMixter.
Breathing Is Just Breathing, Right?
Posted on: July 24, 2014
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One of the most popular posts on this blog, the one that gets the most visitors, is a post titled Breathe In, Breathe Out, that I wrote on April 15, 2010. I think it’s so popular because people who stutter are often looking for techniques that can help to manage stuttering.
The program that focuses most on breathing is the McGuire program. This program stresses the use of costal breathing, where students are taught diaphragmatic breathing techniques. Graduates of the McGuire method practice breathing techniques daily in order for speaking to sound natural.
When I attended speech therapy a few years ago, one of the techniques that the student clinicians taught us was “full breath.” This was part of traditional fluency shaping therapy.
For me, I always found it difficult to concentrate on my breathing and trying to speak at the same time. Both are automatic, things I do without thinking. I breathe with ease. Sometimes I speak with ease, sometimes I struggle when I speak.
When I block, I can sometimes feel myself run out of air and feel breathless. That can be such a helpless, out-of-control feeling. But I still don’t want to take the time to stop and think about breathing and speaking on a full breath.
To me, breathing is just breathing and shouldn’t require extra, specific thought. I’m curious – what do you think?
Changing Perceptions – Episode 122
Posted on: July 15, 2014
Episode 122 features Yousra Ouchen, a 25 year old who hails from Casablanca, Morocco. Yousra works as a financial consultant in an accounting company. She enjoys playing the guitar, drawing and writing.
Yousra is a founder of the new Moroccan Association of Stammering, which is on its way to becoming official. The association currently has 15 members.
Listen in as Yousra discusses what it’s been like getting the association off the ground and the work it involves.
We also discuss the perception of stuttering in Morocco, and how people who stutter are seen as not having confidence. Yousra also shares her speech therapy experiences, and how talking about stuttering helps her to feel better about it.
This was a great conversation with a strong young woman who is determined to help people who stutter in her country. Feel free to leave comments or questions for Yousra. The podcast safe music used in this episode is credited to ccMixter.
Episode 118 features Natalie, who hails from London, England and currently is based in Bristol, England. Natalie is a beauty therapist and absolutely loves her job. She enjoys helping women look and feel good about themselves and looking the part herself.
Listen in as Natalie talks about the challenges and opportunities of a service profession that requires constant communication.
We talk at length about The McGuire Program, which has helped Natalie become a competent and confident communicator. She aspires to one day be a coach and course instructor for the program.
Natalie is an upbeat, social and bubbly young woman who doesn’t let stuttering stand in her way. It was a delight to chat and get to know her.
Feel free to leave comments below, for feedback is a gift. The podcast safe music used in this episode is credited to ccMixter.
From A Kid’s Perspective
Posted on: May 30, 2014
- In: Posts
- 5 Comments
I had the wonderful opportunity two weeks ago to speak to 9th graders about my stuttering and how it has impacted my career. I really should say that I “took” the opportunity to speak about stuttering.
You see, I was invited to speak to the students about my career as part of their annual Career Day. Since it was on May 15th and during National Stuttering Awareness Week, I felt I needed to weave my stuttering story into my talk. I find I can no longer talk about my career without also talking about stuttering.
I took a pretty big leap of faith that this would be OK and I faced stiff competition. The students were also going to be hearing from people who do cool things with science and who get to design video games for a living. One guy even brought a robot.
But I decided to talk about how my career has changed over the years and how being open about my stuttering has helped make me memorable.
Yep! I talked about being memorable and used stuttering as an example. I reminded the kids that we all have “something” – mine just happens to be stuttering. Being successful includes shifting whatever the something is that we maybe don’t like and turning it into an asset. I shared how that mindset shift has helped me come to terms with my stuttering and “use” it in a way that people will remember.
It’s important in job interviews to “stand out from the crowd” in some way. I have done that by openly disclosing that I stutter and by openly stuttering.
The kids were great. I had to do my presentation 6 times to 6 different groups, so I was tired by day’s end, but the kids were engaging and asked lots of good questions. They were curious about stuttering. Some mentioned that they have a sibling or cousin who stutters. Their questions were thoughtful.
One girl came up to me after class and told me that she has a brother who stutters and she was very glad I had come in to talk to their class. She gave me a hug.
Another girl came up to me in a different class and gave me the below note. It brought tears to my eyes. I definitely believe I made the right decision to talk about stuttering that day. Any time you can go and talk to kids about stuttering, differences, tolerance and respect, do it. It makes a difference.
Another Inspiring TED Talk
Posted on: May 20, 2014
- In: Video
- 2 Comments
Here’s another very inspiring talk by a woman who stutters. At 28, she finally feels she can “come clean” with her stuttering.
And she sings beautifully at the end too. A must watch!
Finding Myself As Me – Episode 116
Posted on: April 1, 2014
Episode 116 features Sara MacIntyre who hails from Philadelphia, PA and presently lives in Brooklyn, New York. Sara is a SLP working with people who stutter at the American Institute for Stuttering (AIS) in NYC.
Sara was extremely covert about her stuttering for a long time and decided in her senior year of college that she needed a change. She describes a conversation with her parents where she disclosed that she still stutters.
It was then that Sara and her mom searched around for quality therapy and Sara found and decided to do a three-week intensive therapy at the AIS.
Listen in as we talk about meeting other people who stutter for the first time and a little bit about the therapy program at AIS. Sara also talks about her “stuttering closet,” giving herself a “free pass” at times and being kind to herself, and how she came to work as a SLP at AIS.
This was a great conversation and it was so nice getting to know Sara. Feel free to leave comments or questions below. Feedback is a gift.
The podcast safe music used in this episode is credited to ccMixter.
Make Room For The Stuttering 
What people are saying!