For many of my fellow people who stutter, the feeling of disappointment, numbness and simultaneous relief after a tough presentation is all too familiar.
Happy National Stuttering Awareness Week everyone! National Stuttering Awareness Week is an annual event in the United States held in the second week of May which celebrates, educates and spreads the word about stuttering.
I begin this blog post reflecting on opposing events which have prompted a call for the recruitment of allies for people who stutter. Last year, it was heartening to see that the theme from the International Stuttering Awareness Day Online Conference was "Stuttering Pride: Respect. Dignity. Recognition."
Working with young people who stutter has taught me many things. One thing which never ceases to amaze me is the amount of courage young people exhibit when talking and stuttering. Having a voice in a world where time pressure is imminent and there is an expectation for fluent communication can make talking difficult.
This week, during National Stuttering Awareness Week, pay it forward for people who stutter by talking about stuttering. We know that talking about stuttering, educating others about what stuttering is and what it isn’t, and celebrating stuttering is important. But how important is it really?
We’re almost a quarter of the way into 2016 and the spotlight on stuttering has shone brightly. Here is a recap of some of the events over the past few months which have got us talking.
I have been fortunate to have many teachers in my career as a specialist speech language pathologist. None of the formal learning can surpass the everyday interactions I have with the families I work with.