Czech Republic Celebrates International Stuttering Awareness Day

The ancient Moravian city of Brno in the Czech Republic was the setting for an exciting workshop focusing on stuttering in the days leading up to International Stuttering Awareness Day (ISAD).

The 10th annual conference of the Speech Therapists Association of the Czech Republic was held Friday, Oct. 19, 2012.

Morning presentations included Jane Fraser speaking about the Stuttering Foundation history and how products have been and continue to be developed to help those who stutter. She was followed by Frances Cook discussing principles and practice of therapy at the Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children. Heather Grossman of AIS presented on desensitization and voluntary stuttering; she was followed by Mitchell Trichon who talked about self-help activities and their role in managing stuttering.

“We were excited to see that Stuttering Foundation books, translated into Czech by Elisabeth Peutelschmiedova, were on hand,” said Fraser. The Foundation also donated materials — DVDs, books, and brochures — to share with local therapists.

Local hosts, led by Dr. Ilona Kejklickova, announced that this was the 10th anniversary of their conference. They also announced the founding of their new organization, the Czech Association for Stuttering.

From the 2013 Winter Newsletter

CELEBRITY FOCUS

Bruce Willis

While the world knows Bruce Willis as an A-list actor, few know that he struggled with stuttering throughout his first 20 years.

Walter Bruce Willis was born in 1955 in West Germany to his German mother, Marlene, and his American GI father, David Willis. The family settled in David’s hometown of Penns Grove, New Jersey in 1957, and the couple has three other children.

James Earl Jones

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

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.

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.

Mel Tillis

Mel Tillis, born Lonnie Melvin Tillis, was an influential figure in country music, both as a songwriter and a performer. His journey to fame was marked by overcoming personal challenges, including a stutter that he turned into a defining part of his public persona.