Stories of People Who Stutter

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Stories of People Who Stutter

From: Sarah Swoger, Graduate Clinician
Date: 07 Oct 2011
Time: 14:11:36 -0500
Remote Name: 157.182.14.241

Comments

Dr. Shapiro, thank you for your enlightening and inspiring article. I like how you highlighted that anything can be accomplished with the right attitude. I think that it is great that you are focusing on the attitudes and emotions of individuals who stutter. I think this side of treatment is often overlooked. I feel that oftentimes, the focus in stuttering therapy is on the techniques to reduce stuttering. I think many forget that regardless of the successfulness of the therapy techniques, individuals have to WANT to do it. Without having the right attitude, individuals who stutter probably will not succeed in treatment unless their therapist acknowledges some of the emotional aspects that they are dealing with. During my undergraduate studies, I conducted independent research that looked at the attitudes and emotions of stutterers. I analyzed over two hundred interviews of individuals who stuttered, and the consensus showed that individuals who had better attitudes were more successful in therapy, in overcoming their stuttering, and were overall happier with their lives. These stories that you shared were very moving, and I feel that these stories could really help inspire and motivate other individuals who stutter become more confident and realize that their stuttering does not define them. Additionally, I believe that stories like these could help individuals who do not stutter better understand what stuttering is and how individuals who stutter are just like everyone else. Again, thank you for your article and you passion to help change the stigma about stuttering.


Last changed: 10/07/11