The Gift of Stuttering

[ Contents | Next | Previous | Up ]


Re: The Gift of Stuttering

From: Russ Hicks
Date: 10/21/02
Time: 9:31:55 PM
Remote Name: 12.212.230.104

Comments

Hello Torione,

Thank you for your kind words. Gifts are MEANT to be given away, aren't they? Enjoy! <smile>

You asked the identical question that Elizabeth Gormley asked on 10/14. So I'll repeat the answer I gave her.

Q. When is a person who stutters ready to join Toastmasters?

A. I've asked myself that exact same question countless times and every time I think I have an answer, I'm proven wrong. I use to think that a person would have to have some minimum level of fluency - but FAR less than they think they should have - to enjoy Toastmasters, but we have several very severe stutterers in our club. And they LOVE it. Then I thought that Toastmasters should be for everyone until one poor fellow left in tears one day. We never saw him again. It nearly killed us all. What a tragedy. My wife is a perfectly normal fluent speaker and she'd rather pick up a live rattlesnake than speak in front of an audience.

So the bottom line is that it's simply up to the individual. Toastmasters LOVE visitors even if they don't utter a single sound in the meetings. (Visitors give us different faces to speak to, that's soooo valuable!) So my advice is to have a person who stutters simply visit a club - or two or three... - and see how it feels. If it doesn't feel good, I wouldn't push him or her. If it feels good, and he or she has fun, hey, who knows what the future may hold?

Q. Also, how does an individual get involved with the organization?

A. Go to www.toastmasters.org and find a club near you. It's just that simple. Toastmasters is an amazingly friendly organization full of people who are willing to help you. And are willing to be helped BY you! <smile> They even welcome student SLPs! <smile>

If all else fails, get back with me at russhicks@mail.com and I'll help you get started. It's FUN!

I wish you the best!

Russ

RussHicks@mail.com


Last changed: September 12, 2005