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From: Nora O'Connor
Date: 10/20/02
Time: 1:57:19 PM
Remote Name: 198.81.26.169
Time permitting, I'm sure Brett will respond to your question as well, but I thought I'd provide my input also on the subject. Thank you for your interest in women and stuttering.
At the National Stuttering Association Conference this past June 2002 we held the first workshop for only woman who stutter. It was a great success and plans are being made to implement Woman Living with Stuttering workshops at future conferences world wide. Out of the workshop a list serve was created for woman to connect with other woman. Through the internet woman who stutter can share their unique experience with other woman who stutter.
Societal norms also play a role in how we deal with our stutter. Although gender roles are being challenged all the time in western society women still are often subordinate to their male counterpart. If that woman is a person who stutters it would make it much easier for her to allow cultural norms to navigate her choice to have her partner be her voice in speaking situations. It must be said that men who stutter also have and will use their partner and other family and friends as their voice because of the nature of the disorder.
Through involvement with organizations such as the National Stuttering Association, Passing Twice and FRIENDS coupled with speech therapy one hopes that the person who stutters can receive the necessary tools to not feel that they have to rely on others to be their voice.