5 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Stuttering

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Greg Wilson
gregwilsonpr@gmail.com
571-239-7474

Memphis, Tenn. (May 3, 2023) — Monday, May 8, marks the beginning of National Stuttering Awareness Week, a weeklong spotlight on the condition affecting more than 80 million people worldwide. During this year’s observance, the Stuttering Foundation, the world’s oldest and largest organization dedicated to helping those who stutter, is sharing a list of “5 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Stuttering” to raise awareness and promote understanding for people who stutter.

5 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Stuttering

1. Singing and Stuttering: People don’t stutter when they sing! In fact, there are contestants that have appeared on American Idol and America’s Got Talent who have shared their personal experience with stuttering. Check out our list of Famous People Who Stutter for several world-renowned singers who also stutter.

2. Male vs. Female: Stuttering affects three to four times as many males as females. Our own data on phone calls received from concerned parents supports this finding.

3. 80 Million People Stutter: More than 80 million people worldwide stutter, which is about 1% of the global population. That’s more than the population of the France! In the U.S. alone, there are more than 3 million people who stutter.

4. 5% of Children Stutter: Approximately 5% of all children go through a period of stuttering that lasts six months or more. Three-quarters of those will recover by late childhood, leaving about 1% with a long-term stutter. The best prevention tool is early intervention.

5. People Who Stutter Are Smart: People who stutter are as smart and capable as anyone else. Many exceptionally smart, talented, and successful people struggle with stuttering. Check out our list of Famous People Who Stutter for several examples of smart and talented people!

For more than 75 years, the Stuttering Foundation has served as a trusted resource for the stuttering community, offering brochures, e-books, podcasts, videos, a magazine, virtual learning sessions and multiple social media channels to spread timely and accurate information about stuttering.

About the Stuttering Foundation

Malcolm Fraser, a successful businessman who struggled with stuttering, established the nonprofit Stuttering Foundation in 1947 and endowed it throughout his lifetime. The Foundation provides free online resources at StutteringHelp.org for people who stutter and their families, as well as support for research into the causes of stuttering. Visit www.StutteringHelp.org.

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CELEBRITY FOCUS

James Earl Jones

Actor James Earl Jones, a Broadway, television and movie star, was well-known for his voice as Darth Vader in Star Wars and his book Voices and Silences. Jones spoke some of the most memorable lines in the history of American film, but the man known for his voice was once afflicted with a severe stutter.

John Melendez

He is a talented musician, actor, and comedian. Listen to a podcast.

Bill Walton

From BillWalton.com

Thank you for your interest in my life long problem with my speech and communication skills. I was a very shy and reserved young man who could not speak at all without severely stuttering until I was 28 years old. Always a success in the classroom and on the basketball court, I took refuge in the things that I did well as a youngster. A straight A student, my athletic abilities covered the deficiencies that limited my overall growth and development. The game of basketball was my religion, the gym my church. It was a convenient way of avoiding my responsibilities of developing my human relation skills.

When I was 28, a chance encounter at a social event with Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Glickman completely changed my life in so many ways that things have never been the same since, nor have they ever been better. That day, in a very brief, private conversation (one way, mind you, since I literally could not speak at the time) Marty explained, patiently and concisely, that talking, communicating was a skill not a gift or a birthright and that like any skill, whether it be sports, music, business or whatever, needed to be developed over a lifetime of hard work, discipline, organization and practice. Marty gave me some simple tips that day and then encouraged me to take those keys and apply them to methods of learning that I had received from the special teachers that I had come across in my life, particularly the 6 Hall of Fame basketball coaches that I had played for throughout my career. The beginning of my whole new life was as simple as that. No gimmicks, tricks or shortcuts. Just the realization that with some help, guidance and a lot of hard work that I too could do what seemed so easy, simple and natural to everyone else, yet seemed impossibly out of my reach and comprehension.

Marilyn Monroe

From Edward S. Herrington's letter to Southcoasttoday.com

I am writing in response to "The importance of voice" (May 29), which mentioned that famous actor James Earl Jones struggled with stuttering. Another famous voice that you cited was the trademark breathy voice of Marilyn Monroe; however, you did not make mention of the fact that Marilyn Monroe also struggled with stuttering at various points in her life, sometimes very painfully.

Dave Taylor

Dave Taylor has been on the Stuttering Foundation's list of Famous People Who Stutter for many years, but probably few people know all of the unique accomplishments of this former hockey great who was born on December 4, 1955, in Levack, Ontario.