Therapy In Action DVD - Press Release | Stuttering Foundation: A Nonprofit Organization Helping Those Who Stutter

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jane Fraser
(202) 686-4494
info@stutteringhelp.org

New Videotape/DVD Addresses School-age
Children's Concerns about Stuttering

Stuttering is a frustrating and embarrassing problem for millions of people, but it can be especially tough on elementary school-age children.

Now some new help is available for parents, teachers, and speech-language pathologists at the [name] Library in [city], [state],in the form of a new videotape designed specifically to help school-age children who stutter.

"It's meant to give speech-language pathologists the tools they need to deal with stuttering in this age group, but it also offers good ideas for parents and teachers," said Professor Peter Ramig of the University of Colorado at Boulder. Ramig is one of five nationally recognized experts appearing in the video produced by the nonprofit Stuttering Foundation.

The video features students from first through sixth grade, some of whom talk about their experiences with stuttering. They talk openly about the teasing they face from classmates and how their stuttering sometimes makes them feel about themselves.

"We focus on demonstrating a variety of therapy strategies that are appropriate in working with children who stutter," adds Ramig. He appears in the video along with speech-language pathologists Barry Guitar, Ph.D., of the University of Vermont, Hugo H. Gregory, Ph.D., and June Campbell, M.A., of Northwestern University, and Patricia Zebrowski, P.D., of the University of Iowa.

These five experts answer questions about stuttering, refute myths and misconceptions, and present examples of therapy sessions showing how stuttering can be reduced.

More than three million Americans stutter, yet stuttering remains misunderstood by most people," said Jane Fraser, president of the Stuttering Foundation. "Myths such as believing people who stutter are less intelligent or suffer from psychological problems still persist despite research refuting these erroneous beliefs."

The 38-minute video/DVD, titled Therapy in Action: The School-Age Child Who Stutters, is being distributed free of charge to public libraries nationwide.

For more information about obtaining your own copy, contact the Stuttering Foundation, P.O. Box 11749, Memphis, TN 38111-0749 or call us toll free at 1-800-992-9392, or visit www.stutteringhelp.org.

CELEBRITY FOCUS

Jack Paar

While Jack Paar is among the most prominent of the entertainers on the Stuttering Foundation’s list of Famous People Who Stutter, he deserves special recognition as he was among the first to openly address his stuttering in public. As host of The Tonight Show from 1957-1962, he spoke of his difficulties as a stuttering child and teenager, giving hope to young people.

Bruce Willis

While the world knows Bruce Willis as an A-list actor, few know that he struggled with stuttering throughout his first 20 years.

Walter Bruce Willis was born in 1955 in West Germany to his German mother, Marlene, and his American GI father, David Willis. The family settled in David’s hometown of Penns Grove, New Jersey in 1957, and the couple has three other children.

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.

Emily Blunt

Actress Emily Blunt struggled with stuttering early in her life. A teacher encouraged her to act in a school play at age 12 despite her stuttering.

Blunt’s name is prominently featured on the Stuttering Foundation's list of Famous People Who Stutter.

Darren Sproles

Darren Sproles, a former player for The Philadelphia Eagles, the New Orleans Saints and the San Diego Chargers, made history in 2007 when he became the first player in NFL history to return a kickoff and a punt for his first two NFL touchdowns in the same game. In 2021, he was selected to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Therapy In Action DVD - Press Release