Stutter Social is happy to announce the newest member of our amazing roster of hosts, Ronan Miller! Let's get to know Ronan a little bit:
1. Tell us about yourself
My name is Ronan Miller, and I am from Nottingham in the UK. I am 32 years old and have lived in Valencia, Spain since 2008. I am a PhD student at the University of Valencia, where I am conducting research into how people who stutter experience anxiety in English foreign language learning. I enjoy music in its many forms, cooking and eating, and exercising.
2. What was it like for you to grow up stuttering?
Growing up with a stutter was very difficult at times, the two most troublesome situations for me were being asked my name at school and making phone calls to my friends (before everyone had a mobile phone!). I was lucky enough to have a good group of friends that didn't care about my stutter, and all things considered I feel very fortunate to have had the experiences I have had.
3. What made you interested in becoming a Stutter Social host?
I have benefitted enormously from speaking with other people who stutter over the years, and my attitude towards stuttering has improved a great deal thanks to those conversations. In some small way, I hope that by becoming a stutter social host I may be able to pass on some of the positivity and understanding that I have received.
4. Do you have any advice for people who stutter?
My advice would be focus on your strengths, all of us have weaknesses, whether we stutter or not. Despite the negatives, stuttering can lead to a whole host of positive experiences, and instead of holding you back, can actually make you more determined and ready to take risks. There are many people who stutter who do amazing things and continue to stutter openly, showing that attitude and self-acceptance is more important that speech fluency!
Pam Mertz, received the first Stutter Social Award for her service as Stutter Social host and to the stuttering community.
The award was presented by co-founder, Mitchell Trichon during the 41st annual Weekend Workshop for Effective Communication at the College of St. Rose in Albany, New York, to an audience of clients, family, past clients, student clinicians, supervisors, faculty, and administrators.
A smiling and “so surprised” Pam walked up to the podium to receive her award presented before Mitch began his workshop showcasing Stutter Social as a useful tool for people who stutter.
“Along with being a Stutter Social host, Pam is quite active and does so much for the stuttering community that I felt it was fitting to honour her right in her hometown!”, said Mitch. "It was great to honour Pam in her hometown. She's done so much for the stuttering community. We are so happy she's a part of Stutter Social."
Also in attendance via Google+ Hangout were Pam's fellow stutter social hosts as part of Mitch's demonstration of the technology used in Stutter Social group video chats. "I was so surprised and happy that several of my good friends were there to see it via technology.", Pam later shared on her blog, Make Room For The Stuttering.
Along with being a fierce advocate and great role model for women who stutter, a few fun facts about Pam’s service to the stuttering community include:
Getting fired from her job of 20 years because of her stuttering was a “defining and positively life transforming moment” that prompted her to never hide her stuttering and let her authentic self shine through. Pam does a lot of public speaking at her current job to high schools, universities, and gives training to colleagues at staff meetings.
In 2010, Pam launched her Women Who Stutter: Our Stories podcast to provide a forum for women to share their stories about living with stuttering – so far she has produced over 160 episodes featuring women from over 30 countries!
Pam gives multiple workshops at the National Stuttering Association’s annual conference and is currently a member of the Board of Directors, Co-chair Special Projects of the National Stuttering Association
In 2011, Pam was awarded the Jefferson Medal for Public Service for her efforts in raising awareness of stuttering and increasing tolerance.
Pam regularly shares her stuttering experiences to speech language pathology students
One of the earliest members of the stuttering community on Twitter (she's @stutterrockstar)
A Distinguished Toastmaster, Pam credits Toastmasters for being an “incredibly helpful experience” for her where she has entered speech contests, been involved in mentoring, held club leadership positions including Treasurer, President of her chapter, Area Governor and completed the Toastmasters High Performance Leadership Project.
The Stutter Social Award has been created to honour our hosts. It is in the shape of an iceberg as a tribute to the famous Iceberg Analogy of Stuttering.
Congratulations Pam and thank you again for your service!
Let's meet Douglas Scott, new Stutter Social host! Doug will host Thursdays alternating with Chad Mannisi.
1. Tell us about yourself.
I joined the NSA when it was known as the NSP (National Stuttering Project) in 1985. I am a native of Houston, Texas and a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin. I love college football especially the Longhorns! Hook em! Go Horns! I am married with two sons, ages 24 and 22.
Besides the NSA, my passion is TV shows (I'm a junkie) and movies, traveling, and towels! Yes, I love new nice bath towels! My professional work career has centered around IT mnagement/application support and accounting. I was employed for almost 30 years with a French owned company call Vallourec. Paris, France based Vallourec is a global pipe and steel concern with operations worldwide. After taking a year sabbatical, currently, I am pursuing opportunities in business administration support consulting and SAP application support.
2. What was it like for you to grow up stuttering?
Well, it was challenging to say the least! As with most people who stutter, there were the deeply embarrassing situations with my speech, the hard blocks, frustration, fear of speaking, and secondaries. My family was understanding and accepting of my stutter, because on my maternal side stuttering was prevalent. My maternal grandmother, uncle, and a cousin all stutter. So, my family actually did not pay too much attention to my stuttering. In fact, they treated it almost as normal. Not fitting the stereotype of southerners, my family actually spoke very fast. Of course, that made it more difficult to talk or get a word in during family gatherings and discussions.
I first recognized my speech was different and I had a stutter when on first day of class in second grade, my teacher did roll call. I stood up and could not say my name. And, yes, the kids laughed at me. That was hard and for many years after that I would hear the laughter of friends and foes directed toward my stutter and sometimes the relentless teasing! However, my stutter did not destroy me.
The reason it did not destroy me is because my family never allowed me to feel sorry for myself or that I was less than anyone else. My family, mainly my mother, made sure I felt I could still do and be anything I wanted to be.
There were many critical and pivotal moments in my life with my stuttering. One major moment was in college when I was part of a team assigned the responsibility of presenting results of a fictitious/faux company we managed in an organizational management class, I stuttered severely. I was only given 3 minutes to present my portion, it took at least 1.5 minutes just to say my name. I was so scared, sweaty hands, silent blocks, not breathing properly, totally embarrassed and ashamed. It was the worst day of my life. Needlessly to say, I did not receive a passing grade on the presentation part of the course. Fortunately, I did well enough on the content and written exams that I managed to pass the course.
3. What made you interested in becoming a Stutter Social host?
I participated in stutter social sessions for a year and half and enjoyed the experience. The opportunity to speak with friends and other people from all over the world was awesome.
Stutter social sessions are like mini-NSA meetings. In addition, it gives you an opportunity to practice your speech therapy techniques in a safe environment. I wanted to contribute to the Stutter Social group, my time and experience as a former NSA chapter leader and meeting facilitator, in the role of Stutter Social host.
4. Do you have any advice for people who stutter?
My advice to people who stutter is to be open to looking at your Stuttering as a journey! I feel that many things impact our stuttering but the most important factor in our stuttering is US. Join a support group for people who stutter. In USA, join the NSA. There is no better organization for people who stutter. If you can not attend a support group meeting then join a Stutter Social session.
Let's meet Michael Molino, new Stutter Social host! Michael hosts Wednesdays alternating with Heather Najman.
1. Tell us about yourself.
I was born a raised in San Jose, CA. After graduating from Live Oak high school I attend Evergreen Community College in San Jose. With a couple years of getting very little accomplished I joined the Navy. My initial thoughts were to go see the world, have some fun, and maybe after few years I’d become more disciplined in the world of academia. After 24 years of naval service I settled down in Sacramento and it just so happened that California State University Sacramento has a Speech Pathology program. I graduated with a B.S. in Speech Pathology and Audiology in 2014 and am currently in my 2nd year of their Speech Pathology Graduate program.
2. What was it like for you to grow up stuttering?
I didn’t realize I stuttered until the 3rd grade. We had split up into reading groups and I then noticed I was not the same as a couple people had laughed as I was reading. From that point on I remember going to speech therapy until the 7th grade. Speech therapy at that point was shameful, which is the reason why I chose to stop going. I was pretty quiet as a child, which I find odd these days as I tend to talk a lot. 3. What made you interested in becoming a Stutter Social host?
I am currently the Sacramento chapter leader for the NSA as well as former chapter leader for Seattle. I have been on Stutter Social from time to time over the past couple years. I like the dynamic of the hangouts. I like how they are organic in nature and topics can develop into something much meaningful from hangout participants than initially intended. I like sharing and listening to stuttering journeys. 4. Do you have any advice for people who stutter?
I consider myself very open about my stuttering now as opposed to when I was younger. This doesn’t mean that I still don’t feel the struggle at times. All I can say is that when moments of struggle hit me, I usually take a moment to think about what is going on and then carry on. Talking about my struggles with somebody else who stutters helps tremendously.
Stuttering is not defining. I constantly see negative posts on social media in regards to stuttering… And until we embrace our speech, we will only see the negatives. Two negatives make a positive, right! So get out there and be positive!
Hi there! Daniele Rossi here, co-founder of Stutter Social. In my spare time, I produce the Stuttering is Cool podcast and recently I've featured a seven-part series interviewing our awesome Stutter Social hosts asking them to share their go-to methods for stuttering survival and resilience.
It can be very difficult to live with stuttering every day and there's no cure. So the best thing we all collectively agree upon is building up resilience to fears of stuttering one small step at a time. Plus, hanging out with others who stutter.
Many thanks to the Stutter Social hosts for sharing their tips! Links to each of the interviews are below.
You’re making a phone call and growing more anxious about stuttering with each ring. What do you do? Learning telephone survival tips and mastering other speaking situations in dating, job interviews, small talk, even body language and overtly stuttering your name can help! I chat with Christine Dits who share these methods which help her deal with stuttering and building resilience. We also talk about introvert and extroverts who stutter and where they get their energy in social situations.
Hanan Hurwitz explains how there’s no special secret to beating stuttering. Achieving this is unconditional self-acceptance, non-avoidance, non-judgement, and living in the moment. Shame is debilitating. Stuttering isn't your fault. Accept yourself first then others will be able to.
Annie Bradberry shares the methods she uses to prevent her speech from getting in the way of her life, work, and play. Annie explains how she strives to stutter more cleanly, keeps in mind all the efforts she made over the years, giving yourself permission to stutter and to not to be perfect every day. You can have success again!
Everything will be alright. Really! Chad Mannisi, shares his tips on how to live a full, rich life in spite of stuttering. For instance, Chad purposely chose to present about stuttering in school to raise awareness and answer questions students might have been afraid to ask; he keeps in mind that no one is truly judging him; he also noticed that fluenters didn't seem to dwell too much when they stumbled on their words so he figured why should he.
You’re going to stutter. It’s part of the package. So don’t beat yourself up if you have a stuttery day. That’s the advice from Pamela Mertz. Pamela hid her stuttering for 30 years until one day she had enough. “You’ll lessen the load and anxiety but just being yourself and stuttering openly. And it makes you a more interesting person, more unique”.
Part time host, Elaine Robin, reminds us that nobody is perfect and everyone’s life journey is different. We need to be gentle on ourselves when stuttering happens or when we miss opportunities to advocate or educate. After all, we're only human. Elaine and I also chat about the benefits of facing your fears, positive self-talk, and talking to others who stutter.
Nicely completing my Stutter Social interview series, former host, Anita Blom, shares her stuttering survival and resilience tips which includes, talking about your stutter, meeting other stutterers, not comparing yourself to others, and everything is a life lesson.
On Thursday, September 17, we had the pleasure of chatting with Stuart and Hille of the Broca Brothers in our latest YouTube live broadcast. Hailing from the Netherlands, the duo has been producing videos – which have earned a lot of views shortly after being posted – featuring pep talks on keeping up with speaking goals and tips on maintaining a positive outlook towards stuttering.
Hosted by co-founders David Resnick and Daniele Rossi and the community manager for the Stutter Social mobile app, Christine Dits, we delved a little further into the personalities behind Stuart and Hille, their motivations for producing their videos, and tips on coping with stuttering.
During our hour long conversation, topics covered include how they got started with their videos, the impact making their videos had on themselves and their family and friends, the power of daily affirmations, acceptance versus fluency, and the ups and downs of stuttering.
You can watch the broadcast directly above or on YouTube. Please feel free to continue posting questions or comments. The broadcast may have ended, but the conversation can certainly continue. Happy watching!
As countless of us head back to school and work, the end of summer and beginning of fall brings in a new era of successes, challenges and venturing out of our comfort zones. Stutter Social is hosting a Q+A Hangout on Air, to be live streamed on YouTube, with the Broca Brothers on September 17 at 7:00pm EDT (Toronto, New York) about not letting your stuttering get you down.
Hailing from The Netherlands, Broca Brothers Hille, 26, and Stuart, 21, have recently gone viral with videos featuring pep talks on keeping up with speaking goals and tips on maintaining a positive outlook.
Both brothers stuttered severely when they were growing up. However, they took matters into their own hands and became proactive in doing something about their speech, not letting it hold them back.
We’ll be chatting with the Broca Brothers about their experiences with stuttering as they share their tips for others. While the Hangout will only be available to panelists, we invite anyone watching on YouTube to share their questions – which we’ll ask the Hangout – and comments on YouTube, Facebook or Twitter (with the #pwschat hashtag). The link to the broadcast will be posted on our Facebook event page, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube.
In the meantime, please RSVP on our Facebook event page and check out some of the Broca Brothers’ videos for your viewing pleasure. We hope to see you watching the broadcast on YouTube!
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.
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."
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.
Last Saturday, March 8, Stutter Social celebrated International Women's Day 2014 with a series of broadcasts about stuttering experiences among women in partnership with the International Stuttering Association.
Many great conversations took place, thanks to our moderators - Anita "Scatsis" Blom, Pamela Mertz and Annie Bradberry - as well as our panelists and viewers. Topics ranged from how women who stutter deal with being respected in the workplace (given the rise of women in increasingly visible leadership roles), to romance and how perceptions of stuttering may differ among men and women.
All three broadcasts are embedded below and available on our YouTube channel. Please feel free to post any questions or comments you may have. International Women's Day 2014 may be behind us, but the conversations can continue!
In partnership with the International Stuttering Association, Stutter Social will be celebrating International Women's Day with three special Hangouts on Air to be live streamed on YouTube on Saturday, March 8, 2014. In honour of the special day, topics will cover the woman's experiences with stuttering.
It is said that 1% of the world's population stutters and 1 in 5 people who stutter are women. The three Hangouts, which will feature a panel of participants, will be facilitated by Stutter Social hosts, Annie Bradberry, Pamela Mertz and Anita Blom. Each of them are prominent leaders in the worldwide stuttering community and have overcome their personal challenges with growing up stuttering.
The Hangouts on Air will be an hour long and will take place at various times throughout the day at the following times:
3 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time (San Francisco) hosted by Annie Bradberry
3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (New York) hosted by Pamela Mertz
3 p.m. Central European Time (Stockholm, Sweden) hosted by Anita Blom
We’ll be chatting about stuttering experiences among women and fielding questions from viewers. While the Hangouts will only be available to panelists, we invite anyone watching on YouTube to share their questions and comments on the YouTube page, Facebook or Twitter (with the #pwschat hashtag). We hope you can celebrate International Women’s Day with us!
International Stuttering Awareness Day (ISAD) 2013 is around the corner on October 22! In recognition of ISAD and to raise awareness of stuttering, Stutter Social is teaming up with the International Stuttering Association (ISA) to host three Hangouts on Air -- in other words, they will be streamed live on YouTube.
In three separate Hangouts, participants from around the world will be chatting for an hour about all things related to stuttering. For those interested in learning more about stuttering, they will also be fielding questions from anyone watching on YouTube.
The Hangouts will all take place on October 22 at 8pm in three different time zones -- Eastern Daylight Time (U.S), British Summer Time and Eastern Daylight Time (Australia), respectively.
Stay tuned for updates via the Twitter, Facebook and Google+ pages, as we will be circulating the links to the Hangouts and YouTube broadcasts there. Those watching who want to submit questions to the participants can do so via YouTube, Facebook, Google+ or Twitter with the #pwschat hashtag.
Whether it's in the Hangouts or watching on YouTube, we would love to have you celebrate ISAD with us and the ISA!
Stutter Social is pleased to announce two new additions to its lineup of hosts: Anita "Scatsis" Blom from Sweden and Hanan Hurwitz from Israel.
Blom works as the operations manager at the Workers' Educational Association and has stuttered since she was nine years old. She was 27 years old when she first met another person who stutters. "From that moment on, I no longer let stuttering control my life, but to take charge of myself," Blom explains. "I got rid of a huge backpack with bullying, guilt and shame, and became active on local, national and international boards." As she says, she recycled "all that luggage to support other people who stutter, and to give stuttering a face and passionate voice with young people being closest to my heart."
She heard about Stutter Social through the grapevine on social media and wanted to get involved. "I love to be where people who stutter meet, most of all at international gatherings," she says. "This was the perfect opportunity to meet people from all over the world, but this time in my very own living room."
When hosting Stutter Social hangouts, Blom says she hopes to "talk about stuttering and therapy, but also about cultures, experiences, fears and joys, as we need not to forget how to enjoy life with stuttering and all. I hope to bring people together, share stories, learn from and support each other."
When not hosting Stutter Social, Blom can be seen either working or engaged in one of her many stuttering-related endeavours. She is the international contact and former chairperson of the Swedish Stuttering Association, vice-chair of the European League of Stuttering Associations, and member of the advisory board of the International Stuttering Association. "But I try to find time for my family, my dog, my saxophone, my books and social media," she adds.
And in case you're wondering, her nickname, "Scatsis," is dedicated to the late Scatman John of the 1995 hit "Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)."
Meanwhile, Hurwitz is a product and account manger at an electronics manufacturing company, and has also stuttered since his childhood. "I am at a point in my stuttering journey where I can give back to the stuttering community and try to support other PWS [people who stutter]," he says. After hearing about Stutter Social from his friends at the National Stuttering Association, he became inspired to become a host.
In terms of what he looks forward to about hosting, he says it's the opportunity to "enable other PWS to feel that we are not alone and that we can survive in spite of our disability."
When not working or hosting Stutter Social, Hurwitz enjoys reading, playing his Fender Stratocaster guitar, and meeting PWS worldwide. "I [also] am interested in business and engineering, and mentoring start-up or small companies in order to build organizational excellence into the company from the start," he adds.
Blom and Hurwitz will be hosting Wednesday's international hangout at 2pm Eastern Standard Time/8pm Central European Time. Starting an hour earlier than the previous Wednesday hangouts, they are taking over from Kenyatta Butler and Krishna Srinivasan, who are stepping down temporarily to pursue new educational and professional endeavors. While we're sad to see them ago, we wish them the best of luck, and we're excited to have Blom and Hurwitz on the Stutter Social team.
Stutter Social is also proud to announce two more additions to its lineup of hosts: Annie Bradberry from California and Pamela Mertz from New York.
Bradberry is a person who stutters from Tustin, California and former executive director of the National Stuttering Association (NSA), which she first heard about as a teenager. "At that time, I was not ready to face [my stuttering] or let alone call someone, so I did nothing for two years," she says. "We didn't have Stutter Social, Facebook, or even texting back then. When I finally did pick up the phone, my entire world changed. I am blessed to say that I have been involved in the stuttering community for my entire adult life."
It was on Facebook at the NSA conference that she first heard about Stutter Social. "I knew this was something I wanted to be a part of," she says. "I thought back to the beginning of my stuttering journey when there were no social media outlets. I remembered feeling alone and isolated, as well as remembering how it felt the first time I spoke to and met another stutterer. [It's] amazing to connect with people from all over the world."
In her spare time, Bradberry says she has taken up painting "as a way to de-stress from [her] crazy lifestyle." An avid traveller, she has also been "fortunate to meet people from all over the world, traveling to stuttering conferences in Iceland, Norway, Belgium and a few other places."
Meanwhile, Mertz, a person who stutters and program manager in adult education from Albany, New York, also learned about Stutter Social through social media. Since then, she has participated in many hangouts. "I enjoy having the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life who share the experience of stuttering," she says. "I like having an option for a virtual support group, as we all need an opportunity to be open, share, and learn from each other."
When not working, hosting, or participating in Stutter Social, Mertz, a self-professed theatre geek and writer, can be seen taking in a show or writing for her local newspaper. She also manages the blog Make Room for the Stuttering and hosts the podcast Women Who Stutter: Our Stories. "I enjoy hearing people's stories and helping people find a way to tell their stories," she says.
Bradberry and Mertz will be hosting the Sunday evening hangout, alternating every week at a new time: 7:30 PM Eastern Standard Time (Toronto, New York).
Stutter Social is happy to announce the first recent addition in its latest lineup of hosts: John Robinson from Oklahoma.
Robinson is a person who stutters and speech therapist, who works with the geriatric population of a nursing home in Oklahoma City. He first heard about Stutter Social last year after a Google search of self-help for people who stutter, and has participated in many hangouts since. He says he "really likes talking about stuttering and listening to what other people's views on stuttering are."
After several months of participating, he decided to step up to become a Stutter Social host. For the last few months, he has been hosting every other Tuesday at 8:30 PM Eastern Standard Time (Toronto, New York), alternating with Matt Schreifels.
He says he took up hosting because he "wanted to challenge his speech" and meet other folks who stutter.
When not hosting or participating in Stutter Social, Robinson, who enjoys all things fitness-related, can be seen working out. He is also the former leader of the National Stuttering Association chapter in Wichita, Kansas.
To celebrate National Stuttering Awareness Week, Stutter Social broadcasted a Hangout on Air yesterday, featuring a panel of participants from across the international stuttering community, to raise awareness.
Participants included folks who stutter from Canada, the United States and India.
Debbie Horovitch from Toronto, and someone who doesn’t stutter, also joined the fun to learn more about stuttering. “I really don’t have a lot of awareness around it," Horovitch said. "I don’t know what it is. I don’t know what causes it.”
“The purpose of this Hangout is to raise awareness about stuttering,” said Stutter Social co-founder David Resnick, from Los Angeles, as he kicked off the Hangout. “There are a lot of misconceptions out there because people are either misinformed or under-informed. They haven’t ever spoken to someone who stutters. This is an opportunity for people who stutter and don’t stutter alike to ask questions, to learn, share experiences and knowledge.”
Topics included what stuttering is, how it feels like, eye contact, and common myths and misconceptions around stuttering.
Pamela Mertz, a participant from New York, defined stuttering as “the involuntary disruption of the normal flow of speech,” which can manifest itself in different ways for each person.
Mertz’s stuttering manifests itself in terms of repetitions, prolongations and blocks (when words don’t come out), she says. “It’s definitely involuntary and I think it’s important to note that because it’s not our fault. It’s not something that we’re to blame for. It’s just the way that we speak. It’s a different form of communication.”
In terms of what it feels like, Resnick said it’s like a “disconnect between the mechanism that is formulating speech and thoughts, and the mechanism that gets the word out. It’s as though someone put a cement wall in there and I’ve got to pull it down every time it comes up. It takes a lot of energy. Stuttering can be exhausting.”
Stutter Social co-founder Mitchell Trichon, also from New York, likened stuttering to an iceberg. While stuttering involves repetitions, prolongations and blocks, that’s only what we see, he says. There’s also what’s under the surface – the emotions, which can include embarrassment, shame or guilt.
“Stuttering can be disabling,” he said. “However, it doesn’t have to be. I’ve seen people with severe stutters be great communicators. It’s important to realize that.”
Participants also chatted about maintaining eye contact while stuttering. "I realized how very intimate it is to be speaking to someone and looking at them in the eye and stuttering," Resnick said.
While it can be a challenge, Trichon offered another reason why folks who stutter often lose eye contact: privacy. "I've heard stuttering described as a feeling of being naked in front of someone and the person is giving them their privacy while that happens," he said.
As stuttering is shrouded in mystery, there are many myths about the causes of stuttering, which, as Resnick says, can include being nervous or not knowing what we want to say.
For instance, Dustin Linkins, a participant from Fort Myers, Florida, said stuttering may be viewed as a sign of weakness. “As a police officer prior to my current job, I would stutter on a traffic stop. People would ask me, ‘are you talking that way because you’re scared of me?’ I would say, ‘I’ve been stuttering since I was five years old. You really don’t scare me.’”
Mertz said it’s important for people to realize that they can reframe stuttering as a strength. “Stuttering can make you memorable. People know who I am , where I work because I’m the one that stutters. For a while, that was not what I wanted to be perceived as. Now I can look at with ‘God, they know who I am! They remember who I am!’ That can be be a real strength in today’s world.”
The Hangout is available for viewing on YouTube and is embedded above.
In celebration of National Stuttering Awareness Week, on Thursday at 8:30 PM EST (Toronto, New York), Stutter Social is hosting a live Q+A Hangout on Air with a panel of participants from across the international stuttering community to give others a chance to learn about stuttering.
Did we say live? Yes, we did. The Hangout will be live streamed (and archived) on YouTube. Unlike some of our other Hangouts, we invite anyone - including those who don't stutter - to watch the live feed and submit any questions they may have. Panel participants will be discussing a range of topics, including what stuttering is, how it feels to stutter, and stuttering myths and misconceptions.
The link to the live feed will be posted on our Facebook, Twitter and Google+ channels. So watch the fun, submit your questions and learn more about stuttering! And don't forget to RSVP on our Facebook event page!
On Monday, March 11, people who stutter from around the world converged on Twitter to discuss their phone survival tactics and how communication on social media affects their lives. The discussion, hosted by Stutter Social, took place under the #PWSchat hashtag and was Stutter Social's first weekly live Twitter chat for people who stutter. These Twitter chats will serve as a standing archive of real peoples' feelings, ideas and stories about stuttering. If you missed last Monday's #PWSchat, here's the Storify:
This Monday's #PWSchat at 9PM EST will focus on disclosing your stuttering (specific questions will be revealed at the start of the chat). We hope to see you then!
Stutter Social is happy to announce a new addition to its lineup of hosts: Matt Schreifels, a participant from Minnesota.
Schreifels, a 32-year-old person who stutters from St. Cloud, Minnesota, first heard about Stutter Social almost a year ago from a podcast about stuttering. "Before giving (it) a try, I was pretty nervous about what sort of interactions I'd have with other participants within the hangout," he says. "But from the moment I entered the hangout, everyone was very welcoming and friendly. Stutter Social hangouts are an extremely laid back environment. It's a chance to be with other like-minded people who stutter, a place to be who we are without hesitation."
After participating for about 10 months, Schreifels decided to become a host. "What made me want to become a Stutter Social host was the chance to meet and make friends with as many stutterers worldwide as possible."
He will be hosting every other Tuesday at 8:30 PM Eastern Standard Time (Toronto, New York), alternating with co-founder Daniele Rossi.
When not hosting or participating in Stutter Social, Schreifels can be seen hunting or fishing. He aspires to have his own furniture-building workshop. He also started attending the recently established St. Cloud chapter of the National Stuttering Association (NSA) and he hopes to attend the upcoming NSA annual conference in Scottsdale, Arizona this July. "I feel support groups of any kind are such a great asset," he adds.
