ASHA 2008 Recap

Windy City Hosts ASHA 2008

alt text The temperature in Chicago was chilly, but the Stuttering Foundation booth was bustling with warmth and activity at the American Speech-Language Hearing Association Convention in mid-November. The newest items were hot: Trouble at Recess flew off the shelf and sold out on the first day!

Many were disappointed to discover the 8 Tips for Teachers and 7 Tips for Talking with Your Child flyers had already disappeared by the second day of the convention. Other items proving to be popular were the old and the new: The DVD Working with Preschoolers Who Stutter: Successful Intervention Strategies and Sharpening Counseling Skills with David Luterman, D.Ed.

A record number of volunteers helped staff the thirty-foot booth! A special thanks to Steffi Schopick, Katerina Ntourou, Willie Botterill, Frances Cook, Patrice Carothers, Robin Jones, Sheryl Gottwald, Joseph Donaher, Rita Thurman, Vivian Sisskin, Judy and Tom Kuster, Jennifer Watson, Charlie Healey, Julie Gasway, Anthony Buhr, Ryan Pollard, James Panico, Glenn Weybright, Peter Reitzes, Charlie Osborne, Susan Cochrane, Bill Murphy, Lynne Shields, Kristin and Tom Chmela, Kim Krieger, Susan Short, Kathleen Scaler-Scott, Tom and Maria Gurrister, Dahye Choi and Kristel Kubart.

CELEBRITY FOCUS

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.

Ken Venturi

As much of the nation watches the U.S. Open Golf Championship, it is impossible not to think about our late friend Ken Venturi. Ken overcame many challenges to win the Open at Congressional in 1964 and go on to become the voice of golf for more than three decades.

However, Ken faced no bigger obstacle than stuttering. Ken Venturi was a champion to those who stutter, going out of his way to share his personal experience when consulted by a colleague, friend, or child who stutters.

Frank Wolf

This Virginian congressman has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1981. The longtime supporter of the Stuttering Foundation drew national attention to childhood stuttering in 2006 when he submitted an article about Tiger Woods from the SFA newsletter to the Congressional Record. The congressman is featured in the Stuttering Foundation's Famous People Who Stutter brochure.

John Melendez

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

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.