Two Things I Wish I'd Known About Stuttering When I Was Younger

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Re: Anything is possible

From: Alan Badmington
Date: 03 Oct 2007
Time: 04:55:04 -0500
Remote Name: 195.194.75.225

Comments

Hi Jenn, Thank you for responding to my paper. It's great that Judy Kuster has included this section 'Messages for Teens', so that they can benefit from the experience of others. You are correct, change is scary for many people. I undertake an extensive programme of talks to community organisations in an effort to create a greater awareness about stuttering. I speak for an hour about my lifetime of stuttering, following which I conduct a question and answer session. Many people in the audience confide that the issues relating to stuttering (avoidance, self-limiting beliefs, negative thinking, self-esteem, assertiveness, fear of public speaking etc etc) also apply to their lives. I think the fact that I joined the Police Service when I was 19 years of age, clearly indicates that I realised the importance of not allowing my stutter to restrict the direction of my life. I knew that I needed to place myself in challenging situations, in order to achieve personal growth. My journey was tough - and there were many heartaches and disappointments along the way, but it contributed hugely in creating the self-actualised person I am today. I firmly believe that personal growth etc should be taught in schools. Those subjects have more relevance to life than reciting the dates of ancient battles. ;-) I hope that many teenagers access (and participate in) this wonderful forum. I wish you every success with your career as a speech-language pathologist. Kindest regards Alan


Last changed: 10/22/07