More News

May 14, 2019
Summer Magazine
Our new Summer 2019 Magazine is filled with exciting articles, including a look at our new website, letters and drawings from school children, research into children's expressive language growth, and much more. You can view it as an e-magazine or download a PDF.
May 13, 2019
Peggy Lipton Remembered
On Saturday, May 11, 2019, the stuttering community lost one of its most visible celebrities with the death of actress Peggy Lipton at age 72.
April 26, 2019
Resources for College Students and Young Adults
Life after high school is an exciting but nerve-wracking time. It’s a point in your life where you may feel unsettled or anxious about what’s to come.
April 1, 2019
Overcoming My Stutter
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word overcome as, “to get the better of; to succeed in dealing with a problem or difficulty.”
February 24, 2019
Mother and Son Collaborate on Book
Kimberly Garvin and Saadiq Wicks release the book When Oliver Speaks, an inspiring story about a young boy who struggles to overcome his stutter while finding the courage to accept it.
January 11, 2019
Q & A with Animesh Sarma
Animesh Sarma had his first big break in his music career as a singer on the reality show, Dil hai Hindustani, in India. Now he’s continuing his passion for music by working at the music studio of Pritam Chakraborty.
January 4, 2019
Foundation Mourns the Loss of Kids' Letter Editor
Joan Melinda Warner, age 62, died on New Year's Eve 2018. Joan has worked at the Stuttering Foundation since 2004.
November 8, 2018
Embracing the Challenge
As a former NFL Player, Michael Attardi is proof that a stutter doesn’t have to hold you back.
November 7, 2018
Ivan's Story
It all started at the age of 6. My mother thought my speech pattern was due to me mimicking my brother, who had a stutter, too.
November 5, 2018
W. Somerset Maugham
Somerset Maugham was the most famous writer in the world. He was known everywhere for his superb short stories and for his novels.

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CELEBRITY FOCUS

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.

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.

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.

Emily Blunt

Actress Emily Blunt struggled with stuttering early in her life. A teacher encouraged her to act in a school play at age 12 despite her stuttering.

Blunt’s name is prominently featured on the Stuttering Foundation's list of Famous People Who Stutter.

Jack Paar

While Jack Paar is among the most prominent of the entertainers on the Stuttering Foundation’s list of Famous People Who Stutter, he deserves special recognition as he was among the first to openly address his stuttering in public. As host of The Tonight Show from 1957-1962, he spoke of his difficulties as a stuttering child and teenager, giving hope to young people.

Summer Magazine

Peggy Lipton Remembered

Resources for College Students and Young Adults

Overcoming My Stutter

Mother and Son Collaborate on Book

Q & A with Animesh Sarma

Foundation Mourns the Loss of Kids' Letter Editor

Embracing the Challenge

Ivan's Story

W. Somerset Maugham

Pages

Bill Withers

Bill Walton

Byron Pitts

Emily Blunt

Jack Paar

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