Blogs

February 5, 2018

A Look Back

Vince Vawter, author of "Paperboy,” shared his personal messages to individuals who stutter, parents of children who stutter and speech clinicians.

January 5, 2018

2017: The Year in Review

As 2018 begins, I take a look back at some of the pivotal moments over the Stuttering Foundation’s 70^th year in 2017.

October 25, 2017

Stuttering requires patience and adaptation

For many of my fellow people who stutter, the feeling of disappointment, numbness and simultaneous relief after a tough presentation is all too familiar.

August 30, 2017

Creating Safe Schools for Young People Who Stutter

If children feel safe, they can take risks, ask questions, make mistakes, learn to trust, share their feelings, and grow. - Alfie Kohn (Author)

May 12, 2017

Happy National Stuttering Awareness Week everyone! National Stuttering Awareness Week is an annual event in the United States held in the second week of May which celebrates, educates and spreads the word about stuttering.

February 13, 2017

Recruiting Fluent Allies

I begin this blog post reflecting on opposing events which have prompted a call for the recruitment of allies for people who stutter. Last year, it was heartening to see that the theme from the International Stuttering Awareness Day Online Conference was "Stuttering Pride: Respect. Dignity. Recognition."

August 31, 2016

Making Changes Over Time

This is a story about how a young man’s stuttering journey and his road to effective communication and self-acceptance as a person who stutters.

June 27, 2016

Ben's Speech

Working with young people who stutter has taught me many things. One thing which never ceases to amaze me is the amount of courage young people exhibit when talking and stuttering. Having a voice in a world where time pressure is imminent and there is an expectation for fluent communication can make talking difficult.

May 9, 2016

Paying it Forward by Raising Awareness About Stuttering

This week, during National Stuttering Awareness Week, pay it forward for people who stutter by talking about stuttering. We know that talking about stuttering, educating others about what stuttering is and what it isn’t, and celebrating stuttering is important. But how important is it really?

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March 22, 2016

Stuttering in the Media

We’re almost a quarter of the way into 2016 and the spotlight on stuttering has shone brightly. Here is a recap of some of the events over the past few months which have got us talking.

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CELEBRITY FOCUS

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.

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.

Mel Tillis

Country music star Mel Tillis entertained audiences around the world.

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.

Kenyon Martin

Kenyon Martin, the basketball sensation who was named to the NBA’s All Star Team in 2004, joins other famous people who stutter in a new brochure. The brochure - which unfolds into a small poster - is available free of charge from The Stuttering Foundation.

The poster is intended to give children and adults who stutter inspiration as they grapple with their speech disorder.