Referrals - Hawaii | Stuttering Foundation: A Nonprofit Organization Helping Those Who Stutter

Listed below are the names of speech pathologists in your state who might be able to help you in treating stuttering. The Stuttering Foundation of America provides these names only to help in locating a speech pathologist who might be able to assist you in treating stuttering. The Stuttering Foundation of America does not warrant the competency of these speech pathologists nor guarantee their treatment.

This list is likely to include only a small number of the speech pathologists in your area and therefore might not include the names of all speech pathologists who might be able to assist you. No negative implication should be drawn about a particular speech pathologist's qualifications or competency if he or she is not included on this list.

If the individuals located below cannot assist you or are not located near you, the Stuttering Foundation of America encourages you to request a referral from them.

Ms. Mary Marasovich, M.A., CCC-SLP
Oahu Speech Language Therapy
1010 S King St, Ste B4
Honolulu, HI 96814-1701
(808)593-0030
(808)593-0026
oahuspeech@hawaii.rr.com
www.oahuspeech.com

Dr. Pauline A. Mashima, CCC-SLP
Assoc Prof in Communication Sciences & Disorders
University of Hawaii Speech and Hearing Clinic
677 Ala Moana Blvd Ste 625
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808)692-1580
mashima@hawaii.edu

CELEBRITY FOCUS

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.

John Stossel

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.”

Dave Taylor

Dave Taylor has been on the Stuttering Foundation's list of Famous People Who Stutter for many years, but probably few people know all of the unique accomplishments of this former hockey great who was born on December 4, 1955, in Levack, Ontario.

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.

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.