Introducing our new host: Chad Mannisi

Chad Mannisi is the newest addition to our roster of awesome Stutter Social hosts!

Hailing from the United States, Chad works in IT, loves sci-fi, and kept himself active throughout school in spite of his stuttering. Including becoming senior class president!

Chad will be hosting our hangouts on Thursdays alternating with Douglas Scott. Check the Stutter Social website for schedule details.

Let's get to know a little bit more about Chad...

1. Tell us about yourself
My name is Chad Mannisi and I have been stuttering for most of my life.  I work in the IT department of a major communications company as their Executive Technical Support.   I have the stress free job of fixing the computer equipment for the executives of my company, including the CEO.  I have been doing this job for the last 8 years.  I am an avid Sci-Fi nerd and love watching movies of almost all genres; except movies with subtitles.  If I wanted to read, I’d pick up a book…

2. What was it like for you to grow up stuttering?
Stuttering went from something I just did and was unphased by it, to something that controlled my life and choices, to now just a part of me, like the color of my hair or eyes, not the only thing to define me.  I went to speech therapy for many years, and it had little effect.  I did my best growing up to not let my stuttering get in my way or define who I was, while still looking and hoping for that miracle pill to cure me.  I was school treasurer in grade school, participated in talent shows, and was the Senior Class President in high school.

Stuttering only got in the way when I let it get in my way, which I did, from time to time.  I did let stuttering stop me from doing things in high school and college that I wish I had done, but try to look back on those times as lessons from which to learn.

3. What made you interested in becoming a Stutter Social host?
I had heard about Stutter Social at one of the NSA conventions and thought it was a neat idea.  A few years later, I became aware of an opening for a host position, and gave it some thought before going for it.  I wanted to make sure I’d be able to give it the attention and time hosting deserves.

4. Do you have any advice for people who stutter?
My advice for people who stutter is to not worry about what you think others are thinking. For years, I would attach so much emotion to every block and repetition of conversations. I just knew that the world was going to end if I stuttered while ordering food, asking for help in a store, or talking with someone I found attractive. That, whoever I talked to would laugh or tell the story of ‘that guy who couldn’t talk’ for weeks afterwards.  Over the years, I’ve found 99% of people are more worried about themselves and what’s going on in their lives, to care about your stuttering.  In fact, most are supportive, and usually knows someone themselves who stutter.

Introducing our new host: Derek Johnson

We are excited to introduce Derek Johnson, the newest member to our line up of Hangout hosts!

Derek will be hosting Thursday evenings (Toronto/New York/Peru time) alternating with Chad Mannisi. Check the Stutter Social website for schedule information.

Derek enjoys listening to music, getting out into nature, and traveling the world.

Let's get to know Derek a little more...

1. Tell us about yourself

My name is Derek Johnson and I've been a stutterer all of my life. I am an assistant professor in the Department of Biology at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, USA. My childhood and adulthood interests in nature led me to my current profession.  

2. What was it like for you to grow up stuttering?

As a child, I always had a good group of friends, and I think that they largely protected me from a lot of the teasing and bullying that other persons who stutter experienced. The teasing and bullying was there, but it wasn't severe. I still found it very frustrating to not be able to express myself as I wanted. I would often know the answer to a question in class, but would rarely speak up. I would think of a witty response when joking with friends, but by the time I was able to get it out, the subject had already changed. I went to speech therapy several times through my childhood, and while I think it was helpful to varying degrees, the benefits never seemed to stick. 

3. What made you interested in becoming a Stutter Social host?

I find Stutter Social to be a very intriguing way to connect with others who stutter. I was very fortunate to live in Lafayette, Louisiana for a few years, which has a very active National Stuttering Association (NSA) Chapter. Through this and the NSA national meetings, I have been fortunate to build a strong support network of others who stutter. I am well aware, however, that many persons who stutter, in the US and in other parts of the world, lack the opportunity to communicate with others who stutter. I'm very happy for the opportunity to be a part of the Stutter Social platform, to assist allowing more persons who stutter to get the support they need. 

4. Do you have any advice for people who stutter?

In my opinion, the best thing a person who stutters could do is to not be hard on themselves. Stop judging yourself and accept your stutter. Note that I am saying 'acceptance' not 'resignation'. Accepting yourself and your stutter now is the first step toward the improvements you would like to make in the future. 

I am also a strong believer that networking with others who stutter, in support groups and/or social groups, provides a beneficial sense of community. I strongly encourage involvement in such groups as they gave me more confidence to put myself out there into talking situations in 'the real world'. 

Lastly, remember that self improvement is a process that takes a long time. The same goes for stuttering, so don't expect quick results, don't be discouraged by 'bad days', and be wary of so-called cures that promise fluency in a short period of time. Remember the saying, "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is." 

Announcing the Stutter Social App!

We're proud to announce that we're complementing our Hangouts with our very own Stutter Social mobile app!

The app is a standalone private social network. You can share what's on your mind, post photos, and participate in monthly and weekly themed conversations. There's also a calendar feature that notifies you whenever we have a special Hangout. And it's free!

The app is available for iOS and Android devices (running at least iOs 6 or Android 4) and is exclusively available to the Stutter Social community.

Fill out our access request form bit.ly/getstuttersocial to gain access to the Stutter Social app. We will reply to you by email within 2 days with a link where you can download the app.

Below is a taste of what the app offers.

So whatcha waitin' for? Join us! – bit.ly/getstuttersocial

The loading screen

Conversations in the app by some of the Stutter Social crew

Stutter Social Stories: Vishal Gupta

In another Stutter Social Stories post, this time we spoke with Vishal Gupta, a Stutter Social regular and web developer from India.

1. Tell us about yourself.

My name is V-V-V-ishal G-G-G-Gupta. I am from the north state of India and from the city of Allahabad. It's famous for Kumbh Mela (three rivers which flow together attracting people from around the world to come to bathe and also for spiritual reasons).

I am a person who stammers and I remember starting stammering at the age of 4. As I was excellent in mathematics, I decided to go into engineering. I graduated in 2012, and since then I have been working in IT company as a UI and web designer/developer and leading my five-member team.

Apart from that, I am the Delhi Coordinator of TISA (the Indian Stammering Association). I have been running the Stammer Freely Google Hangout for Indian People Who Stammer for 2 years and I am also a regular participant of the Wednesday Stutter Social Hangouts for 3 years.

2. What are your hobbies?

I have a long list of my hobbies which includes cricket, singing, blogging, illustration, business planning, app design, and hosting groups of people.

3. What was it like growing up as a person who stutters?

It was bit strange for me when have got to know that why i am having so much blocks, repetition and force while speaking. It was very difficult for me to pass msg , to give answer to other person or to take initiative of sharing anything among the people and even one on one. It was really bad but I sang song really well everyone knows me as a good singer. But after few months of stammering, my parents also observed the same thing and then they took me in a doctor clinic where doctor prescribed me a mind-full TONIC which was completely pathetic, he said its a mind weeknesss "once he start to take tonic automaticallly his stuttering will get vanish"

My school days were okay. I was kind of introvert but enjoyed every moment with friends and family. Sometimes I got bullied at school and, gradually, I started to become a real introvert and great thinker about future and all. Everytime when I wished to say something, I didn't know why words didn't come out from my mouth. I had blocks and problem in particular letters like A, K, E, P, CH, J, D, H and a few more.

As I was growing towards a college student, my social weakness was also running and growing very badly things were going to be very worst enough but something was very strange because there was a time I thought my stammering is seasonal. I used to stutter less in summer and severly in winter and there so much myth also I had in those days. Finally I got admission in engineering collee, life was bit changed and matured as that was new phase of my life but there are lot of situation where I had opportunity  to come in limelight and give my opinion or answer but I always choose the close door i.e avoidance and ignorance.

In my third-year, I decided to go to speech therapyand learn technique to cure my stammering and during my speech therapy sessions, i looked very fluent without a single block or repetition but when I came to real world that means when I started to talk with normal people again my stammering level became high then one day I found myself that somehow I need something else because inside the mind and heart I am very fear-full and scared person why not try to do acceptance and all then finally I have got info about TISA and then got to know about acceptance since then my jounrney became and now I am priety much comfortable with my stammering and also I am on recovery stage so I have learned many things frm the people who stammer and also from the people who are no stammerer.

4. How did you find out about Stutter Social?

It was in June 2012. I was searching for forums and websites related to stammering as I was very much tensed that time as I was in my final year so had lot of  stress of upcoming campus placement and all. Finally with the help of Google and the Stuttering Arena group on Facebook, Krishna Srinivasan, one of the Stutter Social hosts shared a link to his Hangout. I clicked on the link and saw 5-6 people were talking about stuttering. I was little stressed as there were 5 people and first time ever in my life I was going to speak in English. I started to talk and gave my intro with so many hard blocks and so much fear but finally, I did it :)

5. What made you give Stutter Social a try?

Of course my stammering :) I thought it was the best platform to start a journey of sharing things and learning from others.

6. How did Stutter Social help you?

I would say AMAZINGLY it has been helping me a lot. I know my first hangout in which I had practically blocks in each and every 3rd and 4th word and was very much tensed and stressed but after joining regular the hangout automatically, I started to speak very nicely. I know it took long time but it gave me confidence and believe that you can speak. Even you can pass your message, you can initiate and ask any question and  I have got so much knowledge from the other participants which I never knew before.

It made me socialize because Stutter Social is an international hangout platform for PWS so it taught me how one can understand accents from different countries. Stutter social has been very nice for me to improve my communication, english, confidence, and yes stammering.

7. What tips would you give other PWS?

• I have spent many years trying to cure my stammering but the bitter truth is there is no cure. The only thing is you can manage your stammering up to 90-95%.
• Just accept who you are but remember that doesn't mean your journey is finished. Acceptance is a beginning. Acceptance is not a target, it's a continuous process in each and every situation.
• Speech is like a river, it finds its own way. Remember that letting go is very important to recover yourself from a bad day of stammering.
• On the other hand, practice is also very important after acceptance, you can start with the techniques easy repetition, bouncing, voluntary stuttering and slow rate of speech.
• My recommended books include "Speech is Like a River" by Ruth Mead,  "Operational Fluency" by Dr. Gunars and "Redefining Stuttering" by John C. Harrison.