Blogs

December 15, 2021

Stuttering Was There, But I Didn’t Care

By this point in our relationship, dear reader, I think it’s safe to say you know I’m a superfan of the TV show Survivor.

November 4, 2021

My Medical Records and Stuttering

Talking to others in both the medical community and the stuttering community, stuttering and how to interact with patients who stutter are rarely discussed.

June 9, 2021

3 Must-See Videos from the Our YouTube Channel

Our materials now reach 138 countries around the world. Some of our most popular videos are available on YouTube.

June 1, 2021

To the Young Person Who Stutters

I'm going to share with you a half dozen or so ideas. If you embrace any one of them, your life will improve.

May 19, 2021

New Book by Miss Plano

Fiona the Fearless Fox shares a message of courage, confidence, and most importantly, fearlessness.

May 10, 2021

Celebrating National Stuttering Awareness Week

National Stuttering Awareness Week is an opportunity to spotlight the condition that affects more than 70 million people worldwide.

April 16, 2021

Coming to You Live from My Office

I’m a strong believer in having goals, no matter how big or small they are. I think goals help us grow to become the best version of ourselves.

April 9, 2021

Parents Benefit From Support Too

It is important to have an understanding of the parents experience so that they can receive the best support to improve their quality of life, as well as prepare them to provide a positive environment for their child.

January 26, 2021

Disclosure

What’s a piece of advice you would give to your younger self? It’s a popular question I get whenever I talk to speech-language-pathology students.

January 12, 2021

"My Fears Drifted Away"

I never thought as a person who stutters I would voluntarily take multiple improv classes and perform in front of groups of strangers.

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CELEBRITY FOCUS

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.

John Melendez

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

Byron Pitts

Byron Pitts has brought much attention to stuttering with his memoir, Step Out on Nothing: How Faith and Family Helped Me Conquer Life’s Challenges, released in September, 2009. The book not only details his speech difficulties, but also his illiteracy until age 12 and his unstable family life. Pitts overcame the odds to become the chief national correspondent with ABC News.

Darren Sproles

Darren Sproles, a former player for The Philadelphia Eagles, the New Orleans Saints and the San Diego Chargers, made history in 2007 when he became the first player in NFL history to return a kickoff and a punt for his first two NFL touchdowns in the same game. In 2021, he was selected to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

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.”