CLICK HERE TO SEE UPDATE (June, 09 2006)

 

Webster defines stuttering as follows: "The act of one who stutters restricted by some physiologists to defective speech due to inability to form the proper sounds, the breathing being normal, as distinguished from stammering".

 

The National Stuttering Association describes it as follows: "Stuttering is a communication disorder involving disruptions, or “disfluencies,” in a person’s speech. The word "stuttering" can be used to refer either to the specific speech disfluencies that are commonly seen in people who stutter or to the overall communication difficulty that people who stutter may experience. In addition to producing disfluencies, people who stutter often experience physical tension and struggle in their speech muscles, as well as embarrassment, anxiety, and fear about speaking. Together, these symptoms can make it very difficult for people who stutter to say what they want to say, and to communicate effectively with others. There are perhaps as many different patterns of stuttering as there are people who stutter. And there are many different degrees of stuttering, from mild to severe. "

 

My definition of stuttering is: "Having a 800-pound monkey on my back for the past thirty-four years that sometimes lies dormant, but never goes away." I am a stutterer! There, I said it. Now you don't have to wonder whether I am or not. As funny as that may sound, I compare many stutterers with addicts and alcoholics, they just don't want to accept what they are. I can most certainty guarantee that once you accept it your life will be less stressful and you will be able to better deal with it.

Sadly though there are no surgical procedures, no magic pills, no TV evangelist that can make it go away. Yes, you can control it; and yes you can have very fluent days. However, you are and will always be a stutterer. On the other hand, I am here to tell you that you can be as fluent as you want to be . . . You can do anything you set your mind to do. Just keep in mind that you are not alone in this uphill race against stuttering. Sometimes it may seem to you as if you are the only stutterer alive, look at the following facts from the Stuttering Foundation of America:

• Over three million Americans stutter.

• Stuttering affects three to four times as many males as females.

• People who stutter are as intelligent and well-adjusted as non-stutterers.

• Despite decades of research, there are no clear-cut answers to questions about the causes of stuttering, but we have learned much about factors that contribute to its development in the areas of genetics, neurophysiology, child development, and family dynamics.

• As a result, we have made tremendous progress in the prevention of stuttering in young children.

• People who stutter are self-conscious about their stuttering and often let the disability determine the vocation they choose.

• There are no instant miracle cures for stuttering. Therapy is not an overnight process.

• Some 20 percent of all children go through a stage of development during which they encounter disfluencies severe enough to concern their parents.

• Stuttering becomes an increasingly formidable problem in the teen years as dating and social interaction begin.

• A qualified clinician can help not only children but also teenagers, young adults and even older adults make significant progress toward fluency.

• James Earl Jones, John Stossel, Annie Glenn, Bill Walton, Mel Tillis, Nicholas Brendon, Robert Merrill, Carly Simon, KenVenturi, Bob Love, John Updike, Lewis Carroll, King George VI, Winston Churchill and Marilyn Monroe all famous people who stutter.

 

I am not a speech therapist and I am not a professional in any career that deals with speech dysfunctions. I do, however, have something most speech therapist do not have - an impressive resume with over thirty-four years of stuttering experience. I have come this far in my life and I think I am exactly where I wanted to be at this age, stuttering notwithstanding. I look back at my teenage years and you know what I notice? I can very well be placed in the top 15% of the "successful" curve compared to others who attended high school with me. Since I am the type of person who would rather teach you how to fish and not give you a fish, I will share the ten "secrets" that helped me get through life as a stutterer. Keep in mind that I am not a speech therapist nor am I a speech pathologist. The below hints are expressly my opinion regarding stuttering and have helped me survive the last 34 years of my life. Hopefully this information will also help you. Click on each one to read an explanation.