Don’t let other people get to you about your stuttering.
Cohen,
Boston, Mass.                          

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Hi I’m Tyrell. This is my story.

I have been stuttering for as long as I can remember and it really is a big thing with me. Well, when I was little that is. I always had a hard time controlling my stuttering. I would talk really fast and then get caught up on a word. I would try to talk fast because I won’t stutter. The time I usually did was when I talked slow.

I don’t get mad over it anymore because I’m older now, and I won’t let people get to me when they talk about me and my stuttering. I just brush it off and keep going. I really can’t say I was born stuttering because maybe I was and maybe I wasn’t. To tell you the truth stuttering is the main reason I never talk out loud during class. It’s also the reason why I don’t go on stage in front of anybody or even read out loud. It’s just something I have never been able to do. So for every one who stutters, don’t let what others say about it get you down. Stay strong and be yourself. If they can’t accept you for who you are, then that’s their loss. To every one like me: smile and be happy. Never let anyone hold you back.

Good-bye and good luck!
Tyrell
E-mail

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I am a 10-year-old boy named Mustafah. I do not like when people make fun of me when I stutter. I do not like when I stutter, but it doesn’t really matter to me. It only gets on my nerves when other people say, “Why do you go ahah ahah ah?” Then I get mad. I try to stop but sometimes it is hard. I only stutter when I am trying to get myself out of trouble or tell on somebody when they have done something bad. How do you make people stop stuttering if they have a really, really hard time stopping?

At school, I have a Speech Therapist that is really nice and I love her because she really helps me with my stuttering. Since I have been going to speech I have been getting a lot better at talking and not so much stuttering. At speech, I am reading this book called Sometimes I Just Stutter. It talks about how other people stutter and how they feel. Like, people have different emotions and do different things to stop stuttering. Some of the people in this book, do not have any friends because they stutter and make fun of them. I try to stop stuttering by talking fast and slow at the same time. This book helps me go with the flow and just let it out sometimes.

Thank you and goodbye from,
Mustafah, 10
California

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My name is Aaron and I am in 5th grade.

 

I do not really mind stuttering but it really annoys me when people ask about it. Because it annoys me, I don’t answer. They keep asking and trying to get it out of me. After about the millionth time, I answer that some other people do it and no one is quite sure why. This answer does not always satisfy them. Because it doesn’t satisfy them, they don’t bother with me.  That makes me feel unhappy.

 

In my speech class, we are going to be putting on a video with a power point presentation to educate the school about stuttering.        

 

Thank you for your time,
Aaron
California

 

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I started to realize I stuttered when I was in first grade, and I was 6 years old. Then, a couple months later, I started going to speech. This year is my third year because I’m in third grade now, and 8 years old. I’ve been using something called Frog Eyes and Load the Raft. Now, I am less bumpy and smoother.
Nick, 8
Grafton, Wis.

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My name is William. I am 8 years old. I live in Miami, Fla. I like to play basketball. I just might be a basketball player. I started stuttering at age 6. I like my speech class. It helps me not to stutter. My friends do not tease me. I think that speech is like a train because when you do not stutter, you are at the end of the train. I feel O.K. about my stuttering. I stutter a lot.
William, 8
Miami, Fla.

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Thank you for putting letters from kids that stutter in your magazine. It shows that you care about stuttering kids. Because in the letters we can read them out loud and that will help us not to stutter. If someone says that you stutter, you say, “I do stutter. And I’m working on it.” I feel pretty good about myself right now because my speech teacher is helping me get better with my speech.
Shane, 11
Crestline, Ohio

 

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Hi, my name is Will and I stutter. Even though my parents said that I started stuttering when I was 3, I didn’t realize it until I was in second grade. I felt sad that my friends could speak better than I did. At the same time I became aware that when I said the Pledge of Allegiance with my classmates, recited a poem with a friend or sang songs with my sisters, my words came out more fluently. Our class was preparing for a play. I was really nervous, thinking I would stutter, so I asked my teacher if I could say my lines with a friend.  She said I could! It was a relief!! The play was great! It was after that when I realized that I couldn’t always rely on someone to talk for, or with me. That’s when Susan Cochrane stepped into my life. She’s been my speech therapist ever since that week in the Spring of 2006!!!

 

I’m telling you this because now I’m ready to manage my own stuttering. Not only am I ready to do this on my own, I am geared up to help others who struggle with their speaking.  Since second grade, I’ve come a long way. Over time, I have learned to overcome fears about speaking. Once I learned to accept my stuttering  I was able to learn about belly breathing, phonating, and learning about what I call “social chords” (vocal folds); not to mention articulating! I also learned about all of the parts of my body that you’ve probably never heard of before, like the palate. Ask someone what it is!!  I have really benefited from Ms. Susie. This all seems tiring to learn, but not with an awesome speech therapist like Mrs. Cochrane.
Will, 5th grade
Geneva, N.Y.

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When I stutter it’s because I’m excited. I talk really fast when I’m excited. So, it doesn’t give my speech machine enough time to concentrate. A way I help it is to talk loudly and slowly. I practice it mostly in speech therapy. From practicing so much now, even if I?don’t think about it, I talk loudly but not so slowly. I’m lucky because kids don’t tease me about stuttering, but my brother did. It made me really sad when he did, but he doesn’t any more. If kids do tease you, ignore them and tell an adult or talk to them about stuttering and tell them what it is. You could tell kids “that’s called stuttering. Stuttering is when my speech machine jams up and I make my words come out like that. So sometimes I can’t help it and it is really frustrating.”
Trevor, 10
Denver, Colo.

 

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Hi. My name is Moshe. I’m 6 years old. I’m in first grade. I stutter in school and at home. When I stutter, it bothers me and I feel sad. My mom takes me to a therapist to help me. I feel good about myself.
Moshe, 6
Brooklyn, N.Y.

 

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My name is Andre. I am 11 years old and in fifth grade. I am the only person in my family who stutters. When I was asked about my stuttering, I felt ashamed.
       

But when I soon learned that many people who were kings, queens, etc., stuttered, I was astonished!
 

King John IV stuttered (in the U.K. he was called a stammerer) and Petolemy, ruler of Egypt, stuttered too.
Andre, 11
Miami, Fla.

 

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My name is Edwin. I am 10 years old, and I live in Miami, Fla. My favorite hobby is basketball because I want to be a basketball player. I started to stutter at the age of 9. My speech teacher helps me most of the time with my stuttering.
Edwin, 10
Miami, Fla.

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My name is D’Angelo. I am 12 years old and live in Miami, Fla. I like to play football. I like my speech class because my teacher helps me with speech and now I take my time talking. That helps me from stuttering.
D’Angelo, 12
Miami, Fla.

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I read your story in the book Sometimes I Just Stutter. I had a comment about what  you said about your stuttering problems. I think you shouldn’t pressure yourself about your stuttering. I do it too. I think your therapist is right about stuttering.
Tyler
Portland, Ore.

 

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a PDF of these pictures.

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My name is Britney, and I’m 8 years old. I have been stuttering since I was 5 years old. When I start to stutter my mom tells me to think about what I’m going to say before I talk. Every time I stutter it feels like a roller coaster because when I stutter the roller coaster goes bump, bump, bump. That is why stuttering feels like a roller coaster to me. I get frustrated a lot because when my cousins tease me I start to stutter a lot. But sometimes I try not to think about the teasing and I try to calm down. I tell them to stop teasing me because that will make me stutter even more. And now I’m starting to get better. One of the things I learned in speech is about eye contact. I am glad I am in this speech class because I am starting to get better at not stuttering.
Britney, 8
Pomona, Calif.

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Click here to download a PDF of these drawings. 

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My name is Lizette. I would love to tell you about my stuttering. Sometimes I get really frustrated and other times I’m calm. You see I hate it when people try and help me and say “slow down” or “what did you say?” It just makes me think more about stuttering and that’s when  I get nervous and tend to stutter even more. I love to sing, and my friends will ask me, “Why don’t you stutter when you sing?” That’s where I get stuck. I don’t know what to say. Yes, I do accept who I am and I know that no one is perfect, but sometimes I just want to pull my hair out. My stuttering usually is when I start to get really excited or really nervous.
Lizette
Cache, Okla.
Editor’s Note:
By Lisa Scott, Ph.D.    
       We don’t know for sure why people don’t stutter when they sing, but it’s probably a combination of reasons:
       1. When you sing, you take breaths in between measures. This means that the number of words you say on one breath is very specific. When you talk, on the other hand, you can take breaths wherever you want in the sentence. Sometimes, people who stutter have a hard time keeping their air going, so it makes talking harder.
       2. Different parts of our brains help us think or act in special ways. Most people’s center for music is on the right side of their brains, but the speech center is on the left side of the brain. This means that the “controls” are different for talking versus singing.
       3. Another idea that might explain why people don’t stutter when they sing has to do with how much you have to think of words on your own. When you are talking, you have to have an idea, then pick out the words you’re going to use to tell someone else your idea, then get your muscles and air going to be able to say the words. When you sing, someone else has already thought up all the words and it’s not your own idea, another good reason that sining is easier than talking.
       We hope this helps answer your question!

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My name is Greg. I’m 9 years old and in the third grade. I think stuttering is like a car on a road. If you stutter, you are going too fast. If you don’t stutter, you go where you want to go and you don’t get a ticket.
Greg, 9
Hanover, Pa.

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My name is Damian and I stutter. Sometimes I am mad because when I am reading at school some say “hurry up” and sigh, and I don’t like that. But it is OK to stutter. To me, nothing is wrong with it. And I don’t care what people think about my stuttering.
Damian
Cache, Okla.

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My name is Jabaree. I’ve been stuttering for 6 years and I’m through with it. My stuttering feels like a basketball. When the ball bounces, I feel like I can’t get my words out. And when I shoot the ball, I drag my words out. Dragging my words and sliding are the best ways I use to not stutter as much. Some kids ask me why I talk like that, and I tell them I stutter. Most of them are my friends, and they don’t tease me. When I get teased, I try to ignore it and I don’t get mad. In all I’m OK and I like my life.
Jabaree
Pamona, Calif.

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Hi, my name is Derrik. I block sometimes. I feel OK about my speech. I repeat stuff a lot, but sometimes I don’t repeat a lot. I go get help from my speech teacher. I feel blocking is a little OK.
Derrik
Hanover, Pa.

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My name is Evan and I am 11 years old. I stutter like all the other kids who write to the Stuttering Foundation. I repeat my words but that’s OK now because I go to speech class and I’ve improved so much. I’ve gotten teased by a lot of kids. When I get teased, it’s like getting punched in the face. The kids who teased me are now my friends because I forgave them. What I ask for from a friend is for them to treat me the way they want to be treated. Through the years, stuttering hasn’t pushed me back from playing sports and doing activities. Its actually pushed me forward and allowed me to tell my friends about my stuttering. Thank you Stuttering Foundation for supporting all the kids in America. And, remember, there is no perfect speech. All the perfect speech you could get is confidence and it is all from the heart.
Evan, 11
Stevenson Ranch, Calif.

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My name is Naftali. I am 8 years old. I stutter. I think that stuttering is not bad at all. Sometimes people tease me. I ignore it because no one is perfect and no one will ever be perfect.
Naftali, 8
Far Rockaway, N.Y.

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My name is Cherrelle. I attend Fairfield Court Elementary. When I am talking, sometimes I start to stutter a little bit. When I’m with my speech therapist, it’s like I never stutter. I never stutter when I read something. When she closes the book, I start to stutter. When I stutter, first I’ll stop then I’ll start over and make up a little rhythm to the speech. When I’m with my family, I stutter a lot. But now I’m used to stuttering around people. If you stutter, it is OK. Just tap your leg and start on your sentence. It will really help.
Cherrelle,
Richmond, Va.

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My name is Makayla. I am 8 years old. I’m like my daddy because he stutters too. People make fun of me. When people make fun of me I get sad because I feel bad for stuttering. I was wondering what should I do if someone makes fun of me? What did the other kids do?
Makayla, 8
E-mail       
Editor’s Note: Be sure to read the letters in this newsletter from other children who have ideas about teasing. Remember to not let the teasing get you down  and to stay calm. It's okay to let others know teasing hurts and to ask them to stop. Another good resource is Sometimes I Just Stutter.  In it, every time 9-year old Mark is teased, he just grins and says, “Come back when you can stutter better than I do!”

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To Celebrate Pi Day, 10-year-old twins Joel (left) and Shawn memorized more than 150 digits of Pi between the two of them.

Pi is the symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Pi = 3.1415926535... Pi Day is celebrated by math enthusiasts around the world on March 14th taken from the first 3 digits of the equation, which so happens to be Einstein's birthday.

Finding math equations around the house has become common place, equations that are approximately 2 feet in length. You will always find Joel carrying his college level technical math book whether he is going shopping with mom, or to an appointment. He often studies Algebra & Calculus online. Joel was playing Beethoven's 5th Symphony at age 9 after only 6 months of taking lessons (the piano teacher said "I have never seen anything like this in 15 years"), he has memorized 101 digits of Pi.

Shawn, who has been stuttering since a young age, has been doing adult puzzles since the age of 5, and completed level 9 on an IQ test (the instructor said, "I have never witness anyone get to that level before." There were only 9 levels in that portion of the test). He has memorized 51 digits of Pi.

Their 5-year-old brother Max has memorized 15 digits.

Joel and Shawn plan to celebrate Pi Day by eating Pie, and perhaps memorizing a few more digits.

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I was 5 when I started noticing that I was stuttering. Then when I got older I kept getting madder and madder at my stuttering. But when I was 5, I didn’t mind it ‘cause I didn’t know how bad it would be. Now I’m in 2nd grade. I’m getting used to my stuttering and I’m getting better. Sometimes I still get mad at my mouth. By 6th grade I hope I stop stuttering. I went to summer speech school and that helped me a lot. We read and recorded stories. It was F-U-N! My school speech teacher teaches me to relax my body. I get pluses for the words I am fluent on. I say words with 2- and 3-syllables, and I did it perfectly.
Carter
Minnesota

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I am Edgard. I’m 10 years old and in 5th grade. My hobbies are being with my family, playing with my brothers, and playing with my friends. I’ve been in speech class for 2 years. However, that doesn’t bother me anymore. Ever since my speech teacher told me that everyone stutters — even she does now and then — it makes me happy to be who I am.
       My teacher teaches me how to use easy speech. Sometimes we have homework for easy speech, and it helps me use my strategies. When I stutter, I stick out my tongue, shake my head and say “ahhh.” When that happens I feel nervous, so I try to forget that it happened and use easy speech to keep talking. Easy speech is a great technique because I talk more fluently and now I’m OK with my stuttering.
Edgard
Orlando, Fla.

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Josette, 10, from Brooklyn, N.Y., has been working on a book series titled “Stuttering Sara.” She is writing the series in hopes of helping other children who stutter. In the first book, Sara was chosen for the lead in a school play. But she is scared to perform because she might stutter. At first, Sara doesn’t even show up and the stage remains empty! Sara finally decides she would rather perform than quit the play and she comes up with an idea. She knows that when she speaks in unison chorus with another person, it helps alleviate her stuttering. So she enlists the help of a friend and together they successfully perform in front of the whole school. The play is a  big success and Sara is happy to have conquered her stage fright with a great solution. Josette is a student of Peter Reitzes, M.A., CCC-SLP.

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My name is Maddy.  I'm 10 years old. I enjoy going to speech class because I want to learn and get better at my stuttering. My friends don't tease me because we all know that no one is perfect, but unfortunately there are people in the world who make fun of other people.  You have to remember stuttering is okay and over 3 million people in America stutter, so don't be ashamed. Be proud of who you are. Everyone is perfect in their own way. You can do everything that you want to.
Maddy, 10
St. Charles, MO

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I have gone through a lot of things like kids picking on me and calling me names. The way I deal with it is to not pay attention to them and not listen to them. Now I am 10 years old and people don’t pick on me that much because I’ve gotten better at not stuttering.
Desmond
Dallas

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I am 9 years old. I like to play baseball. I have been going to speech for 6 years. My favorite subjects are science and math. I like school. Stuttering is like somebody hitting you in the face.  I sometimes get worried, but I know its okay. I have two brothers and one sister, and she is so cute.
Tripp
E-mail

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My name is Cricynda (crih-sin-dah ). I am 11 years old and in the 5th grade. I like to do many things, like swimming and drawing. I’ve been in speech class for two years. I feel okay about my stuttering. I’ve been learning about one thing … Easy speech! Easy speech is slowing down when you’re talking. We use this very often. Our goal is to use it outside of class. Thank you for reading my letter. I hope this helps other kids know that other people stutter as well. They are not the only ones.
Cricynda
Orlando, Fla.

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All eyes were on Paul as he prepared to deliver a presentation to his 2nd grade class about stuttering. In his usual cool, confident manner he assured his speech teacher, Karrie Johnson (a graduate student at the University of South Alabama), that he was ready… And he was. They had spent a few weeks organizing and brainstorming all the information he had learned about his stuttering over the past year. Paul, being the firecracker that he is, loved the idea of presenting to his class from the very beginning. “ All I did was make a list of possible topics and walk him through what he wanted to say about each. He came up with most of the ideas on his own,” said Johnson. The presentation began with a quiz administered to the class that exposed facts and myths about stuttering. Then Paul explained how the speech mechanism works and described different locations and types of stuttering. Next, he passed around a picture he had drawn of a “speech mountain” while he explained the highs and lows of his speech and the tools that help him “climb back up” when he hits a rough spot. The presentation ended with Paul telling the class about things people do that hurt and help him when he gets stuck on a word. As the class erupted with clapping, Paul proudly smiled back and cast a glance at his mother and sister who had come to support him.

 

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Imagine that your speech is a train. The train is going across flat land on a bumpy track with no engine. The workers of the train, who pull it across the land, are your speech muscles. The boss, who is directing the work, is you. You must pull slowly and at a steady rate. All of the works must pull together at the same time with the same amount of force. Dysfluency is when the train is derailed. To keep the train from derailing, the workers must work together at a slow pace. If the workers pull too quickly, the bumpy track will make the weight of the train shift so much that the train falls over.
Seamus
E-mail

 

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Hi. My name is Paxton and I’m 8 years old. I’ve been stuttering off and on for several years. When I was in first grade, I was stuttering really badly so I kept on working hard not to stutter. Now I’m in 2nd grade. When we had spring break, I quit stuttering and when I got back in school I still wasn’t stuttering! So I hope it won’t come back! But I’m still working with my speech teacher. She is a really good teacher. When my stuttering was really bad, it made me angry. Now I’m doing better so I don’t mind that much. I hope my stuttering stays away forever.
Paxton
E-mail

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My name is Frank. I am 9 years old. My stuttering goes in a pattern. The first year I stuttered and the second year I didn’t stutter. When I was around 3 or 4, I realized I stuttered. Then everybody kept making fun of me. They just say that I stutter, and that makes me feel bad about myself. Now I learned to say “It’s OK to stutter” to people who make fun of me. Then I ignore them. Then they get bored and they leave me alone. It makes me feel like the stuttering is gone. No one realizes it.
Frank
Brooklyn, N.Y.

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My name is Tyler and I am 9 years old and I stutter. I live in Lumby, B.C., in Canada. I like soccer and I go to Scouts. I go to speech class to learn how to stop stuttering and to be OK with stuttering. I like to go to my cousin’s place and go to the park. My cousin’s name is Josh. Josh helps me by telling me when I’m talking too fast so that I can slow down my speech. Stuttering is nothing bad, over a million people stutter in the world. I use to stutter lots but now I go to the speech teacher Anita, and she helps me stop stuttering. If you don’t like stuttering and people tease you, ask your mom to get help from a speech teacher. When I go to talk and I can’t get the words out I think that there’s a big bug inside me that chews up all the words I’m trying to say. I slow down and I talk to my friends more slowly and when I talk more slowly the bug comes flying out of my mouth and dies.
Tyler
Lumby, B.C., Canada

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I’m 8 years old. I started stuttering when I was about 5. I stuttered for 3 years. Now I go to a speech therapist. I feel just fine about my stuttering. There’s this kid in my class that imitates me at lunch about my stuttering and that makes me mad. But I just deal with it. I wish he wouldn’t imitate me.
Erik
St. Paul, Minn.

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Here is my story. I started stuttering when I was 6 now I am 7. Last year I went to a speech therapist. I’ve needed help for a while now with my stuttering. They told me if you slide it, start out like this ... sllllide. I don’t like stuttering though. Near summer time I stutter the most. I don’t know why.
Dylan
Allen Park, Mich.

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Sometimes I get stuck on words when I meet new teachers and new people, and then I stutter. Now that I go to speech, I have learned how to control and work through my stuttering. They both help me with my speech. They taught me to say all my letters and words without getting stuck. They have taught me how to breathe better and how to stretch out words and work through bumpy words. They both helped me with my speech. I do not mind that I stutter and have learned to love talking in front of others! I love playing drums, and I love to sing.
Angelo,
Roslindale, M.A.

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My name is Katie. I am in 3rd grade. I like to play football, have sleep-overs, cheerlead, color, and sleep. I am good at science, math, taking tests, watching TV, and changing my baby sister’s diapers. I have stuttered since the 2nd grade. My friends think I’m crazy, fun, awesome, love my hair, and my shoes. When I speak, I repeat the sounds and words several times. I prolong sounds. I move body parts (my hands) when I stutter, and I try to find other words when I am talking.
Katie
Owensboro, Ky.

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I don’t mind stuttering. It’s not like it’s illegal to stutter. But I don’t like it when I can’t let the words out. Robert, my speech therapist, helps me learn about stuttering. Oh, and by the way, I’m John, and I’m 8 3/4 years old.
John

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Sometimes when I’m stuttering I feel very angry. When I was in second grade, I was stuttering and people started to laugh at me. My teacher talked to me outside, and she talked to people who were laughing. Also, if you stutter, just use your techniques. It will help you. People will get used to me stuttering and no one will laugh at me again. In my new school, my friend Dara stutters too. Dara was crying because boys were making fun of her. I felt sad for Dara. I felt mad at the people who made fun of her.
Jonisha
Wyandanch, N.Y.
Editor’s Note: Trouble at Recess is a great book that deals with bullying.

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I don’t mind my stuttering. It’s not that bad. Sometimes stuttering makes me feel sad. Especially when people make fun of me, which occurs not very often. But sometimes people call me names. I go to speech therapy every Tuesday. It really helps me. Mrs. Miller helps me ease out of a stutter. I’m still learning. I’ve only been to the speech room about 12 times. I hope to learn how to tell people about my stuttering.
Jessica
Largo, Fla.

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I feel happy because I learn about stuttering in speech. Stuttering is like Damon Huard throwing the football for the Chiefs and there is a wall that blocks it.  I don’t think my  friends care that I stutter. I do all the things I like to do like  race BMX bikes, play football, and  skateboard. My teachers are all good and understand stuttering.
Jeff, 8
Lee’s Summit, Mo.

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I believe that I am a penguin beneath my human skin. Penguins have wings but not the ability to fly. I have a mouth but I do not have the luxury to talk without a care. My wings were shortened throughout my youth. The de-evolution of my confidence forced me to stay grounded and not fly with my brothers, my sisters, my cousins. The tuxedo-wearing birds replace the flying with swimming, as I have replaced my stuttering with a new approach to talking. With this new mode of sustaining, I can now dive into language and speech and survive among the icy waters that I frequently belong to. This can sometimes be a cold place and only if I explore the depths of the ocean that surround it can I find my place in the world, and only when I accept this place can I be admired for my swimming and not my flying. Perhaps those who have the sky and look down can admire me gliding through the waters.
Ben
Edmond, Okla.

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Is stuttering really that bad? My family members help me to slow down.
Naseer
Ferguson, Mo.

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My name is Drake and I am 7 years old. I go to school in Holland, Mich. I work hard in school because I want to go to college. I want to be a doctor who is called a nephrologist. That means a doctor who takes care of kidneys. I stutter when I talk, but I don’t stutter when I read out loud.
Drake, 7
Holland, Mich.

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I don’t like my speech because I stop on words and say them two or three times. My speech teacher told me how I could improve on my speech. I sometimes use my slow rate and sometimes I don’t. I forget to use my full breath and slow rate. We use a tape recorder so we can go back over my speech. I know I’ll get better.
Cole, 10
Hurricane, W.V.

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My name is Jillian. I stutter. People make fun of me, but I try not to let it bother me. Sometimes it does bother me though, so I try and try to stop stuttering. But I can’t. I don’t think it is right how people make fun of other people who stutter because we all have problems. Some people might not be good at math or reading. Some problems might be personal like family or self problems. Some may just speak a different language. But, some like me and many others, stutter, and I do not care what others think because I like myself how I am. I am who I am. Every one has feelings and some people’s feelings get hurt easily. My feelings get hurt easily. So if people make fun of me, I just try to stay away from them and sometimes I need someone to talk to so I do not just go around being upset. Instead, I have someone to talk to and I am happy about that. And with the Stuttering Foundation, I can see what other people have to say about stuttering so I know that I am not alone.
Jillian
Lantana, Fla

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I don’t like to be “sticky” because I don’t like to say words again. Sticky speech is what I call stuttering. I used to be like this: “d-d-dog.” My speech teacher is helping me learn what to do. Stuttering isn’t so bad.
Katelyn, 9
Hurricane, W.V.

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I don’t actually feel that angry about my stuttering. I don’t know why, but I feel very good about my stuttering. I’ll try to stop stuttering but if I don’t, it’s OK with me.
Andres, 8
Lynwood, Calif.

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When I stutter, I feel sad because I want to feel like I don’t want to stutter. Then everyone laughs at me, but when I take my time, I feel a whole lot better.
Ryan
E-mail                                    

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I do not like stuttering because some people make fun of me sometimes. I do not like stuttering but I am getting much better at it. I do not like stuttering because I get stuck on a word and it takes awhile before I can say the word clearly. I do not like stuttering because it makes me say words over and over again and it makes me mad when that happens.
Zachary, 9
Reedsburg, Wis.   

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Some of the things I like to do are video games and watching TV. Sometimes my speech is the best when I’m whispering quietly. My friends do not mind my stuttering a lot. And my speech is not that good when I am shy, nervous, or I am in front of a large amount of people. And on Monday at school Igo to my speech teacher. She is good with her speech. My mom says some day I will be a good talker. My grandmom likes music and she says that a director will want me for movie or singing roles.
Dontae, 9
Cheltenham, Pa.

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I don’t mind stuttering very badly. It’s not like it’s illegal to stutter. But I don’t like it when I can’t let the words out. Robert, my speech therapist, helps me learn about stuttering. Oh, and by the way, I am John. And I’m 8 3/4 years old.
John, 8
East Charleston, VT

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I am currently a graduate student at College Misericordia (Dallas, PA), where I am pursuing my master’s degree in speech-language pathology as well as my teacher certification. I recently created an informational video for my graduate level fluency course. I did the voices, danced in the costumes, shot and edited the whole piece. This 5-minute creation is to be shown to younger school-aged children who are having troubles with stuttering. Here is the link: www.vimeo.com/clip:219933
Erik X. Raj
Dallas, Pa.

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Hi, my name is Brandi. I’m 15 years old and had a stuttering problem all my life. It has gotten a lot better. I’ve learned how to pronounce the letters easy for the word to come out right. These exercises helped me a lot from then to now. I stutter when I get too excited, mad or sad, but sometimes I stutter when I don’t talk a lot that day then when a time comes for me to talk the stuttering tries to come.

When I was younger, my stuttering sounded like this “d,d, do, dog.” But now it’s like bumpy words sometimes. Most of the time I run out of breath which I try to control by taking my time. When I was younger in the fifth, sixth and seventh grade, I would get mad at my teachers when they asked me to read. Sometimes when I felt as if I could read I would volunteer. I read that a lot of celebrities have stuttering problems in their life, but James Earl Jones is my favorite because he plays Mufausa in The Lion King, and The Lion King is my favorite movie. I say to myself I will try to succeed in my stuttering because I really want to be a veterinarian when I get out of high school. Now going to the 10th grade I will try harder to my fullest and try to succeed.
Brandi
E-mail

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I saw my name in your summer newsletter and wanted to thank you.  And my poem won first place at district and an award of excellence in the state level competition. Thank you for everything.
Alicia
Virginia Beach, Va.
Editor: Congratulations on your awards!

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First, I just wanted to say thank you for your excellent Web site. It’s so nice to be able to point parents and professionals toward a Web site with good information. Secondly, I wish you could have seen the reactions when I gave copies of the celebrities who stutter brochure to several grade school kids who stutter. They thought it was so ‘cool’ to see Tiger Woods, Marilyn Monroe and James Earl Jones.
Kari Peterson
E-mail                                   

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Sometimes my stutter feels like my shoe is stuck in gum. I feel real sad. Sometimes kids tease me a lot. And I really feel bad about it. I was brave enough to give a presentation to my class to tell them about stuttering. I taught them about “bouncy” talking, “sticky” talking, and “long” talking. And I taught them about famous people who stutter, like Bo Jackson and James Earl Jones (the voice of Darth Vader). We talked about if they were teased before and how did they feel when they got teased. I told them ways to help me when I stutter. They can give me a signal to tell me to take a deep breath and let some air out. Now kids don’t tease me that much. If they do, I tell them to come back when they can stutter better than me!
Devon, 8
Beloit, Wis.

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My name is Gage. I live in Ohio. I’m 10-years-old. I’m in the fourth grade. I started stuttering at age 2. I feel my stutter has gotten a little better. It does not make me feel bad. My teacher and my friends help me. It is not a problem for me. I have very loyal friends. I’ve never been teased. It does not stop me from talking in class. It does not keep me from doing things I want to do. I do go to speech. It does help me. When I grow up, I want to be an actor so I can challenge myself. My advice is not to think about stuttering.
Gage
Amelia, Ohio

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Isaiah drew this picture and wrote, “When I stutter, my boat is bouncing on a wave.”

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When I was 5, I started to like horses a lot. Then when I turned 9, my mom signed me up for H and H. This is a group that practices horseback riding. We do hurdle jumping and barrel racing. Once when I won a big race, I had to make a speech in front of everyone. I realized that I started to stutter. Then I told my cousin what I wanted to say and she told everyone. I felt embarrassed that I couldn’t speak well and I was thankful for my cousin. My stuttering is better now than it was before. I hope that people who read my story will realize that other people can be very helpful.
Shelly
Salem, Ore.

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Tracey sent us this picture that includes a caption that says, "No one understands what I’m saying."

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My name is Chandler and I’m 10 years old. When I’m mad at my 
stuttering, I go outside and go to my friend’s house. He makes me feel good. He stutters like me and we are best friends. He keeps saying that I should try to quit and some people say, “Why do you say words over and over?” I say I stutter a lot. I go and sleep to help me stop stuttering. Some people call me “stutter-mouth” or call me “stupid.” I like the way I am! I have a favorite teacher who helps me with my speech. Here is a helpful hint: Try to have a friend just like you!
Chandler

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Letter to James Earl Jones:
I am a big Star Wars fan and I can’t believe that you had stuttering problems. You did an awesome job as the voice of Darth Vader! I have stuttering problems, too. I started when I was 6 or 7. I just want you to know that you aren’t the only one with stuttering problems. I never would have guessed that you had trouble with stuttering if I did not read about it.
Zane
Chester Springs, Pa.
 

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This artwork is by Bryce, 8, Amagansett, N.Y., who wrote, “When I talk, a really mean monster sneaks up on me and shoves a rock in my throat. Everything gets tight and I can’t talk. Then more rocks begin coming up. I sometimes get scared and want to run away. My speech teacher has taught me ways to help when this happens. I take a deep breath and stretch out the beginnings of my words and sentences and then I spit up the rocks! Then I feel much better and I can talk again. I also try not to speak too fast when I get mad or excited. If you try really hard, you can get the monster and stuttering to go away too.

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Gage, 10, writes, “My stutter is a car driving on a bumpy road.”

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David, 10, of Oceanside, CA, says, "I feel that my speech is like a dark cloud looming and following me, and when I use my speech utensils I put on a raincoat and I feel in control!"

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Denver Nuggets basketball sensation Kenyon Martin has inspired many children. He is now included on our 16 Famous People Who Stutter poster.

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Poem on stuttering
Dear SFA,
Hi my name is Alicia and I’m 13 years old.  I’ve been stuttering 
since I was 5 years old.  I’m from Virginia Beach, Va. Here is a poem 
I wrote:

The Stuttering Ways
By Alicia
Coming home, covered in tears
Life swept away by fear
Can’t even say my name
To worried about playing games
You’re always put on the spot
Pretending to be someone you’re not
Avoiding words that you can’t say
Is getting worse day by day
What is happening to my brain?
It causes so much pain
Trying to give a class presentation
Just ruins your reputation
Trying to do something new
Is hard while kids are teasing you
Always fluent when singing
Never while mingling
Never press hardly
Always try to touch lightly
Speech is like a river flowing
Until a rock falls in and keeps it from going
I’ll never be a lawyer or vet
I’ll deserve more than what I’ll get
Why did this have to happen to me?
Can’t you see that it isn’t easy being like me?
Take a walk in my shoes for a day
Would you want to live my way?

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Video gets four stars
Dear SFA:
Stuttering: For Kids, By Kids is about stuttering. What I liked about the movie was that the children in the video say that they are not shy to talk. Another thing I liked about it was that the children stutter and they just kept on talking. For example, when they spoke they just let their stuttering out and did not care about their stuttering. During speech class, I watched this video with four of my friends. My friend Katie said, “I learned that stuttering is not a big deal because everyone has problems.” Jennifer said, “I learned that some people can help themselves with stuttering.” Martha said, “What I learned was that you should tell your friends if you stutter.” Susan said, “What I learned is that stuttering is not funny.” My speech teacher said, “I am so glad that Melissa shared her stuttering and this video with her friends.”
Melissa
Fifth grade
New York

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I do what I want
Dear SFA:
My name is John. I am 11 years old. I am a 5th grader in Chicago. I like to read and hang out with friends. I have been stuttering since kindergarten. At first when I stuttered I couldn’t get every word that I said out of my mouth. But then when I got older I tend to repeat words two or three times and then I am fluent. My dad also stutters but not that much. My little brother also stutters. I notice that when I am not paying attention to how I talk, I don’t stutter. I never stutter when I sing or when I’m in a play. I don’t let stuttering stop me from doing any thing I want to do. When I am stuttering I don’t like it when people interrupt me. I don’t care that I stutter. Stuttering actually helps me meet new people because either some of my friends introduce me to their friends or they make sure that I am in a group project, and I meet new kids there. My speech therapist told me about your Web site and your newsletter. I am surprised that so many famous people stutter. I like reading the letters.
John
Chicago

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Larissa is a 6th grade student in Hagerstown, IN, who has been inspired by stories about children who stutter, says her speech therapist, Mary Kozak. Now it’s her turn to inspire others!

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I Can Do Anything

This is about my D.A.R.E. speech and how I got through it. D.A.R.E. is a program at my school that teaches kids about drugs. A good idea is to practice with an adult and pretend aliens are in the audience. Aliens don’t make me feel nervous, like people do, during a speech. My stomach does flips when I have to give a speech. I use slide-outs and it is very helpful. A really good tip is to read your speech over and over again to an adult. Talk slowly and pause between your sentences. Dont be afraid to try and give your speech in front of a lot of people. If I can do it, then I know you can too!

Larissa

 

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Joey’s Story

Dear Stuttering Foundation

I have been working on my stuttering a lot lately. Our speech therapist told us that on special occasions you can’t stutter, but when that special occasion ends, it don’t care if you stutter or not. I am eleven years old now and I have been stuttering for 6-8 years and I want to stop stuttering. I have been working really hard on it, and now I am doing a lot better on it.

I sure hope you get my letter and write me back, because I really want to stop stuttering.

Joey, North Carolina

 

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Blake’s Story About His Stuttering

I think that kids who stutter should not feel sad about it. I have been going to therapy for 2 years, and she has [taught] me how to overcome stuttering.  I am 10 years old and I have been stuttering all my life and I don’t stutter a lot now. Kids shouldn’t be upset about stuttering. I feel special about it, and other kids should too.

Blake, North Carolina

 

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Art by Trevor, 8, of Oceanside, CA, says, "Speech looks like a river flowing, and then someone put a rock in it so it can't flow." We love to get your letters and artwork to share, but we must have written permission from a parent to use them. Send your letters or pictures with signed permission to SFA, P.O. Box 11749, Memphis, TN  38111-0749 or email info@stutteringhelp.org.