[ Contents | Next | Previous | Up ]
From: Chris Roach
Date: 10/2/01
Time: 12:12:23 PM
Remote Name: 152.163.197.191
Jonathan, thanks for your kind comments and support. You hit two primary issues I think are so pivotal to a successful life for a PWS (covert or overt): recognizing consequences will exist due to stereotyping and the importance of competing and living in the mainstream. Steve Hood raised an excellent aspect that impacts both of these -- severity. Most important is the "severity of attitude."
Despite efforts to educate the public, schools, the workplace, etc., we WILL be stereotyped -- initially. Everyone is, fluent and disfluent. How we respond is our choice. You had the perfect solution. You competed -- as normal. You chose to pursue your goals, ambitions, dreams, as everyone else wishing a full, normal life, without regard for the stuttering. THAT's what people saw -- a normal individual, integrating in the world...who happens to stutter. Had you not done so, they may unfairly have chosen to see only a person cowered and limited by their "handicap and disability." Thus, our grandest opportunity to educate the world about stuttering is through our individual examples of attitude and normalcy.
As Steve said so well, a covert's severe attempts to hide stuttering fuels the negative stereotyping, compared to the openness to accept the routine stuttering with a "milder" attitude, showing the listener you're comfortable and confident with your life, regardless of the fact you happen to stutter.
Thanks again, Jonathan for your participation. Our world is never dull!