Dear Teacher

Dear Teacher,

You are asked to read this because you have a child in your class who stutters. Stuttering changes from moment to moment and is different in each child. That makes it difficult to deal with. Quite possibly the stuttering of this particular child is no problem for you or for any of the other children. But it is also possible that the other children react to the stuttering and that you yourself are not always sure how best to handle the problem.

Teachers usually have a lot of questions...

can I be of any help?
should I make the child read aloud?
should I talk about the stuttering with the child?
should I discuss it with the whole class?
should I ignore the stuttering altogether?
should I look straight at the child when he stutters or is it better to look away?

These are all legitimate questions. The answers differ for each child who stutters. You could begin by asking if the child has speech therapy, and if so, contact the therapist about what you can or should do. It has often been possible to make a plan by which the child is effectively helped to cope with the school situation.

Most children hate to be set apart, marked as different from the others. So be sure the child who stutters does not get special privileges or is excluded from any class activity. If the stuttering is severe, it is advisable to take the child aside and tackle the issue openly. Some children will appreciate this and feel relieved. Others will refuse to discuss the problem. It's best to respect this and not force the child.

text

Stuttering is just as hard for the child as it is for you, well, probably harder. So he or she needs all the emotional support they can get. You will help the child by accepting him as he is, and by being warm, understanding and supportive in your attitude towards him or her. You won't have to show this openly, the child will be aware of it and feel more safe. Thank you for your help.

Adapted excerpt from Sometimes I Just Stutter, by Eelco de Geus.

CELEBRITY FOCUS

John Melendez

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

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.

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.

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.