Today, October 22nd, has been designated International Stuttering Awareness Day and is intended to raise awareness of stuttering which affects 1% of the world's population according to The Stuttering Foundation.
Stuttering is a communication disorder characterized by disruptions, or dysfluencies, in the forward flow of a person's speech.
As a speech/language pathologist, I encounter and try to help kids who struggle with stuttering. It can be a very frustrating and lonely experience for them and requires much patience and vigilance for all involved, especially on the part of the stutterer. My time working with these kids has been in equal parts rewarding (when I am able to help and ultimately discharge a student who no longer requires services) and frustrating (when a student is unable to reach a degree of fluency he or she deems acceptable). There are a great many facts and myths about stuttering in the world. I would encourage you to learn more about this communication disorder, particularly if you know and interact with a stutterer in your daily life.
A good place to learn is The Stuttering Foundation at https://www.stutteringhelp.org/ or the National Stuttering Association at https://westutter.org/.
I am currently working on a children's picture book (working title A BUMPY ROAD TO SPEECH) and look forward to sharing more in the future.
