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Growing up as a child who stuttered was not fun. There is a social stigma about stuttering. Even adults have a hard time listening to other adults who stutter without trying to finish their sentences, so you can imagine how hard it was for me in school with kids making fun of me – and kids can be cruel when they don’t understand something.
By Vicki Polce – Administrative Assistant at Florida SouthWestern State College
It was very hard when it was my turn to read aloud in front of the class. What would take someone else 3-5 minutes to read, would take me at least 10 minutes. Plus with all the facial contortions I made trying to get the words out, I think some of the others were actually afraid of me, or at least, didn’t know how to accept me.
What was interesting was that I could sing any song anyone wanted me to without stuttering. It was an escape for me. Some of my early teachers figured out that if they let me sing what I wanted to say to the class, I didn’t stutter at all. But I knew I could not sing everything I had to say for the rest of my life.
My mom and my teachers decided I needed to go to speech therapy. There was an excellent Speech Therapy department at the university close to where we lived and I went weekly all through elementary school. While it did help some, it never really helped me deal with the stuttering or the reaction I would get from others all through junior high and high school when all I wanted was to be popular like the other girls.
According to The Stuttering Foundation, there are five myths about stuttering. They are:
Myth: People who stutter are not smart.
Reality: There is no link whatsoever between stuttering and intelligence.
Myth: Nervousness causes stuttering.
Reality: Nervousness does not cause stuttering. Nor should we assume that people who stutter are prone to be nervous, fearful, anxious, or shy. They have the same full range of personality traits as those who do not stutter.
Myth: Stuttering can be “caught” through imitation or by hearing another person stutter.
Reality: You can’t “catch” stuttering. No one knows the exact causes of stuttering, but recent research indicates that family history (genetics), neuromuscular development, and the child’s environment, including family dynamics, all play a role in the onset of stuttering.
Myth: It helps to tell a person to “take a deep breath before talking,” or “think about what you want to say first.”
Reality: This advice only makes a person more self-conscious, making the stuttering worse. More helpful responses include listening patiently and modeling slow and clear speech yourself.
Myth: Stress causes stuttering.
Reality: As mentioned above, many complex factors are involved. Stress is not the cause, but it certainly can aggravate stuttering.
There are so many famous people who stutter – from Sir Winston Churchill to Marilyn Monroe, to Carly Simon, who like me, could sing and not stutter. In the United States alone, there are approximately 3 million people who stutter. Most, like me, can and do ‘outgrow’ stuttering.
There was a movie out a few years back titled The King’s Speech about King George IV. He was also a stutterer. But during World War II, he was able to address his country with radio speeches with the help of a speech coach. I was torn as to whether to go see the movie, but I did and was glad I did. He was truly an inspiration to his family as well as his country. For me, it was a very touching movie and it moved me to tears several times as I totally understood his frustration and embarrassment.
There are no miracle cures for stuttering. Early intervention is the key if you start to notice signs of stuttering in your child that last 6 months or more. Some children outgrow stuttering quickly, while others may never outgrow it. Be patient with your child, don’t try to talk for them or finish their sentences, and give them the support they need to be confident while talking to others.
As for me, I stuttered all through high school and well in to my 20’s. But as I started gaining more and more self-confidence and self-esteem, the stuttering all but quit. There are times, when I’m stressed or tired that I find myself having some speech problems, but for the most part, talking for me has become easy and fun, and for that, I’m so grateful.
www.FSW.edu
