| Stuttering Foundation: A Nonprofit Organization Helping Those Who Stutter

May 8, 2024

Stuttering in the Military

SFA Blogger Jordan Northrup Shares His Experiences in the United States Marine Corps.

Helping Children Change Thoughts & Feelings About Communication

Presented by Vivian Sisskin

Tools For Success: A Cognitive Behavior Therapy Taster

Presented by Frances Cook and Willie Botterill

"Excellent. Really well done. Gave me enough information to begin application of the process, and peaked my interest to pursue additional training."-SLP

This course presents highlights from a workshop featuring Frances Cook, MBE, MSC, MRCSLT (Hons) Cert. CT (Oxford) and Willie Botterill, MSc, (Psych. Couns.), MRCSLT.

March 11, 2024

Bad Connection

If I have learned anything on my journey with stuttering it is that this journey is not linear.

Using Voluntary Stuttering to Empower Children Who Stutter

Presented by Joseph Donaher

Do the Best with the Knowledge You Have

“Remember that you played the best you could with what you knew at the time." - Owen Knight Survivor 43 finalist

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Posted on October 18, 2023 - 11:38

Achieving Successful Behaviour Change: Introducing a Systematic Method to Change Behaviour

Presented by Carmen LeFevre

"This was the best presentation of the principles of behavior change I have heard or read about in almost 50 years in the field." - SLP

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CELEBRITY FOCUS

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.