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From: Elaine Gueron
Date: 21 Oct 2008
Time: 19:39:33 -0500
Remote Name: 216.165.95.70
Hi, my name is Elaine Gueron and I'm a graduate student in NYU's Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology program. I'm currently taking a course called "Fluency Disorders," taught by Professor Lee Caggiano, which is focused on stuttering. I really enjoyed reading your article, and found it particularly fascinating that you brought up that people to stutter are partially to blame for the rest of the population reacting poorly to their speech problem. I had an assignment to do for class where I had to go out and voluntarily stutter, and I remember feeling angry at some of the people who didn't respond so positively to me. But perhaps you are right, and a big factor of this issue has to do with the fact that many people are ignorant concerning the topic of stuttering, and it is important to educate said people. I was wondering how you thought stuttering associations can achieve their mission of creating a world that understands stuttering, and what are some ways in which they can get people to realize that it is just as unjust and hurtful to stereotype, tease, and discriminate against people who stutter as it is to do so with the disabled and ethnic minorities? Another question I had for you is why you think people who stutter don't find it comforting or helpful when their friends tell them that they don't think less of them because of their stutter, and barely notice it at all in the first place. I'm asking because I would think that it would make a person feel better to know that their friends seem them as a person, who yes- might stutter, but that it does not define them as a whole, and that it's not even one of the first things that come to mind when they think about them. I understand that it's easier to talk to another person who stutters because it is easier to relate to that person, but there are going to be so many people that a person who stutters meets in their lifetime who will not stutter, so I would think it would be reassuring to them to know that they can create meaningful relationships where they can be themselves and known for who they are even with people who don't stutter. Thanks so much for your time and your interesting article.