Western Workshop Lassos Success

Once again, Susan Hamilton, Jennifer Watson, and Ellen Reuler conclude that this year’s workshop was a success!

The three joined forces for this five-day event, Diagnosis and Treatment of Children and Adolescents Who Stutter: Practical Strategies, co-sponsored by Pacific University, Portland State University, and the Stuttering Foundation.

This year 20 attendees from nine states and five countries participated in this five-day event, which took place July 9-13 at Portland State University.

The goals for this year’s workshop were to help the attendees to increase their “comfortability,” competence, and confidence when treating children and adolescents who stutter.

“This group really impressed me in that they were positive and so supportive of each other during the learning process,” commented Watson and Reuler.

The presenters agreed that the participants were willing to step out of their comfort zones and build on past experiences to learn more about providing therapy to children who stutter. “It takes courage to practice newly learned skills in front of your peers,” stated Hamilton.

Comments from workshoppers...

“I feel that this workshop is one of the milestones that defines me as a person and improves me as a clinician.”

“... I have learned more about stuttering in a very broad, client-centered way. Susan and Jennifer are closing the gaps between research and clinicial practice, and that makes this workshop more valuable than others.”

From the Fall 2013 Newsletter

CELEBRITY FOCUS

Lewis Carroll

The recent Disney version of Lewis Carroll’s classic, Alice in Wonderland, garnered a great deal of media hype. Even though the mainstream media has not made mention that Carroll was a person who stuttered, his family history gives credence to the discovery of the genetic link to stuttering. Carroll was born to parents who were first cousins; almost all of their eleven children, three girls and seven boys, struggled with stuttering past childhood.

Ken Venturi

As much of the nation watches the U.S. Open Golf Championship, it is impossible not to think about our late friend Ken Venturi. Ken overcame many challenges to win the Open at Congressional in 1964 and go on to become the voice of golf for more than three decades.

However, Ken faced no bigger obstacle than stuttering. Ken Venturi was a champion to those who stutter, going out of his way to share his personal experience when consulted by a colleague, friend, or child who stutters.

Carly Simon

Carly Simon began stuttering severely when she was eight years old.

Bill Withers

While Bill Withers has long been on the Stuttering Foundation's list of Famous People Who Stutter, many people probably didn’t realize he stuttered. He passed away on March 30, 2020.

Born in 1938 in Slab Fork, W.V., Withers was the youngest of six children. When his father died when Withers was small, he was raised by his mother and grandmother, both of whom worked as domestics.

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.