Stammering activism and speech and language therapy: an inside view
This month Sam is guest blogger for the Did I Stutter? Project – you may read her blog here
Stammering
Stammering: A Million Courageous Conversations
“Iain, I’m going to be submitting a business case for promotion to manager in June. I normally stammer on my name which then knocks all my confidence, especially when meeting someone for the first time. Also, my fear of stammering often stops me from contributing to larger groups. These are going to be increasingly important … Read more
Stutter-Affirming Therapy: Removing the Obstacles to Spontaneous Speech
How can we help people who stutter come to understand stuttering as something other than the negative opposite of fluency? We can begin by exploring with them the mechanisms of ableism that position those with disabilities as inferior. People do not exist in a vacuum. Discourses that give meaning to our world pre-exist our births. … Read more
Totally OK to Stammer at Work (2/2)
Martyn: “Do you ever read poetry?” Me : “No. Of course not.” Martyn: “You might try it sometime. David Whyte1, something like that.” It had been just a short conversation but, as usual, his intuition was spot on. I’d been discussing with Martyn Brown, my Executive Coach at Ashridge2, my progress towards becoming more of … Read more
Totally OK to Stammer at Work (1/2)
“Here comes Iain WWWWilkie” was the greeting from a fluent-speaking former colleague at a reunion party in a London pub last week. Ten years ago his words would’ve put me firmly on the back foot, but these days I grab such playground comments as an opportunity to talk about how enlightened employers are now viewing … Read more
Insider accounts: Living with communication disability
As a student Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) nearing the end of your training, you begin to feel a bit like you might know a few things. After four years of placements and the range of experiences you have amassed through interaction with a variety of clients and their families, you start to think ‘Ok, … Read more
It’s time to take back our speech: Did I stutter?
Cathy and Sam invited me to discuss the Did I Stutter Project, a recently launched disability activist project for stutterers by stutterers, created by myself, Zach Richter, and Erin Schick this summer. Put most simply, we are a group of stutterers who want to be heard on our own terms, with two main goals: 1) … Read more
International Stammering Awareness Day 2014: My Shout!
Raising public awareness is rife these days. There seem to be colourful wrist bands and ribbons for almost every health and social issue you can think of, and stammering is no exception. Today, on International Stammering Awareness Day, you can mark the occasion by sporting a unique sea-green version. It may be a small gesture, … Read more
Reflections on my first BSA Conference: inspiration, connection, courage and community
A week later and I am still feeling buoyed up by the positivity of the British Stammering Association’s National 2014 Conference, held in association with the Scottish Stammering Network in Glasgow. I was not sure what to expect as I made the long train journey north on Friday 22nd August, arriving just in time to … Read more
Stammering and the social model of disability: challenge and opportunity
Where does the real problem of stammering lie? How does society communicate its values and norms about fluency and how does this affect people who stammer? How does the SLT tread the delicate path between helping their client manage their stammering more effectively (and increase ease of communication) without reinforcing unhelpful ideas about stammering (and … Read more