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The temptation to rely on media screens to entertain babies and toddlers is more appealing than ever, with screens surrounding families at home, in the car, and even at the grocery store. And there is no shortage of media products and programming targeted to little ones. But a new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says there are better ways to help children learn at this critical age.                

By June Campbell, M.A., CCC-SLP, BRSFD

They came from near and far, the young and the old, those unfamiliar with the Stuttering Foundation, and those very knowledgeable about its literature and mission.

Attendees at the American Academy of Pediatrics Annual Conference held in Boston, October 2011, represented fourteen countries and thirty-three states.

February marked 50 years since John Glenn blasted off to orbit the Earth. Glenn, one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts, is an American hero. But he has his own hero — his wife, Annie.

Author and CNN contributor Bob Greene recently wrote on CNN.com about Annie’s struggles with stuttering. “Her stuttering was so severe that it was categorized as an 85% disability. Eighty-five percent of the time she could not manage to make words come out,” Greene explained.

A Limerick About the Western Workshop
By Ann Douvier

Out west went twenty SLPs
To learn to treat dysfluencies.
Drawn from four nations
By the Stuttering Foundation
To make more effective, our therapies.

We’ve all worked with children who stutter
Who’ve been told, “Slow down and don’t mutter!”
By listening, reflecting,
Exploring, detecting
We’ll help them succeed with the speech they utter.

Jane Fraser, president of the Stuttering Foundation, represented the stuttering community May 9 at the prestigious Monte Cristo Awards dinner honoring legendary actor James Earl Jones.

“James Earl Jones has been an inspiration to the stuttering community for decades,” Fraser said. “He has courageously shared his own personal experiences with stuttering for the benefit of all. When we think of eloquence and fluency of speech, we think of Mr. Jones as the ultimate role model.”

The Stuttering Foundation announces its 2011 Awards for Excellence in Journalism.

“Thanks to The King’s Speech, the sheer volume of articles and interviews on stuttering made this year’s choice very difficult,” said Jane Fraser, president of the Foundation. “This film has raised awareness of stuttering beyond any level we could ever have imagined and, in turn, was the force behind all other entries.”

Editor’s Note: The new DVD Stuttering and the Big Cats featuring Alan Rabinowitz was unveiled during the New York gala.

Gifts totaling more than $92,000 were received this year from the estates of two exceptional donors, Charles A. Wunder and Louise Cook Holmes.