Renowned Experts Lead 2-Day Conference

More than 70 people attended the Stuttering Foundation’s 2-day conference on May 16 and 17 at Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J.

Attendees came from Peru, Finland, Canada and several states, including Pennsylvania, New York, North Carolina, New Jersey, Washington, Minnesota, Florida, California, and Maryland.

Conference leaders included Joe Donaher, Ph.D., Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Patricia Zebrowski, Ph.D., University of Iowa; Ellen Kelly, Ph.D., Vanderbilt University; Lee Caggiano, M.A., Stuttering Therapy and Resource Center; Kia Johnson, Ph.D., James Madison University; Laura Johnson, M.S., Madison, WI, Metro School District; Elise Kaufman, M.S., private practice in Baton Rouge, LA; Diane Polledri, M.A., Montclair State University; Vivian Sisskin, M.S., University of Maryland; and Jim Tsiamtsiouris, Ph.D., William Paterson University. The conference coordinators were Diane Polledri, M.A., Montclair State University, and Lisa A. Scott, Ph.D., The Florida State University.

Comments from attendees...

“Suggestions were so real and practical!”

“Excellent information, very motivating!”

“Great job explaining the content and modeling techniques.”

“Very useful information on working with parents.”

“Information was thought-provoking and useful.”

“I learned so many techniques that I WILL implement.”

“Great energy! I learned a lot!”

“Helped me to understand how important the counseling of students and parents is in therapy.”

“Very good summary of research. Up to date. Very dynamic. I have loved it.”

From the Fall 2014 Newsletter

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CELEBRITY FOCUS

Alan Rabinowitz

Alan Rabinowitz, Ph.D., who passed away in 2018, was an explorer, wildlife conservationist, and author. He established the Hukawng Valley Tiger Reserve in northern Myanmar, which is about the size of the state of Vermont.

His love for animals began when he was very young.

Winston Churchill

Seeking to "remove Winston Churchill's stutter by second guessing the diagnosis" indicates neither a truthful retelling of history nor an informed opinion about a complex speech disorder, say experts in the field of speech-language pathology.

Recent news reports that quote Dr. John Mather, a Washington physician, as saying that Churchill's stutter "is a lie" brought adamant critical response from specialists in the field of stuttering and fluency disorders.

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.

James Earl Jones

Actor James Earl Jones, a Broadway, television and movie star, is well-known for his voice as Darth Vader in Star Wars and his book Voices and Silences. Jones has spoken some of the most memorable lines in the history of American film, but the man known for his voice was once afflicted with a severe stutter.

John Stossel

John Stossel is one of the most recognized and articulate reporters today. However, he once considered giving up his broadcasting career because of his stuttering.

“Fear of stuttering can easily become worse than the stuttering itself,” observed Stossel. “The idea that I’m on television and making speeches is still a shock to me sometimes.”