DVD Offers Hope to Adults and Teens Who Stutter

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - For the three million Americans who stutter, not being able to say their own name is just one of the many challenges which confront them as they start their work day.

Now some new help is available for adults and teenagers who stutter in the form of a videotape. If You Stutter: Advice for Adults is available at libraries across the country.

"We focus on demonstrating a variety of therapy strategies that are appropriate in working with adults and teens," explains Dr. Peter Ramig of the University of Colorado at Boulder. "We also answer questions about stuttering and present examples of therapy sessions showing how stuttering can be reduced."

"Stuttering remains a mystery to most people," said Jane Fraser, president of the Stuttering Foundation. "Research strongly supports the fact that stuttering is not caused by psychological problems nor are people who stutter any less intelligent than those who don't."

"The new film is meant to give those who stutter some insight into the tools they need to begin dealing with stuttering, but it also offers good ideas for family members, speech-language pathologists, and health care professionals," said Professor Barry Guitar of the University of Vermont. Guitar is one of six nationally recognized experts appearing in the video produced by the nonprofit Stuttering Foundation.

"We have seen people who stutter not only learn to deal with stuttering effectively," said Dr. Hugo Gregory of Northwestern University," but go on to become better than average communicators." He notes that this century's most eloquent speaker, Winston Churchill, stuttered and yet became a renowned statesman renowned for his oratory skills.

The DVD features men and women who stutter from the United States and Canada, discussing their experiences with stuttering and the techniques that have helped them. They talk openly about the problems they face in the work place and how stuttering affects their lives and their self esteem.

For your own copy of the 55-minute DVD, If You Stutter: Advice for Adults, contact the Stuttering Foundation at 800-992-9392 or visit www.stutteringhelp.org to learn about the many ways you can help yourself.

CELEBRITY FOCUS

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.”

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.

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.

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.