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From: Scott Palasik
Date: 19 Oct 2010
Time: 21:26:34 -0500
Remote Name: 68.63.221.248
Julie, HI! Thank you for sharing your personal story about your cousin and her family. You seem to be very observant of what is happening and that will be a great asset to your career and to helping your cousin. You asked if I wished someone would have talked to me about stuttering, my answer is yes. Stuttering can be such a "lonely" disorder, part of that is because most likely people who stutter don't know another person who stutters and because the people closest to us don't typically talk about stuttering with us... Very lonely...You said your cousin is one of your closest friends, she is very lucky to have you. You may be surprised how much you cousin may appreciate you asking her about her stuttering. This may open up a door of communication that has never been opened in her 25 years on earth. Listening to her thoughts about her stuttering is a great starting point. You could ask her just as a point of interest about her stuttering. You could share with her about some of your fears in life, maybe some experiences you've had with difficulty speaking situations (public speaking) in order to model sharing. These are just my first thoughts, from one person who experienced the mind games with my own irrational stories (cognitive) and the emotional weight (affective) pertaining to stuttering...Bottom line, you are a great asset to your cousin by being honest with her. Please feel free to contact me anytime (scott.palasik@usm.edu). Have a good day. With compassion and kindness, Scott