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.
This teen brochure discusses some common myths and debunks them with straight talk about stuttering.
Because you are a teen and because you sometimes stutter, some problems are uniquely yours.
Children tease each other for many different reasons. A child who is taller than the others is sometimes teased. The same may happen to a child who is very short.
You may be teased about a big nose or giant ears. About being sick a lot or about not running fast. About having red hair or about being slow at math. About not wearing the right clothes or about not having a bicycle.
It may seem like you are the only person in the world who stutters. That is not true. And, there are lots of people who can help you with your problem. Your mom and dad can. You can also go to a speech teacher. Many speech teachers know a lot about stuttering. They will teach you how to make talking easier. Speech teachers will also listen to what you think and how you feel about your stuttering. They can really understand your problem.
Everyone is different. Your best friend may be better at math than you are. And maybe you're better than he is at art. Maybe another one of your friends is good at sports and can run really fast. Everyone is good at different things.
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.”
Darren Sproles, now a running back for The Philadelphia Eagles, made history with the San Diego Chargers 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.
After that game, Sproles was approached more often for interviews, which exacerbated his stuttering. “I had to talk to the media a lot, and once they put a camera in my face that's when it got bad," Sproles said. 'I just had to work on it. I couldn't really stress about it, because that's just me."
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.
