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From: Shirley Dagan, NYU Grad. Student
Date: 20 Oct 2008
Time: 20:45:15 -0500
Remote Name: 71.167.253.63
Although I am a non-PWS, I feel that because of my own medical experience, I have been able to relate to your article immensely. I am currently an NYU graduate student in the Speech-language Pathology program. This semester I am enrolled in a Fluency Disorders course taught by Lee Caggiano. Our class discussions often revolve around being honest and not viewing stuttering as a “problem.” In addition to taking part in a voluntary stuttering project, I have also observed her in her clinic. These encounters are one of the very few encounters I have had with PWS (not uncommon for many of the students in my graduate program). This brings me to question why in fact the media does reflect stuttering so negatively and why stuttering is portrayed as curable when discussed in the news. Clearly your experiences have had an effect on your life and many others have had similar experiences, but how can there be more awareness on the topic, with all the negative stereotyping. As you say, education is important, but with the financial crisis occurring even as we speak, how will schools, employers, etc. fund such programs as to educate others who are non-PWS? As a future speech pathologist, how can we get the government to see that stuttering is in fact more widespread than the media puts-out and that more treatment techniques should be researched to help those in need? Thanks for the great insight!!!