NATIONAL STUTTERING ASSOCIATION

 

International Stuttering Awareness Day (ISAD) is October 22nd.  What can you do to help those around you to understand stuttering a little bit more?  There are so many different things that you can do.  Choose something from below or think of something on your own.

 

*           Talk to others about the NSA:  The National Stuttering Association (NSA) is the largest self-help support organization in the United States for people who stutter. Our mission is to bring hope, dignity, support, education, and empowerment to children and adults who stutter, and their families. Organized in 1977, the NSA provides information, advocacy and support for people who stutter and the professionals who work with them.  Everyday, the NSA changes the lives of people who stutter.

 

*           Learn and share what the NSA has to offer to adults who stutter, children who stutter, their families, and SLPs:

 

*           Local chapters for adults, children (NSAKids), and teens (TWST).

*           Local workshops for youth and family as well as adults.

*           Annual conferences.  The next one is 6/28/07-7/1/07 in Atlanta  

*           Newsletters

*           Letting go for adults who stutter

*           Our Voice for teens who stutter

*           Stutter Buddies for school-age children

*           CARE (Connection, Advocacy, Resources, and Empowerment) for parents

*           Parent support chain: connect with other parents who have faced the challenge of being the parent of a child who stutters

*           Internet yahoo groups.  The NSA hosts separate protected email support groups for kids (7-12), teens (13-20), parents of children, and adults who stutter.

*           Workshops and Continuing Education (CE) seminars.  The NSA provides the latest information for people who stutter and speech-language pathologists through nationwide workshops, ASHA approved CE presentations, and our partnership with OnlineCEUs.com.

*           NEW ‘Top 10’ brochures.  The top 10 ways to help your young child, school-age child, or teenager who stutters.

*           NEW resources for SLPs brochure

*           We are here to help. To support those who stutter.  The NSA brings hope, dignity, support, education and empowerment to children and adults who stutter, and their families.          

*           Make a life changing decision; come celebrate our 30th Anniversary (1977-2007) and attend our annual conference in Atlanta,GA June 28th- July1st 2007.  It will change your life.  Our 3-day conference is the best way to help people overcome the challenge of stuttering.  Activities, motivational speakers, support from others who stutter, the latest research, and much much more.

*           Go to the ISAD online conference and read some great articles and join some interesting discussions (10/1/06-10/22/06). http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/isad9/isadcon9.html 

*           Share an ISAD online conference article with someone you care about (articles are permanently archived on the stuttering home page).

*           Hand out NSA brochure Notes to Listeners to 5 people that you come across.

*           Hand out NSA brochure So Much Can be Done to someone you know who stutters but you have never talked to them about stuttering.

*           Get involved in your local NSA chapter.  Start a new TWST (Teens who STutter) or an NSAKids (Kids who stutter, their families, and SLPs) chapter in your area.

*           Read an article on NSANews on www.WeStutter.org  there are some great archived articles as well as new articles posted weekly.

*           Write about an experience you had or a challenge you took to be published in an NSA newsletter.  Submit it to info@westutter.org

*           Join the NSA!!  Call 1-800-937-8888 for more information

 

*           Learn more about stuttering:  The causes of stuttering are complex.

 

*           Theories indicate that stuttering is due to many aspects of a one’s development. We know that stuttering is not caused by psychological or physical trauma. Thus, it is not an emotional disorder.  We also know that stuttering is not linked to intelligence. People who stutter do not have higher or lower intelligence just because they stutter.

*           Approximately 1% of the population stutters. Current estimates put the total number of people who stutter in the U.S. at about 3 million.

*           Stuttering is a highly variable disorder.  People stutter more in some situations, and less in others situations. It is often hard to figure out what causes the changes from situation to situation. This variability adds to the mystery surrounding stuttering and makes it harder for a person who stutters to know how to deal with his speaking difficulties.

*           Many children exhibit early signs of stuttering in the preschool years, though most outgrow it. Unfortunately, we cannot predict which children will develop normal fluency and which will continue stutter. Early assessment, diagnosis, and treatment are critical for ensuring the child’s long-term communication success.