Stuttering Foundation Podcast

Jack Rodriguez, a person who stutters, and a senior in Texas State's undergraduate Communication Sciences and Disorders program joins Sara MacIntyre, M.A., CCC-SLP to share his story and discuss the dynamic nature of stuttering acceptance. Jack is mentored by Texas State University professor, Dr. Farzan Irani and, together, they co-wrote an ISAD Paper, "Speak The Change: Dynamic Nature of Stuttering Acceptance," which they will be presenting at the upcoming IFA World Congress in Montreal. In this episode, Jack walks us through his journey towards greater stuttering acceptance and what we means by 'dynamic nature,' how he learned to embrace his stuttering as part of his overall communication, and the process of leaving space within acceptance for making changes to how he approaches a moment of stuttering physically. Jack closes with advice he would give to his younger self as well as to young people who stutter in general. We are so thankful to Jack for opening up and sharing his journey with all of us!

Bio: Jack Rodriguez is a senior in the Communication Disorders program at Texas State University. His personal experiences with stuttering inspired him to pursue a degree in Speech-Language Pathology. His research interest includes the psychosocial aspects of stuttering and is currently in the process of completing his Honors Thesis. He also serves as the president for the NSSLHA chapter at Texas State University.