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From: Walt Manning
Date: 12 Oct 2009
Time: 18:46:06 -0500
Remote Name: 141.225.97.59
Pam, I think the comments from Lynne and Gary got to the core of the issue and you did also with your comment about avoidance. I think that most anything that makes us want to avoid or apologize to the listener is not the most useful coping response to the situation. I suspect that rather than apologizing it might be better for the listener, and certainly for you, to acknowledge the stuttering on occasion. This is more of a cognitive rather than an emotional approach for coping with the situation. Acknowledgment(which I don't think is the best term)is probably most effective when done in a genuine, forthright manner, perhaps with humor. Although a little of this goes a long way it makes it acceptable for the listener(s) to be OK with stuttering, and perhaps discuss it if they would like to. Approaching, rather than avoiding or attempting to apologize isn't likely to work well for the reasons mentioned by Lynn and Gary. Of course, the speaker has to be desensitized to their own stuttering before you can expect others to see it that way also. An interesting issue Pam and thanks for asking.