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From: Alan Badmington (to Lakedra)
Date: 23 Oct 2006
Time: 15:00:10 -0500
Remote Name: 84.66.221.242
Hi Lakedra, For so many years, some persons who stutter have felt isolated. They had little (if any) contact with other PWS. The advent of the Internet has changed so many things. Firstly, it has greatly facilitated the dissemination of information about stuttering. People all over the world are now able to access such information by merely sitting at their computers. The Internet has seen the growth of websites/chatrooms/groups for persons who stutter, their friends and family members, and others associated with stuttering. These forums provide a wealth of information and links, together with opportunities to exchange experiences with other PWS worldwide. I think it would be beneficial for your friend to access some of these websites/groups. Your post does not identify where you live, so I am unable to direct you to the relevant stuttering association in your country. However, here are some useful links: Stutteringhomepage: http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/kuster/stutter.html National Stuttering Association (US): http://www.nsastutter.org/ Stuttering Foundation: http://www.stutteringhelp.org/ British Stammering Association: http://www.stammering.org If your friend resides in the USA, for example, she could visit the NSA website and search for the nearest Chapter (support group) to her home. She might also consider joining one of the international stuttering-related groups, such as Stutteringsupport, Stutt-L, Stutteringchat and neurosemanticsofstuttering. Simply conduct a Google search to find the relevant urls. If she is interested in receiving some kind of therapy, then some of these sites will include details of what approaches are available. Please reassure her that she is not alone. You enquire if stuttering is hereditary. Strange as it may seem, I have never had any interest in such matters, preferring to focus my energies and attention on things over which I can influence. However, I can appreciate that some people will wish to learn more about such matters. I recall reading that approximately 60% of those who stutter have a family member who also stutters. In a post to an earlier ISAD Online Conference discussion, Dr Dennis Drayna, who has carried out considerable research into the relationship between genes and stuttering, wrote “There is a great deal of evidence supporting the view that at least some stuttering is hereditary. This evidence consists of studies of twins, studies of adopted children, and studies of families in which a large number of family members are affected with stuttering.” I hope that you find this of information of assistance. Thank you for taking the time to contact me. Kindest regards Alan