Drawings and Letters From Kids

Kids, see what others have to say about stuttering: Watch Stuttering: For Kids, By Kids and download Trouble at Recess

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! If you would like to send us a picture, letter, or poem, please e-mail us at info@stutteringhelp.org. Please include your name, city, and a permission letter from a parent.

Hello, my name is Abby and I am eight and a quarter years old. I want to be a vet when I grow up. I like Teddy Grams with chocolate chips in them. I go to elementary school in Wisconsin. I like the color black. My favorite food is pizza. My favorite breed of dog is the German Sheperd. I stutter. Stuttering is when you sometimes get stuck on a word and you get nervous and it’s really nerve-wracking. Stuttering is not the same for everybody. I first started stuttering on the first day of preschool. Stuttering bugs me. It bugs me the most when I read. Talking is easy when I am giving a presentation. Talking is also easy when I talk to my family’s Elf on the Shelf, Buddy. I love Christmas because it is Jesus’ birthday. I love fruit snacks. I like African Grey parrots. Stuttering is a big deal to me. I have been teased once by my friend Brody because I stuttered in front of the class. He laughed at me. He said sorry later, after he got in trouble. He is nicer now. Kids who get teased should stand up for themselves or tell the teacher or tell the principal. It helps you when you have friends to help you through the hard times of stuttering. Don’t be afraid!
Abby, 8 1/4, River Falls, WI

My name is Chloe.  I’m in sixth grade, and I stutter.  I’ve been stuttering for a long time.  I’ve been stuttering since I was 5 years old.  My dad died when I was eight.  He helped me on my stuttering.  I’m not really sure how.  It got worse after my dad died.  My stuttering came back when I was sad the day he died.  I repeat words over and over.  I feel the stuttering come out and I’m afraid to say words.  I repeat the word a thousand times and I don’t like it.  Sometimes I feel like I’m stuck on a word and it won’t come out.  People make fun of me about my stuttering.  They say, “Ha-ha Chloe stutters.”  It’s rude to call people names about that.  I hate my stuttering.  Sometimes I feel sad about my stuttering and sometimes I get mad about my stuttering.  Sometimes I laugh about my stuttering and sometimes I cry. Sometimes I shut my door and say, “I wish my stuttering would go away forever.”

My name is Jack and I am in 5th grade. I have been working on my stuttering for about two years. I have really improved. I have learned from my speech therapist to use my easy speech, think about what I want to say, and to glide my words together. She also tells me when I struggle sometimes that no one has perfect speech. I don’t like when my dad interrupts me during my sentences. Other than that, I am really okay with my speech.

I take my time when I talk. And if I do not, I will get mad but that won’t stop me at all. At least I try. Here’s the fun part – I can practice and practice all day long.

Hi my name is Simon I am in 5th grade and I am 10 years old. I like to hang out with friends and family, and I like to play video games.  I used to not care about stuttering, but now I hate it! Even thinking about it makes me mad, like really angry. I know this is crazy, but I hope there is a cure or something because now stuttering annoys me! Speech therapy helps me because I have learned the strategies easy onset, full breath, light contact, and continuous phonation. 

My name is Vanessa, and I’m 12 years old. I stutter. It is difficult for my friends and family to sometimes understand me. I repeat words a lot when I talk to my friends and family, but they help me by stopping me and making me say it over. I gotta say, it does sometimes get me mad, but all they want to do is help. In my school, people understand and don't tease or bully people who stutter. They all like to help. I don't really stutter as bad when I have to read out loud or sing.

My name is Jonah and I am 9 years old.  I have been through many camps where the kids tease me about stuttering but when I told them to shape up they stopped.  One kid at my sleep-away camp was really mean about it, and I kept telling him to stop but he wouldn’t so I just got over it.  I have done a lot of cancellations during my practice and I have improved.  

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Here's a video of a PowerPoint presentation by 9-year-old Corion. He was also featured in his local newspaper.

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My name is Connor and I’m 9 years old. I started stuttering when I was 2-1/2 years old. The techniques I use are easy-pause-easy, bouncing, stretching, and pullouts. When I stutter I just forget about it and keep on going. Also, speech is hard work and I try to practice as much as I can. Also, my favorite sport is hockey. My advice is when you stutter, you look the person in the eye and keep on going.

Hi, my name is Camryn. I am 12 years old. The way I stutter is by repeating a word several times. On bad days I stutter everywhere. In the past, kids have bullied me about my stuttering. I very much dislike stuttering because of the bullying. When I was in 5th grade a boy asked why I stutter. When I revealed the answer he gave me a dirty look. This really hurt my feelings because it made me feel weird. I’m working on my speech right now, and I think my stuttering has decreased from 5th grade to now.

 

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Hi, my name is Arron. I am 13 years old and in the 7th grade. I have been stuttering since I was five years old and was in preschool. I feel that I do not stutter very much and am still improving. I don’t like it when other kids at my school make fun of me or mock me when I stutter. I usually just walk away from the situation and sometimes other students stick up for me. I stutter mostly when I have to speak in front of a group. I also don’t like it when people finish my words/sentences when I begin to stutter. I have been taught techniques in speech therapy to help me. I take deep breaths, talk slowly, and think positive thoughts to help me not stutter. My favorite football team is the Cincinnati Bengals. I like to play on the computer and play football at recess. I hope to play basketball and football for the school this year!
Arron, 13, DeGraff, OH

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Hello!  I am Michael. I’m 10 years old. I’m working on speech and I’ve improved a lot. I started going to speech when I was five years old. When I’m stuck, I take a deep breath and start over. I’ve been taught to use easy onsets, which is slow starts. I had trouble moving my body, but now I have a quiet body. When I am stuck I feel kind of left out, but I know I can beat stuttering.

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Download The Tale of Mrs. Spoon by Priscilla

Hi, I’m Payton and I am eight years old. I have been stuttering since I was five years old. I have a great speech therapist teacher and her name is Mrs. M. She helps me go through practicing my sounds and breathing. And, she tells me it is alright to stutter, but deep inside I feel differently. I feel dreadfully ashamed when I stutter.  I get really confused and I start to cry sometimes, but other times I get the hang of it. My teacher, mom, dad, sister, and friends Hanna and Nicole all love me just the way I am.

Here’s how I feel about stuttering. I don’t feel very bad about stuttering. Only a few children I know have this problem. I’ve been going to my speech therapist since second grade. There are many ways to help with stuttering. I use my strategies to stop stuttering. 

My name is Ny’Asia. People tease me and they make fun of my stuttering. Some people tease me like, “hey, hey, hey.” Then they laugh at me. I want them to stop making fun of me, but they say more mean things about my stuttering. So I stand up for myself and they stop talking about my stuttering!

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Thank you so much for publishing my book, Trouble at Recess, 4 years ago. Now, I’m in 6th grade. I’m still stuttering and still in therapy. I’m a good student, on the swim team, did mock trial, and gave a speech for Invent Iowa. I also have a lot of friends and love to answer questions in class. I recently gave a report in class and did great on that!

This PowerPoint I’m giving you I’ve worked very hard on and I hope you like it. I’ve presented it to one person, but I’m yet to present it to many more! Lastly, thank you for everything you do for all people who stutter.

Your friend,

Jamie, 6th grade, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

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Hello, I am Brian and I am 10 years old. I don’t like stuttering because I can’t have a conversation. I have been going to my speech teacher and doing better in talking. People always make fun of me and start talking like me. I just ignore them or say “you can’t stutter better than me” or “you try to stutter just like me!” Sometimes I cry a little when they ask “why do you do that?” because I think they are making fun of me. I just don’t like it, I JUST DON’T LIKE IT! I just felt kind of bad because I stutter, but now it is kind of okay.
Brian, 10, Atlanta, GA

Sometimes I am able to find the needle by sticking to my goals. I have help and support from my speech teacher, friends, and family. My speech teacher and family help me with strategies that I have learned.
Trevon, 9, Holyoke, MA

My name is Trevon and I am 9 years old and in 3rd grade. I have been stuttering for a long time. I just don’t like having a speech problem. I don’t like stuttering because it makes me seem different and weird. I just feel like I’m looking for a needle in a hay stack. There is only one needle I have to find but I can’t find it or stop it. The needle is for good speech. Sometimes I am able to find the needle by sticking to my goals. I have help and support from my speech teacher, friends, and family. My speech teacher and family help me with strategies that I have learned.
       Trevon, 9, Holyoke, MA

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       My name is Tyler. I am 10 years old and I am in the 5th grade. I stutter and I get blocked and cannot say anything but I am working on it. I take a big deep breath then I slow down my rate. My dad stuttered too when he was young. When I stutter, I feel unnormal. I have been stuttering since I was two years old. I have been in speech therapy for a long time. I get mad when I stutter and I don’t like it. When I get mad I punch my pillow and feel a lot better. When I watch other people stutter, I feel more normal and when I stutter I just remember that other famous people and regular people do it so I don’t feel mad anymore. Your website helps me feel better about stuttering.
       Tyler, 10, Saint Francisville, LA

       Sometimes I think I should have never stuttered in my whole life. When I am alone, I do not stutter but when I am around people, I do stutter a lot. But it is not a habit. When I stutter, I know that I am not alone. There are a lot of things good about me and it is not all about stuttering.
       Melanie, 8, Stoney Creek, Ontario

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        I want to ask how do you feel when you stutter, because when I stutter sometimes kids laugh at me. I just ignore them.
       Jaden, Baton Rouge, LA
       Editor: We sent tips about bullying and our Trouble at Recess book.

 

 

I am Austin. I stutter and I go to speech therapy. I tap in my head or on my lap so I talk smoother. If people make fun of you, you should say “thank you.” If people ask why you stutter, just say, “My brain talks faster than my mouth can go.” It is OK to stutter. If I stutter, people in my family will say, “Please use your tapping.” My picture is when the car starts it goes “s, s, stuttering.”
Austin, 8
Lake Geneva, Wis.

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My name is Josiah and I am 11 years old. I love to play football with my friends. I stutter. When I stutter, I can’t get my words out. Stuttering bothers me. I sometimes feel ashamed because my words get blocked. The good news is that my speech is better. Speech therapy has helped me to talk better and learn new things.
Josiah, 11
Cheltenham, PA

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My name is Dakota and I am 11 years old and in fifth grade. I stutter a lot. My speech therapy teacher helps me learn ways to speak nicely. My dad and my little brother stutter sometimes too. Sometimes my sister teases me about my stuttering. I go in my bedroom and read my Bible to calm myself down. I’ve been stuttering since I was 2 years old. I don’t stutter as much when I am calmed down. My speech teacher teaches me how to calm down and talk slowly.
Dakota, 11
Noble, Okla.

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My name is Adriana. I am 11 years old and I stutter. I don’t know how to stop it and my parents tell me “don’t talk like that.” But it doesn’t help because I don’t know how to stop this and some kids make fun of me. I need help to stop this.
Adriana, 11
Honduras

Editor’s Note: The Stuttering Foundation mailed Adriana resources to help with her stuttering and how to deal with teasing.

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Hi. My name is Waylon. I’m 10 years old and I stutter. When I stutter, I do repetitions. I feel good and bad about my stuttering. It is not fun to stutter at all.
Waylon
Ottawa, Ohio

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My name is Julia, and I am 8 years old. I stutter when I talk or read. I feel frustrated when I stutter. I also feel nervous when I am doing presentations. When I read about the other kids that stutter, it made me feel better knowing that other kids stutter like me. Thank you so so so so so much for your Web site.
Julia, 7
Edinburg, Texas

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My name is Gunnar and I’m 9 years old and in the third grade. I have been stuttering since I was 6, and have been going to speech therapy for three years. I have learned a lot of different strategies that I can use to perfect my speech. My favorite strategy that I use is to pray. You can pray anytime and anyplace. I would like to tell everyone that it is all right to stutter. All people have something that they are good at, and something that they are not good at. This is what makes us all different and special. For example, I am excellent at throwing a football, but my friend is not as accurate as me. But my friend is an incredible receiver. I want to say thank you to the Stuttering Foundation!
Gunnar, 9
Stillwater, Okla.

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Hi. My name is Jonathan. I am 9 years old and live in New Haven, CT. Today I met someone who stutters. It felt very good. It made me also realize that I am not alone. Sometimes I don’t care that  I stutter. It felt very good not to care about stuttering. If you don’t care about it, then it feels like you don’t stutter.
Jonathan, 9
New Haven, CT

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I started stuttering in third grade. People don’t really tease me about the stuttering, but they ask, “Why are you repeating words?” It all started one day and I don’t really know why. After school that day I went to my mom and asked, “What is this called?” And I repeated some vowels. And my mom said, “That’s stuttering.” I thought I could shake it off, but it couldn’t. The next day I went to school a little more nervous because people would ask me questions about my stuttering. In fourth grade I got used to it. In fifth grade I don’t really worry about it much and I found new ways to help it. I got a speech therapist. The first thing I learned is to talk slowly. This is called Turtle Speech and it’s the most effective way to control my stuttering. Secondly, I found a thing called Soft Contacts, where you put body parts that help you speak together softly. Then I learned something called Easy Onset. It’s when you’re stuck on a word or letter you just slide it. I’d tell other kids who stutter what I know about stuttering and what causes it. Then try something I do, like Turtle Speech.
Aaron, 11
Shoreline, WA

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My name is Matthew.  I started stuttering when I was 4. Then I met the nicest person I know, “Miss Susie” (Cochrane). I do not know what I would have done had I not met her. Every weekend we go up to her house and she teaches me strategies to help me not to stutter. I always look forward to going to see her and playing games. She has helped me be so smooth when I talk by teaching me to use tools when I speak. We always have the best time!  There is one thing Susie has taught me that I will never forget and that is it is okay to stutter. If it wasn’t for her I probably would have just stopped talking. Susie has helped me so much I wanted to help her help other children that stutter. So I decided to have a penny carnival. We had lots of games. All of my friends came and brought their pennies. I was even the ringmaster! It was such a great time to get everyone together and then surprise Freedom to Speak with the money that was raised. Susie is the best person I have ever met.  I just wanted to thank her for helping me!
Matthew
New York

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Thank you for publishing our letters in the Fall 2010 newsletter. We are the first published authors at our school. Our wonderful librarian Ms. Bitel has offered to put our picture up with a copy of the newsletter in the library. Ms. Bitel is going to tell all of the kids in her lessons there are two published authors. That’s us! Thank you.
Nathan and Jake
Wallingford, CT

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Many famous people I could describe are people who had speech problems like me. However even though they have had speech problems, they still are very successful. They are a good example for me and other kids who have speech problems or just for anybody. One of them, Darren Sproles, gives me the biggest encouragement because he’s an NFL player, and that’s what I want to be when I grow up. Now let me tell you some of the facts I know about this electrifying San Diego Charger running back. He’s only five foot five inches. Well if you ask anybody who watches football, they know this monster kick and punt returner. You would think he should be a pro bowler. He will probably be the starting running back next season.
David, 7th grade
Aubrey, TX

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I would like to tell you about my speech. I lose my voice a lot of times because when you have to talk a lot sometimes people don’t understand you. You feel sad because sometimes people tease you about your speech or if you talk different like if you don’t speak English. If someone is teasing you, just ignore them or just tell them to stop or you could tell your mom and dad or just walk away from them. It’s not bad to have a problem.
Maximilian, 8
San Jose, CA

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I don’t like my stuttering, but I don’t hate it because it’s a part of me. When I stutter around people, I get nervous and start to stutter more and more. It gets annoying when I’m trying to say something important to someone or I’m trying to make a point. When it happens it feels like everyone is watching – everyone in the world! I try not to but the more I try not to, the more I do it. I’ve also noticed if I talk to people I don’t know, I stutter a lot more.
Langston
Takoma Park, MD

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Is your stuttering still bad? Do you still use your doll or do you have another doll to keep you company? If you’re still stuttering, does the doll still help? Maybe I should try it. I’m eight years old. When I was little, I started stuttering. Now I’m getting better at it. Are you getting better at it, too, just like me? I know how you feel, Jenny. When I was little I used to hate stuttering. Do you, too?
Byranna, 8
Fitchburg, MA

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Sometimes I stutter. I stretch the word at the beginning and that seems to help a lot. It doesn’t bother me when I stutter.
Sarah, 8
Warwick, RI

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I’ve been in speech for 5 years. I love sports. I’m good for my age at basketball. I use good speech strategies. The one I really use is turtle speech. I always have been good at drawing robots. I used to get very mad because bullies used to make fun of me, but I tell them NO when they make fun of me. After that I used to get madder, so I just got in a fight. But don’t let them get what they want – they want a fight or an argument.
Mikey, 10
Reading, OH

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I am in the 5th grade. I have been in speech for 5 years or more. Since I was in the 1st grade, I have been made fun of. Here are some of my feelings about stuttering. I feel like a witch in all black clothes. Here are some tips: 1) Don’t get into fights. 2) Don’t listen. 3) All of us are special and smart.
Spencer, 10
Reading, OH

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I have been in speech for 3 years. When I stutter, I feel like I want to hit someone. But all I do is breathe in and try again. I have a twin brother and every time he interferes I feel like the only way to talk over him is to talk fast. My favorite hobby is basketball. I have one sister, too. I use strategies to help my stuttering. A few of my strategies are easy onset, chunking, and lily pad pausing. When I hear someone tease me about my stuttering, I just walk away. I will always try to improve my stuttering.
Mark, 9
Reading, OH

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I stutter sometimes and I have problems saying my Rs but it doesn’t bother me much. I go to speech therapy once a week on Wednesday afternoons. Even though I stutter I’m a normal kid. Everyone that stutters is normal and if you have a friend that stutters, help him/her out by being a good friend. Some speech teachers are nice just like mine is and your speech teacher can be as nice as mine if you go to speech. So never think that you’re not normal if you stutter. Everyone is normal.
Jake, 10
Wallingford, CT

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I’ve been stuttering since I was six. I’m going to speech therapy twice a week. I hate reading out loud because that makes me nervous and I stutter more. But since I do stutter, I don’t really care because there is nothing wrong with stuttering and that’s who I am.
Nathan, 10
Wallingford, CT

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Hi! When I stutter, my throat will not let me say what I want to say. Sometimes I repeat the word a lot of times. Luckily, it doesn’t bother me that much at all. When my friends ask me why I repeat the word, I say because I have a stuttering problem.
Jessica, 9
Charlton, MA

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My speech got better when I started going to speech at school. I have learned how to say proper S sounds, and that speech is very important for you. I have learned to think before I start a sentence. I have learned how to say easy instead of bumpy speech. Kids don’t tease me but they wonder why I stutter. I tell them I am working on that in speech. Now when I talk to my friends they wonder why I don’t stutter anymore.
Travon, 8
Eagleville, PA 

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Hi, my name is Will and I stutter. Even though my parents said that I started stuttering when I was 3, I didn’t realize it until I was in second grade. I felt sad that my friends could speak better than I did. At the same time I became aware that when I said the Pledge of Allegiance with my classmates, recited a poem with a friend or sang songs with my sisters, my words came out more fluently. Our class was preparing for a play. I was really nervous, thinking I would stutter, so I asked my teacher if I could say my lines with a friend. She said I could! It was a relief!! The play was great! It was after that when I realized that I couldn’t always rely on someone to talk for, or with me. That’s when Ms. Susan stepped into my life. She’s been my speech therapist ever since that week in the Spring of 2006!!! I’m telling you this because now I’m ready to manage my own stuttering. Not only am I ready to do this on my own, I am geared up to help others who struggle with their speaking. Since second grade, I’ve come a long way. Over time, I have learned to overcome fears about speaking. Once I learned to accept my stuttering  I was able to learn about belly breathing, phonating, and learning about what I call “social chords” (vocal folds); not to mention articulating! I also learned about all of the parts of my body that you’ve probably never heard of before, like the palate. Ask someone what it is!!  I have really benefited from Ms. Susie. This all seems tiring to learn, but not with an awesome speech therapist.
Will, 5th grade

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I feel bad when I stutter. I can’t express what I want to say. When I repeat a word I get frustrated. When this happens, I stop and think about what I’m going to say. Sometimes this helps me and sometimes it doesn’t. If I’m stuttering a lot, my friends give me signs to do smooth speech. This helps me control my stuttering. Sometimes I tell myself to do smooth speech.
Robbie, 11
Winston-Salem, N.C.

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I don’t like it when people ask me, “Do you stutter?” If they ask me, I say, “Yes, I do,” and keep on going. I get embarrassed when I stutter, but I always try to keep going. I think stuttering is like dancing. If you practice dancing you will become better, just like if you practice the tricks you learn to not stutter, you get better at not stuttering. It is all right to stutter. So many people do it, even celebrities do. If someone makes fun of you or doesn’t talk to you because you stutter, that is their loss. Keep your hopes up and keep on practicing. DON’T FEEL ALONE!
Courtney, 10
Greenwich, CT

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Do you stutter? I know I do. If you do, do your friends tease you about it? If you do stutter, don’t worry, it’s all normal. Even some grown people do it. Everyone stutters sometime in their life. If you have a friend who stutters, don’t tease them about it. There are some strategies people use to help themselves. Like me, I worked on using a rubber band and stretching out the first word so I don’t stutter in the middle of the sentence. There’s also using slow, easy speech to help the muscles in your mouth not get all tight and clenched. All of these strategies can help you to stop stuttering if you just take your time and slow down. Plenty of people stutter. Although some have different reactions when they do it. Some just continue on and don’t pay attention. Others feel that they’re going to get nervous and start to get worried, and that just makes it worse. To stop you need to be calm and don’t even think about it. If people bully you or tease you because you stutter, just walk away and don’t do anything to them because sometimes the people who bully and tease are usually the people who do stuff like that. They do it to let out their anger on other people instead of trying to calm down. If you just don’t worry about stuttering, you will have a good time and not even know you do it. So, if you stutter, don’t even worry about it and you will be a happy person.
Max
Carmel, Ind.

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Hi, my name is Kyle and I am 8 years old.  I’ve been stuttering for as long as I can remember. I didn’t feel confident, but then started speech class, and learned bouncy talk.  Now, I feel more confident and raise my hand in class, and talk to people more.  Because when I didn’t have speech class, I didn't want to talk.
Kyle, 8
Denver, Colo.

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My name is Luke and I am in 4th grade. When I realized I sounded different I was five. It sounded like I ran out of air, and it gets quieter, quieter, and quieter. I felt like I hated it. It is easier when I am reading and not talking. I am calm when I am writing. I am less calm in math class when the teacher calls on me. I stutter more when she calls on me. If we are in a crowd I stutter more because I am around more people. This is my story.
Luke
Delaware

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My name is Nathan. I am 9 years old and I am in third grade. I like to play video games and I like to play baseball. I also like to ride my bike and I can ramp really high. I have one brother and one sister. My brother is 10 and my sister is 8. My friends make fun of my voice because I stutter. They just copy my voice. I have been stuttering for about three years. I mostly stutter at home. Sometimes people tell me to “spit it out.” That does not help me say what I want to say. I usually say “never mind” and I walk away. My brother also stutters. My sister doesn’t stutter. I have learned some strategies to not stutter. One strategy is called “bouncing.” Bouncing means that I might repeat a sound or word, but I do it in an easy way. My speech teacher lets me play games about talking. I try to ignore people who copy my stuttering. I am a great kid and I really don’t care about my stuttering. I try to not worry about the people who make fun of me.
Nathan, 9
Anamosa, Iowa

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My name is Willie. I like to play video games. I have been stuttering since I was 3. I go to speech class. I think it is fun. We have worked on keeping eye contact. Eye contact is important because it helps others know when you are finished talking. I also learned about the speech machine. I don’t like stuttering. I stutter more when I am in my classroom or talking to adults. It makes me feel better to know that other kids stutter too.
Willie
Alabama

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I hope kids around the world will read this. I am 10 years old. I love to play sports. I play baseball, soccer, football, and basketball. I started stuttering when I was 5. I know what it feels like to be picked on by other kids. It made me mad.I go to speech class. I have learned that it is not my fault or my parents’ fault that I stutter. There are other kids in the world like me. It’s not their fault either. There are even famous people who stutter. I have found that singing helps me talk better. Try it! It might work for you.
Rae’  Quan, 10
Alabama

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I’ve been a stutterer for as long as I can remember. It has always weighed down my shoulders like I’m wearing a backpack full of rocks. It has stopped me from trying out in plays, doing extra-credit oral reports, running for 7th grade officer, and, in general, speaking aloud to any kind of audience. When I came to the Center, I was able to learn some new techniques to control my stuttering, ones that actually worked. Sadly, although “prolongation”, “pull outs”, and “easy bumps” had helped my stuttering, they didn’t really help my confidence. I could use the tools and speak okay, but it didn’t mean I wanted to talk to an audience. So Maria gave me a challenge to volunteer to read at school, offer to pray at church, and raise my hand if I knew the answer to a teacher’s question. This challenge terrified me, and at first it was like torture. Gradually, I realized that each time I did it, it became easier and easier. Soon it was no big deal when I spoke or read in class, and now I even find it fun. Stuttering is what makes me an individual, and I’m not ashamed that I’m a little different from everyone else. We should keep practicing our techniques to stay fluent, but most of the stuttering is in your heart. When you release the embarrassment, the sadness, and the stress of stuttering out of you, it will become little more than the nose on your face, the shape of your eyes, the color of your hair. Yes, I stutter, but I don’t care. It’s what makes me, me.
Megan, 14

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I think it’s good for everyone to have a good sense of humor. I like Jeff Dunham and Dane Cook. I like to quote some of their lines to my friends and family. It’s easy for me to talk to people without bumping when I quote others, and it makes me happy when I tell stories to people that make them laugh. It’s also good to have a sense of humor when other kids say things that hurt your feelings. You just have to remember that they don’t understand and haven’t learned how to treat anyone with respect. Remember, bullies have more personal issues than other kids. Ignore them and remember always how great you are.
London, 12

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One percent of the world’s population stutters as adults and 1 in every 20 children have a stuttering problem. We need time to get out what to say, and if you insult one of us, are you going to insult all 6.7 million of us? We need time to get our words out, and if you ignore us, can you be certain you didn’t miss something important? Do not make assumptions about people who stutter, you might be quite a bit wrong. I am saying this because I do not want people to assume I have a mental issue, or that I forgot my name, just because I got stuck on the first C. Give us time, let us speak!
Clay, 13

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I’m in a maze, trying to find my way out. It seems like, there’s no way out of this never-ending maze. Every stutter, block, and struggle makes me more confused. The only way out is to use my techniques, prolongation, pull-outs, easy/fake stuttering, and responding to my moments of stuttering. Finally, I’ve found my way out of the maze.
Devan, 14 

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My name is Paul. I go to speech therapy because I have trouble with my language skills and I stutter. My friend, who also stutters, my speech teacher and I did a presentation in front of my class about stuttering. We talked about how Vice President Joe Biden used to stutter. And, I also wrote an article in the school newspaper about it. Everyone at school liked it and I hope you do too:

“Did you know that in the vice president’s young life he had some trouble in school? He took speech therapy because he had a little bit of trouble speaking… (and also to)…make his stuttering better.

“How come the vice president had trouble in his young life and now he is the vice president? Because he never let it bother him … That means that if you have any problems in school or out of school, don’t let it get to you. Don’t let people make you feel like a bad person. …pick friends that will guide you and help you…and…keep on trying and you will be successful...”
Paul
Arcade, NY

Editor’s Note: Paul was thrilled to receive a personal letter of thanks and encouragement from the vice president, who thanked Paul for writing to him and for sharing his personal experiences with stuttering, saying, “…I personally understand the terrible fear and frustration of a stutterer.”

“If I could share one piece of advice it would be this: when you commit yourself to a goal and when you persevere in the face of a struggle, you will discover new strengths and skills to help you overcome not only this challenge, but also future life challenges as well.”

Excellent advice for everyone, from Paul and the VP!

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My name is Ghiovaney and I’m 10 years old and in the fifth grade. I’ve been going to speech for two years. I like to play soccer, football, and basketball. I also like to play video games after I finish my homework. I have two brothers, one younger and one older than me.

When I stutter, I feel OK with it. To me, it’s not a big deal. I’m positive about it and don’t let people get to me. Sometimes I stutter when I talk to my classmates, but I just keep on going. The strategies that my speech teacher taught me that work are “easy onset” and “phrasing.” Making good eye contact also helps me while speaking. These strategies all help me speak better.

I hope that all kids who stutter use their strategies. Also, if any classmates tease them, they should just ignore them and keep moving forward.
Ghiovaney
Orlando, Fla.

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My name is Jean. I’m 10 years old and in 5th grade. I like to play soccer, video games, basketball, football, and I like watching TV.

When I stutter, I get furious because I can’t get my words out correctly. I feel shy when I’m talking to someone. Then, in the middle of a word, I stutter. I get nervous when I have to speak to a group of people. Sometimes, I get frustrated because people laugh at me. I just try to ignore them and keep talking.

The strategies I learned with my speech teacher are slow, easy speech, pausing, and phrasing. Slow, easy speech helps me not talk so fast. Pausing and phrasing help me break up the sentence and take pauses so I can slow down.

The only thing I can say to people who stutter is to never give up and keep your speech moving forward. Ignore the people who bother you. Don’t get mad about your stuttering. Almost everyone in the world stutters sometimes, even Darren Sproles! If you don’t know who he is, he is a famous football player. Don’t be shy when talking to other girls and boys. Don’t let stuttering control your life.
Jean
Orlando, Fla.

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I am 8 years old. I am OK with stuttering but not perfect. Sometimes I stutter with a friend or my mom and dad. I go to therapy so I can have help.
Jonathan,
New York

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My name is Chynna and I’m 8 years old. A lot of people in my class tease me about stuttering. When I talk, I stutter. People finish my sentences. I tell them to stop but they don’t. I feel embarrassed.
Chynna,
Georgia

Editor’s Note: Sometimes it helps to talk to your classmates about stuttering and how it hurts to be teased. Your speech teacher can help you make a presentation to your class. Read Jean’s letter on page 10 for tips.

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I am T.J. and I am almost 9 1/2 years old. I don’t like it when people make fun of my stutter. It hurts my feelings. I try not to do it. I try to use “slow, smooth, speech,” and it helps a tad bit. I try breathing in and breathing out and then talking. That helps too. Sometimes, I don’t want to talk in class. My classmates say, “Why don’t you talk a lot?” I tell them why and when I tell them why, they start laughing at me.

In class, we talked about everyone having something that is hard for them. That helped. Now, the kids in my class understand why I stutter. I stutter at home too — a lot. I am learning new strategies to help with my stuttering. It doesn’t really matter if I stutter because I am a super cool kid.
T.J.,
Milwaukee, Wis.

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My name is Dylan. I am 8 years old. I stutter when I talk fast. My speech teacher helps me not to stutter with pull-outs. This helps me relax. This helps me get out the stutter.
Dylan,
Missouri

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My name is Cohen and I stutter. When I turned 8 in second grade I was teased and I did not like it at all.

Even though I was teased about my stuttering I still made friends. I got better with my stuttering because I go to speech.

I went to a stuttering conference in Phoneix. It was so fun because we make a lot of things. We made our own T-shirts. The hotel had a pool shaped as a U. It had a raft and slide.

There are a lot of people who stutter besides me. There’s Johnny Damon for example. People need to stop teasing other people about their stuttering.

I have friends who will stick by my side and don’t care if I stutter. They don’t call me names.

Don’t let other people get to you about your stuttering.
Cohen,
Boston, Mass.

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Hi I’m Tyrell. This is my story.

I have been stuttering for as long as I can remember and it really is a big thing with me. Well, when I was little that is. I always had a hard time controlling my stuttering. I would talk really fast and then get caught up on a word. I would try to talk fast because I won’t stutter. The time I usually did was when I talked slow.

I don’t get mad over it anymore because I’m older now, and I won’t let people get to me when they talk about me and my stuttering. I just brush it off and keep going. I really can’t say I was born stuttering because maybe I was and maybe I wasn’t. To tell you the truth stuttering is the main reason I never talk out loud during class. It’s also the reason why I don’t go on stage in front of anybody or even read out loud. It’s just something I have never been able to do. So for every one who stutters, don’t let what others say about it get you down. Stay strong and be yourself. If they can’t accept you for who you are, then that’s their loss. To every one like me: smile and be happy. Never let anyone hold you back.

Good-bye and good luck!
Tyrell
E-mail

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I am a 10-year-old boy named Mustafah. I do not like when people make fun of me when I stutter. I do not like when I stutter, but it doesn’t really matter to me. It only gets on my nerves when other people say, “Why do you go ahah ahah ah?” Then I get mad. I try to stop but sometimes it is hard. I only stutter when I am trying to get myself out of trouble or tell on somebody when they have done something bad. How do you make people stop stuttering if they have a really, really hard time stopping?

At school, I have a Speech Therapist that is really nice and I love her because she really helps me with my stuttering. Since I have been going to speech I have been getting a lot better at talking and not so much stuttering. At speech, I am reading this book called Sometimes I Just Stutter. It talks about how other people stutter and how they feel. Like, people have different emotions and do different things to stop stuttering. Some of the people in this book, do not have any friends because they stutter and make fun of them. I try to stop stuttering by talking fast and slow at the same time. This book helps me go with the flow and just let it out sometimes.

Thank you and goodbye from,
Mustafah, 10
California

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>My name is Aaron and I am in 5th grade

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My name is William. I am 8 years old. I live in Miami, Fla. I like to play basketball. I just might be a basketball player. I started stuttering at age 6. I like my speech class. It helps me not to stutter. My friends do not tease me. I think that speech is like a train because when you do not stutter, you are at the end of the train. I feel O.K. about my stuttering. I stutter a lot.
William, 8
Miami, Fla.

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Click here to download 
a PDF of these pictures.

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My name is Britney, and I’m 8 years old. I have been stuttering since I was 5 years old. When I start to stutter my mom tells me to think about what I’m going to say before I talk. Every time I stutter it feels like a roller coaster because when I stutter the roller coaster goes bump, bump, bump. That is why stuttering feels like a roller coaster to me. I get frustrated a lot because when my cousins tease me I start to stutter a lot. But sometimes I try not to think about the teasing and I try to calm down. I tell them to stop teasing me because that will make me stutter even more. And now I’m starting to get better. One of the things I learned in speech is about eye contact. I am glad I am in this speech class because I am starting to get better at not stuttering.
Britney, 8
Pomona, Calif.

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Click here to download a PDF of these drawings. 

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My name is Lizette. I would love to tell you about my stuttering. Sometimes I get really frustrated and other times I’m calm. You see I hate it when people try and help me and say “slow down” or “what did you say?” It just makes me think more about stuttering and that’s when  I get nervous and tend to stutter even more. I love to sing, and my friends will ask me, “Why don’t you stutter when you sing?” That’s where I get stuck. I don’t know what to say. Yes, I do accept who I am and I know that no one is perfect, but sometimes I just want to pull my hair out. My stuttering usually is when I start to get really excited or really nervous.
Lizette
Cache, Okla.

Editor’s Note: 
By Lisa Scott, Ph.D.
> We don’t know for sure why people don’t stutter when they sing, but it’s probably a combination of reasons:1. When you sing, you take breaths in between measures. This means that the number of words you say on one breath is very specific. When you talk, on the other hand, you can take breaths wherever you want in the sentence. Sometimes, people who stutter have a hard time keeping their air going, so it makes talking harder.
2. Different parts of our brains help us think or act in special ways. Most people’s center for music is on the right side of their brains, but the speech center is on the left side of the brain. This means that the “controls” are different for talking versus singing.
3. Another idea that might explain why people don’t stutter when they sing has to do with how much you have to think of words on your own. When you are talking, you have to have an idea, then pick out the words you’re going to use to tell someone else your idea, then get your muscles and air going to be able to say the words. When you sing, someone else has already thought up all the words and it’s not your own idea, another good reason that sining is easier than talking.
We hope this helps answer your question!

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My name is Greg. I’m 9 years old and in the third grade. I think stuttering is like a car on a road. If you stutter, you are going too fast. If you don’t stutter, you go where you want to go and you don’t get a ticket.
Greg, 9
Hanover, Pa.

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My name is Damian and I stutter. Sometimes I am mad because when I am reading at school some say “hurry up” and sigh, and I don’t like that. But it is OK to stutter. To me, nothing is wrong with it. And I don’t care what people think about my stuttering.
Damian
Cache, Okla.

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My name is Jabaree. I’ve been stuttering for 6 years and I’m through with it. My stuttering feels like a basketball. When the ball bounces, I feel like I can’t get my words out. And when I shoot the ball, I drag my words out. Dragging my words and sliding are the best ways I use to not stutter as much. Some kids ask me why I talk like that, and I tell them I stutter. Most of them are my friends, and they don’t tease me. When I get teased, I try to ignore it and I don’t get mad. In all I’m OK and I like my life.
Jabaree
Pamona, Calif.

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Hi, my name is Derrik. I block sometimes. I feel OK about my speech. I repeat stuff a lot, but sometimes I don’t repeat a lot. I go get help from my speech teacher. I feel blocking is a little OK.
Derrik
Hanover, Pa.

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My name is Evan and I am 11 years old. I stutter like all the other kids who write to the Stuttering Foundation. I repeat my words but that’s OK now because I go to speech class and I’ve improved so much. I’ve gotten teased by a lot of kids. When I get teased, it’s like getting punched in the face. The kids who teased me are now my friends because I forgave them. What I ask for from a friend is for them to treat me the way they want to be treated. Through the years, stuttering hasn’t pushed me back from playing sports and doing activities. Its actually pushed me forward and allowed me to tell my friends about my stuttering. Thank you Stuttering Foundation for supporting all the kids in America. And, remember, there is no perfect speech. All the perfect speech you could get is confidence and it is all from the heart.
Evan, 11
Stevenson Ranch, Calif.

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My name is Naftali. I am 8 years old. I stutter. I think that stuttering is not bad at all. Sometimes people tease me. I ignore it because no one is perfect and no one will ever be perfect.
Naftali, 8
Far Rockaway, N.Y.

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My name is Cherrelle. I attend Fairfield Court Elementary. When I am talking, sometimes I start to stutter a little bit. When I’m with my speech therapist, it’s like I never stutter. I never stutter when I read something. When she closes the book, I start to stutter. When I stutter, first I’ll stop then I’ll start over and make up a little rhythm to the speech. When I’m with my family, I stutter a lot. But now I’m used to stuttering around people. If you stutter, it is OK. Just tap your leg and start on your sentence. It will really help.
Cherrelle,
Richmond, Va.

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My name is Makayla. I am 8 years old. I’m like my daddy because he stutters too. People make fun of me. When people make fun of me I get sad because I feel bad for stuttering. I was wondering what should I do if someone makes fun of me? What did the other kids do?
Makayla, 8
E-mail       
Editor’s Note: Be sure to read the letters in this newsletter from other children who have ideas about teasing. Remember to not let the teasing get you down  and to stay calm. It's okay to let others know teasing hurts and to ask them to stop. Another good resource is Sometimes I Just Stutter.  In it, every time 9-year old Mark is teased, he just grins and says, “Come back when you can stutter better than I do!”

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To Celebrate Pi Day, 10-year-old twins Joel (left) and Shawn memorized more than 150 digits of Pi between the two of them.

Pi is the symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Pi = 3.1415926535... Pi Day is celebrated by math enthusiasts around the world on March 14th taken from the first 3 digits of the equation, which so happens to be Einstein's birthday.

Finding math equations around the house has become common place, equations that are approximately 2 feet in length. You will always find Joel carrying his college level technical math book whether he is going shopping with mom, or to an appointment. He often studies Algebra & Calculus online. Joel was playing Beethoven's 5th Symphony at age 9 after only 6 months of taking lessons (the piano teacher said "I have never seen anything like this in 15 years"), he has memorized 101 digits of Pi.

Shawn, who has been stuttering since a young age, has been doing adult puzzles since the age of 5, and completed level 9 on an IQ test (the instructor said, "I have never witness anyone get to that level before." There were only 9 levels in that portion of the test). He has memorized 51 digits of Pi.

Their 5-year-old brother Max has memorized 15 digits.

Joel and Shawn plan to celebrate Pi Day by eating Pie, and perhaps memorizing a few more digits.

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I was 5 when I started noticing that I was stuttering. Then when I got older I kept getting madder and madder at my stuttering. But when I was 5, I didn’t mind it ‘cause I didn’t know how bad it would be. Now I’m in 2nd grade. I’m getting used to my stuttering and I’m getting better. Sometimes I still get mad at my mouth. By 6th grade I hope I stop stuttering. I went to summer speech school and that helped me a lot. We read and recorded stories. It was F-U-N! My school speech teacher teaches me to relax my body. I get pluses for the words I am fluent on. I say words with 2- and 3-syllables, and I did it perfectly.
Carter
Minnesota

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I am Edgard. I’m 10 years old and in 5th grade. My hobbies are being with my family, playing with my brothers, and playing with my friends. I’ve been in speech class for 2 years. However, that doesn’t bother me anymore. Ever since my speech teacher told me that everyone stutters — even she does now and then — it makes me happy to be who I am.
       My teacher teaches me how to use easy speech. Sometimes we have homework for easy speech, and it helps me use my strategies. When I stutter, I stick out my tongue, shake my head and say “ahhh.” When that happens I feel nervous, so I try to forget that it happened and use easy speech to keep talking. Easy speech is a great technique because I talk more fluently and now I’m OK with my stuttering.
Edgard
Orlando, Fla.

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Josette, 10, from Brooklyn, N.Y., has been working on a book series titled “Stuttering Sara.” She is writing the series in hopes of helping other children who stutter. In the first book, Sara was chosen for the lead in a school play. But she is scared to perform because she might stutter. At first, Sara doesn’t even show up and the stage remains empty! Sara finally decides she would rather perform than quit the play and she comes up with an idea. She knows that when she speaks in unison chorus with another person, it helps alleviate her stuttering. So she enlists the help of a friend and together they successfully perform in front of the whole school. The play is a  big success and Sara is happy to have conquered her stage fright with a great solution. Josette is a student of Peter Reitzes, M.A., CCC-SLP.

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My name is Maddy.  I'm 10 years old. I enjoy going to speech class because I want to learn and get better at my stuttering. My friends don't tease me because we all know that no one is perfect, but unfortunately there are people in the world who make fun of other people.  You have to remember stuttering is okay and over 3 million people in America stutter, so don't be ashamed. Be proud of who you are. Everyone is perfect in their own way. You can do everything that you want to.
Maddy, 10
St. Charles, MO

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I have gone through a lot of things like kids picking on me and calling me names. The way I deal with it is to not pay attention to them and not listen to them. Now I am 10 years old and people don’t pick on me that much because I’ve gotten better at not stuttering.
Desmond
Dallas

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I am 9 years old. I like to play baseball. I have been going to speech for 6 years. My favorite subjects are science and math. I like school. Stuttering is like somebody hitting you in the face.  I sometimes get worried, but I know its okay. I have two brothers and one sister, and she is so cute.
Tripp
E-mail

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My name is Cricynda (crih-sin-dah ). I am 11 years old and in the 5th grade. I like to do many things, like swimming and drawing. I’ve been in speech class for two years. I feel okay about my stuttering. I’ve been learning about one thing … Easy speech! Easy speech is slowing down when you’re talking. We use this very often. Our goal is to use it outside of class. Thank you for reading my letter. I hope this helps other kids know that other people stutter as well. They are not the only ones.
Cricynda
Orlando, Fla.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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                                    

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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.   

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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!

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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                                   

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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.

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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

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

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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.

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

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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

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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.
 

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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.

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

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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!"

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

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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?

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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

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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

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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!

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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

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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

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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

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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."

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