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From: Retta Raddant
Date: 21 Oct 2011
Time: 21:11:53 -0500
Remote Name: 143.236.34.55
Dear Beata, Your message touched a familiar cord with me. I do not understand what it is like to live with a stutter, but I understand part of what you are saying. My son has ADD (so do I). Many of the teachers in his school did not believe in ADD and would not help him the way they were supposed to. The teachers also made fun of him and also of me when I advocated for him. You mentioned that with someone who is blind or in a wheelchair, it is easy to see. I used to think like that all the time - that if my son was blind, they would not ignore his need for assistance - they would treat it a different way. I used to feel like the way they treated his ADD would be the same thing as if they told a blind person that he or she had to stop walking into walls before they would help him or her. It was so rediculous. There are some conditions that cannot be seen. ADD is perhaps even more hidden than stuttering - there is no straightforward evidence for it that people can see or hear. So I know you understand me, too, in this thing we both decided about if somebody is blind, and I feel a connection with you. Hurray for you to accept your stuttering! I accept myself for my ADD too. When I found out that I had it, I was actually relieved to know that it was something I was born with and that I was not weird or something. I read a book about ADD, called, "You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Crazy, or Stupid?" I know this is a conference about stuttering and I do not mean to detract from that - I apologize if that is how this is coming across. The reason I wanted to tell you about the book about ADD is because people thought my son was lazy too, and perhaps me, too, while I was growing up and maybe some still do think that. And they surely thought we were both stupid. But they were all wrong. And the reason I told you these things is because I wanted you to see that even though I do not stutter, I do understand many of the things you are saying and I agree with you. You are liberated - you go girl! I love your story of Izabela. The reason that I first was interested in being a speech-language pathologist was when a friend of my mother's stuttered when I was a little girl. I did not understand stuttering, but I remember cheering for the lady on the inside as she was talking - cheering her on that she could say her message. This is a thing close to my heart and I would like to help people who stutter - perhaps so they can become liberated just like you! When I get to help someone who stutters, (I am in college right now and am not quite an SLP yet) I would like to share your stories. Both the story of you, personally, and also your children's story. I hope you don't mind. Here is my email address if you ever wish to contact me: lradd095@uwsp.edu