Hi! These pages are for you. Here, you'll find stories about kids who stutter. You'll also find letters and art from kids around the world. Remember, if you stutter, you're not alone!

Sometimes I get stuck on words when I meet new teachers and new people, and then I stutter. Now that I go to speech, I have learned how to control and work through my stuttering. They both help me with my speech. They taught me to say all my letters and words without getting stuck. They have taught me how to breathe better and how to stretch out words and work through bumpy words. They both helped me with my speech. I do not mind that I stutter and have learned to love talking in front of others! I love playing drums, and I love to sing.
Angelo,
Roslindale, M.A.

My name is Katie. I am in 3rd grade. I like to play football, have sleep-overs, cheerlead, color, and sleep. I am good at science, math, taking tests, watching TV, and changing my baby sister’s diapers. I have stuttered since the 2nd grade. My friends think I’m crazy, fun, awesome, love my hair, and my shoes. When I speak, I repeat the sounds and words several times. I prolong sounds. I move body parts (my hands) when I stutter, and I try to find other words when I am talking.
Katie
Owensboro, Ky.

I don’t mind stuttering. It’s not like it’s illegal to stutter. But I don’t like it when I can’t let the words out. Robert, my speech therapist, helps me learn about stuttering. Oh, and by the way, I’m John, and I’m 8 3/4 years old.
John

Sometimes when I’m stuttering I feel very angry. When I was in second grade, I was stuttering and people started to laugh at me. My teacher talked to me outside, and she talked to people who were laughing. Also, if you stutter, just use your techniques. It will help you. People will get used to me stuttering and no one will laugh at me again. In my new school, my friend Dara stutters too. Dara was crying because boys were making fun of her. I felt sad for Dara. I felt mad at the people who made fun of her.
Jonisha
Wyandanch, N.Y.
Editor’s Note: Trouble at Recess is a great book that deals with bullying.

I don’t mind my stuttering. It’s not that bad. Sometimes stuttering makes me feel sad. Especially when people make fun of me, which occurs not very often. But sometimes people call me names. I go to speech therapy every Tuesday. It really helps me. Mrs. Miller helps me ease out of a stutter. I’m still learning. I’ve only been to the speech room about 12 times. I hope to learn how to tell people about my stuttering.
Jessica
Largo, Fla.

I feel happy because I learn about stuttering in speech. Stuttering is like Damon Huard throwing the football for the Chiefs and there is a wall that blocks it.  I don’t think my  friends care that I stutter. I do all the things I like to do like  race BMX bikes, play football, and  skateboard. My teachers are all good and understand stuttering.
Jeff, 8
Lee’s Summit, Mo.

I believe that I am a penguin beneath my human skin. Penguins have wings but not the ability to fly. I have a mouth but I do not have the luxury to talk without a care. My wings were shortened throughout my youth. The de-evolution of my confidence forced me to stay grounded and not fly with my brothers, my sisters, my cousins. The tuxedo-wearing birds replace the flying with swimming, as I have replaced my stuttering with a new approach to talking. With this new mode of sustaining, I can now dive into language and speech and survive among the icy waters that I frequently belong to. This can sometimes be a cold place and only if I explore the depths of the ocean that surround it can I find my place in the world, and only when I accept this place can I be admired for my swimming and not my flying. Perhaps those who have the sky and look down can admire me gliding through the waters.
Ben
Edmond, Okla.

Is stuttering really that bad? My family members help me to slow down.
Naseer
Ferguson, Mo.

My name is Drake and I am 7 years old. I go to school in Holland, Mich. I work hard in school because I want to go to college. I want to be a doctor who is called a nephrologist. That means a doctor who takes care of kidneys. I stutter when I talk, but I don’t stutter when I read out loud.
Drake, 7
Holland, Mich.

I don’t like my speech because I stop on words and say them two or three times. My speech teacher told me how I could improve on my speech. I sometimes use my slow rate and sometimes I don’t. I forget to use my full breath and slow rate. We use a tape recorder so we can go back over my speech. I know I’ll get better.
Cole, 10
Hurricane, W.V.

My name is Jillian. I stutter. People make fun of me, but I try not to let it bother me. Sometimes it does bother me though, so I try and try to stop stuttering. But I can’t. I don’t think it is right how people make fun of other people who stutter because we all have problems. Some people might not be good at math or reading. Some problems might be personal like family or self problems. Some may just speak a different language. But, some like me and many others, stutter, and I do not care what others think because I like myself how I am. I am who I am. Every one has feelings and some people’s feelings get hurt easily. My feelings get hurt easily. So if people make fun of me, I just try to stay away from them and sometimes I need someone to talk to so I do not just go around being upset. Instead, I have someone to talk to and I am happy about that. And with the Stuttering Foundation, I can see what other people have to say about stuttering so I know that I am not alone.
Jillian
Lantana, Fla

I don’t like to be “sticky” because I don’t like to say words again. Sticky speech is what I call stuttering. I used to be like this: “d-d-dog.” My speech teacher is helping me learn what to do. Stuttering isn’t so bad.
Katelyn, 9
Hurricane, W.V.

I don’t actually feel that angry about my stuttering. I don’t know why, but I feel very good about my stuttering. I’ll try to stop stuttering but if I don’t, it’s OK with me.
Andres, 8
Lynwood, Calif.

When I stutter, I feel sad because I want to feel like I don’t want to stutter. Then everyone laughs at me, but when I take my time, I feel a whole lot better.
Ryan
E-mail                                    

I do not like stuttering because some people make fun of me sometimes. I do not like stuttering but I am getting much better at it. I do not like stuttering because I get stuck on a word and it takes awhile before I can say the word clearly. I do not like stuttering because it makes me say words over and over again and it makes me mad when that happens.
Zachary, 9
Reedsburg, Wis.         

Some of the things I like to do are video games and watching TV. Sometimes my speech is the best when I’m whispering quietly. My friends do not mind my stuttering a lot. And my speech is not that good when I am shy, nervous, or I am in front of a large amount of people. And on Monday at school Igo to my speech teacher. She is good with her speech. My mom says some day I will be a good talker. My grandmom likes music and she says that a director will want me for movie or singing roles.
Dontae, 9
Cheltenham, Pa.

I don’t mind stuttering very badly. It’s not like it’s illegal to stutter. But I don’t like it when I can’t let the words out. Robert, my speech therapist, helps me learn about stuttering. Oh, and by the way, I am John. And I’m 8 3/4 years old.
John, 8
East Charleston, VT

I am currently a graduate student at College Misericordia (Dallas, PA), where I am pursuing my master’s degree in speech-language pathology as well as my teacher certification. I recently created an informational video for my graduate level fluency course. I did the voices, danced in the costumes, shot and edited the whole piece. This 5-minute creation is to be shown to younger school-aged children who are having troubles with stuttering. Here is the link: www.vimeo.com/clip:219933
Erik X. Raj
Dallas, Pa.

Hi, my name is Brandi. I’m 15 years old and had a stuttering problem all my life. It has gotten a lot better. I’ve learned how to pronounce the letters easy for the word to come out right. These exercises helped me a lot from then to now. I stutter when I get too excited, mad or sad, but sometimes I stutter when I don’t talk a lot that day then when a time comes for me to talk the stuttering tries to come.

When I was younger, my stuttering sounded like this “d,d, do, dog.” But now it’s like bumpy words sometimes. Most of the time I run out of breath which I try to control by taking my time. When I was younger in the fifth, sixth and seventh grade, I would get mad at my teachers when they asked me to read. Sometimes when I felt as if I could read I would volunteer. I read that a lot of celebrities have stuttering problems in their life, but James Earl Jones is my favorite because he plays Mufausa in The Lion King, and The Lion King is my favorite movie. I say to myself I will try to succeed in my stuttering because I really want to be a veterinarian when I get out of high school. Now going to the 10th grade I will try harder to my fullest and try to succeed.
Brandi
E-mail

I saw my name in your summer newsletter and wanted to thank you.  And my poem won first place at district and an award of excellence in the state level competition. Thank you for everything.
Alicia
Virginia Beach, Va.
Editor: Congratulations on your awards!

First, I just wanted to say thank you for your excellent Web site. It’s so nice to be able to point parents and professionals toward a Web site with good information. Secondly, I wish you could have seen the reactions when I gave copies of the celebrities who stutter brochure to several grade school kids who stutter. They thought it was so ‘cool’ to see Tiger Woods, Marilyn Monroe and James Earl Jones.
Kari Peterson
E-mail                                   

Sometimes my stutter feels like my shoe is stuck in gum. I feel real sad. Sometimes kids tease me a lot. And I really feel bad about it. I was brave enough to give a presentation to my class to tell them about stuttering. I taught them about “bouncy” talking, “sticky” talking, and “long” talking. And I taught them about famous people who stutter, like Bo Jackson and James Earl Jones (the voice of Darth Vader). We talked about if they were teased before and how did they feel when they got teased. I told them ways to help me when I stutter. They can give me a signal to tell me to take a deep breath and let some air out. Now kids don’t tease me that much. If they do, I tell them to come back when they can stutter better than me!
Devon, 8
Beloit, Wis.

My name is Gage. I live in Ohio. I’m 10-years-old. I’m in the fourth 
grade. I started stuttering at age 2. I feel my stutter has gotten a 
little better. It does not make me feel bad. My teacher and my 
friends help me. It is not a problem for me. I have very loyal 
friends. I’ve never been teased. It does not stop me from talking in 
class. It does not keep me from doing things I want to do. I do go to 
speech. It does help me. When I grow up, I want to be an actor so I 
can challenge myself. My advice is not to think about stuttering.
Gage
Amelia, Ohio

Isaiah drew this picture and wrote, “When I stutter, my boat is bouncing on a wave.”

When I was 5, I started to like horses a lot. Then when I turned 9, 
my mom signed me up for H and H. This is a group that practices 
horseback riding. We do hurdle jumping and barrel racing. Once when I 
won a big race, I had to make a speech in front of everyone. I 
realized that I started to stutter. Then I told my cousin what I 
wanted to say and she told everyone. I felt embarrassed that I 
couldn’t speak well and I was thankful for my cousin. My stuttering 
is better now than it was before. I hope that people who read my 
story will realize that other people can be very helpful.
Shelly
Salem, Ore.

Tracey sent us this picture that includes a caption that says, "No one understands what I’m saying."

My name is Chandler and I’m 10 years old. When I’m mad at my 
stuttering, I go outside and go to my friend’s house. He makes me 
feel good. He stutters like me and we are best friends. He keeps 
saying that I should try to quit and some people say, “Why do you say 
words over and over?” I say I stutter a lot. I go and sleep to help 
me stop stuttering. Some people call me “stutter-mouth” or call me 
“stupid.” I like the way I am! I have a favorite teacher who helps me 
with my speech. Here is a helpful hint: Try to have a friend just 
like you!
Chandler

Letter to James Earl Jones:
I am a big Star Wars fan and I can’t believe that you had stuttering 
problems. You did an awesome job as the voice of Darth Vader!
I have stuttering problems, too. I started when I was 6 or 7. I just 
want you to know that you aren’t the only one with stuttering 
problems. I never would have guessed that you had trouble with 
stuttering if I did not read about it.
Zane
Chester Springs, Pa.
 

This artwork is by Bryce, 8, Amagansett, N.Y., who wrote, “When I talk, a really mean monster sneaks up on me and shoves a rock in my throat. Everything gets tight and I can’t talk. Then more rocks begin coming up. I sometimes get scared and want to run away. My speech teacher has taught me ways to help when this happens. I take a deep breath and stretch out the beginnings of my words and sentences and then I spit up the rocks! Then I feel much better and I can talk again. I also try not to speak too fast when I get mad or excited. If you try really hard, you can get the monster and stuttering to go away too.

Gage, 10, writes, “My stutter is a car driving on a bumpy road.”

David, 10, of Oceanside, CA, says, "I feel that my speech is like a dark cloud looming and following me, and when I use my speech utensils I put on a raincoat and I feel in control!"

Denver Nuggets basketball sensation Kenyon Martin has inspired many children. He is now included on our 16 Famous People Who Stutter poster.

Poem on stuttering
Dear SFA,
Hi my name is Alicia and I’m 13 years old.  I’ve been stuttering 
since I was 5 years old.  I’m from Virginia Beach, Va. Here is a poem 
I wrote:

The Stuttering Ways
By Alicia
Coming home, covered in tears
Life swept away by fear
Can’t even say my name
To worried about playing games
You’re always put on the spot
Pretending to be someone you’re not
Avoiding words that you can’t say
Is getting worse day by day
What is happening to my brain?
It causes so much pain
Trying to give a class presentation
Just ruins your reputation
Trying to do something new
Is hard while kids are teasing you
Always fluent when singing
Never while mingling
Never press hardly
Always try to touch lightly
Speech is like a river flowing
Until a rock falls in and keeps it from going
I’ll never be a lawyer or vet
I’ll deserve more than what I’ll get
Why did this have to happen to me?
Can’t you see that it isn’t easy being like me?
Take a walk in my shoes for a day
Would you want to live my way?

Video gets four stars
Dear SFA:
Stuttering: For Kids, By Kids is about stuttering. What I liked about the movie was that the children in the video say that they are not shy to talk. Another thing I liked about it was that the children stutter and they just kept on talking. For example, when they spoke they just let their stuttering out and did not care about their stuttering. During speech class, I watched this video with four of my friends. My friend Katie said, “I learned that stuttering is not a big deal because everyone has problems.” Jennifer said, “I learned that some people can help themselves with stuttering.” Martha said, “What I learned was that you should tell your friends if you stutter.” Susan said, “What I learned is that stuttering is not funny.” My speech teacher said, “I am so glad that Melissa shared her stuttering and this video with her friends.”
Melissa
Fifth grade
New York

I do what I want
Dear SFA:
My name is John. I am 11 years old. I am a 5th grader in Chicago. I like to read and hang out with friends. I have been stuttering since kindergarten. At first when I stuttered I couldn’t get every word that I said out of my mouth. But then when I got older I tend to repeat words two or three times and then I am fluent. My dad also stutters but not that much. My little brother also stutters. I notice that when I am not paying attention to how I talk, I don’t stutter. I never stutter when I sing or when I’m in a play. I don’t let stuttering stop me from doing any thing I want to do. When I am stuttering I don’t like it when people interrupt me. I don’t care that I stutter. Stuttering actually helps me meet new people because either some of my friends introduce me to their friends or they make sure that I am in a group project, and I meet new kids there. My speech therapist told me about your Web site and your newsletter. I am surprised that so many famous people stutter. I like reading the letters.
John
Chicago
 

Larissa is a 6th grade student in Hagerstown, IN, who has been inspired by stories about children who stutter, says her speech therapist, Mary Kozak. Now it’s her turn to inspire others!

I Can Do Anything

This is about my D.A.R.E. speech and how I got through it. D.A.R.E. is a program at my school that teaches kids about drugs. A good idea is to practice with an adult and pretend aliens are in the audience. Aliens don’t make me feel nervous, like people do, during a speech. My stomach does flips when I have to give a speech. I use slide-outs and it is very helpful. A really good tip is to read your speech over and over again to an adult. Talk slowly and pause between your sentences. Dont be afraid to try and give your speech in front of a lot of people. If I can do it, then I know you can too!

Larissa

 

Joey’s Story

Dear Stuttering Foundation

I have been working on my stuttering a lot lately. Our speech therapist told us that on special occasions you can’t stutter, but when that special occasion ends, it don’t care if you stutter or not. I am eleven years old now and I have been stuttering for 6-8 years and I want to stop stuttering. I have been working really hard on it, and now I am doing a lot better on it.

I sure hope you get my letter and write me back, because I really want to stop stuttering.

Joey, North Carolina

 

Blake’s Story About His Stuttering

I think that kids who stutter should not feel sad about it. I have been going to therapy for 2 years, and she has [taught] me how to overcome stuttering.  I am 10 years old and I have been stuttering all my life and I don’t stutter a lot now. Kids shouldn’t be upset about stuttering. I feel special about it, and other kids should too.

Blake, North Carolina

 

 

We love to get your letters and artwork to share, but we must have written permission from a parent to use them. Send your letters or pictures with signed permission to SFA, P.O. Box 11749, Memphis, TN  38111-0749 or email info@stutteringhelp.org.

Art by Trevor, 8, of Oceanside, CA, says, "Speech looks like a river flowing, and then someone put a rock in it so it can't flow."