Is Stuttering a Disability?

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Re: a lot ot think about

From: Anita
Date: 15 Oct 2006
Time: 16:04:30 -0500
Remote Name: 81.228.218.44

Comments

That's a difficult question, Lisa. Young people are on one hand more open about their stuttering, because the people around them are more aware of the problem and have easier to accept it. On the other hand young people have more pressure on their speech as ever before. All those presentations, working in groups as well as being articulate in the group and towards the other sexe. They have so many things to be good at, so many eyes on them and all this while so much is happening in their bodies and lives. So you can see two groups of young people: those who are active within self help groups, stutter freely and educate and those who don't even acknowledge they have a problem. The first group (which I feel is growing thanks to support groups and a strong social network) will tell you they ARE NOT disabled, but that they ARE BEING DISABLED by other people. The second group might deny both. As being the vice chair of the European League of Stuttering Associations (ELSA) we're organizing European Youth Meetings with the major goal to get young people who stutter to find and ackowledge themselves, to speak up and to take comment of their own lives. We're doing that by giving them the tools and let them give each other the power and insight needed to find their "yellow brick road". And as we try to follow up on them, we have several chair persons, a vice major of diability issues, teachers, doctors, world travellers etc. But wouldn't that be a perfect study to take on for your thesis? Do get into contact with the stuttering organisation called FRIENDS and the absolutely amazing theatre group called OUR TIME, as well as with the nearest support group (check with the NSA). There's a wealth of information there. Thanks for caring and do help us to bring young people who stutter forward, as they are our future. Anita


Last changed: 10/22/06