Stutter Social Stories: Rahul Hirani

We continue our Stutter Social Stories series with an interview with regular hangout participant, Rahul Hirani, from Gwalior, India. As someone who accepts what life throws at him, Rahul shares how he made sure his stuttering didn't prevent him from achieving great marks in school.

1. Tell us about yourself.

I'm currently pursuing a Bachelor of Technology degree in computer science. Honestly, I look at myself as a 10 year old trapped in a 19 year old body. Programming, reading novels and writing diaries are my first love. I've been stuttering since I was 4 but it never really mattered to me until I entered into my teenage years.

2. What are your hobbies? 

I like to explore things. If I'm interested in a particular subject, I'd dive deep in it and if not, I'd not even care reading about it. These are some things I've always loved to do:

• Reading books, as they help me to dream the farthest reaches of the my brain. 
• Writing. It slows down my brain and helps me to think better.  
• Playing cricket. Sports have played a great role in my life. It has taught me the value of team work and has helped me to evolve as a leader.
• Last but not the least, speaking. I love to make my friends laugh at my jokes. Yes I stammer when I speak to them, but the delight of making them smile makes my day. 

3. What was your "stuttering history" like? What was it like growing up as a person who stutters?

Growing up as a stammerer was never easy. I was 4 when my parents first noticed that I found it hard to speak a word. I used to repeat the first syllable of the word. People said it's normal and kids often do that during the early ages. Some of them even gave references of some Baba (persons who are believed to possess magical powers but are actually fake). But the most hilarious moment came when a doctor told my parents that I do it for fun and even my parents should talk to me like that. I was 7 that time. Everyone in my family started stammering every time they talked to me for some days, but even that didn't help.

As my age was increasing, my stutter was becoming a major concern for me and my parents. During my early teenage years my stammering rose severely and I struggled a lot at my school.

Sometimes, I even used my stutter to its advantage. During my oral exams if I didn't know the answer to some question, I just used to bounce on some letter so that it appears to the teacher that I know the answer but I'm unable to speak it. I fetched a lot of marks during my school time by using this trick.

But soon friends started disappearing and I found myself living alone. Life in this aspect was very hard. I was teased by my mates. It was fun for them but it had very negative effect on a 15 year old, who just needed their attention. And therefore I never had a so called "best friend" in my life. I learned to live alone and enjoy myself. Books and diaries became my best friend. I had a imaginary world of my own.

4. How did You find about Stutter Social and what made you give it a try?

A year ago, I was randomly searching on the Internet for some people like me whom I can connect to
and the almighty didn't disappoint me. I found Stutter Social, logged in to Facebook and became a fan of the page. A random post in the group mentioned about the Google+ hangout. In excitement, I clicked the link and went into the hangout but sadly "the party was over". I reviewed its time on the website and found only Wednesday hangouts to be compatible with my schedule, as the other ones are held at 5:00 a.m. Indian Standard time. I was super exited about the following Wednesday.

The day arrived and I logged in. Eight persons were already in and I was the ninth. Hanan Hurwitz, the host, welcomed me and asked me to introduce myself. My heart started beating fast. I started and stuttered on almost every word I spoke. It was my first experience on hangouts and it didn't turn out to be good. But slowly and steadily I improved.

One thing that I personally like about Stutter Social hangouts is that you get a chance to introduce yourself every time someone joins the hangout.

5. How did Stutter Social help you?

Stutter Social has helped me a lot. Not only through the hangout but also by the people who run it. I made a lot of friends who I communicate with every time I feel down. The hosts, Hanan and Pamela are one of the best people I have met. We often chat on Facebook and share a lot of useful information, and that certainly helps us to know more about each other's lives.

6. What tips would you give other PWS?

• Your stammering doesn't define your personality. We all are different in some aspect or the other. Just accept yourself the way you are and start enjoying what life throws at you.
• Always speak when needed. Remember, you are for yourself. People may help you sometimes but in the longer run it's you who has to decide your destiny.
• Never speak unnecessarily. People may advise you to speak as much as you can, but never do that unless what you are speaking has a positive effect on your mind. We can speak negative things far more fluently than the positive ones. But that isn't healthy for our brain, and brain is everything.
• This one is my favourite – to achieve something you've never had before, you must do something you have never done before. 

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.

Stutter Social Stories: Ari Gershenovitz

In continuing with getting to know our members, we spoke with another Stutter Social regular about his experiences with stuttering and his involvement in Stutter Social. Please meet Ari Gershenovitz!

1. Please tell us a bit about yourself.
I am living in Petach Tikva in Israel. I am 39 years old. I am working in the computer software area. I have stuttered from a very young age. My stuttering became so severe that I was afraid to talk with people. Just several years ago, I started to face my fears and speak with people.

2. What are your hobbies? 
I love to watch European basketball, and I always love to hear about stuttering therapy (in order to learn more about stuttering – I have more than 20 DVD's about stuttering therapy).

3. What's your "stuttering history" like? What was it like growing up as a PWS?
When I grew up, my stuttering changed from regular stuttering to very hard silent blocks. So it was impossible for me to [control my stuttering], and I avoided stuttering in any way. With my friends, I switched words, sentences,with other people. I just didn't speak.

In my head it was obvious that I just can't speak with people. I passed two"fluency shaping" treatments...it helped me to avoid my stuttering better. But still when I felt I am going to stutter, I didn't know what to do. Only several years ago, after discovering StutterTalk, I started to face my stuttering even if it is very hard.

Today, I can communicate with people, not always easily but still I can talk and stutter.

4. How did you find out about Stutter Social?
I am a friend of the great Hanan Hurwitz, who is one of the hosts of Stutter Social. So I knew about it, but it took me a while until I dared to try it.

5. What made you give Stutter Social a try?
I will start and say why I didn't try it before. My stuttering is very unstable. In some situations, it is not so hard. But in other situations it is very hard. Talking in English was always one of my hardest situations. It drive from several reasons like being unable to switch words, thinking about the sounds, forgetting words, and other reasons. So I had a big fear to talk in English. In the last few years I improved my confidence to speak in English, but still the fear was there.

Also I didn't know who would participate…and if my English will be good enough. So I was thinking about it, but I didn't dare participate.

My first Stutter Social try was on International Stuttering Awareness Day. I decided that it is a special event and maybe special guests will appear. I knew that I needed  to face my fear and to participate in this group, and this was a good time to start. When I tried it for the first time, I figured out that it is not so frightening, so I continued with  it.

6. How did Stutter Social help you?
First of all, I gained confidence to speak in English which was an impossible mission for me in the past. And now it is still hard, but possible.

Second, I have met wonderful people from all over the world. And also I hear about other people who stutter, how they cope with the day to day life with stuttering, and it has helped me to feel that I am not alone.

7. What tips would you give other PWS?
The tips I can give is: try to learn how to stutter, try to stop all the things you do in order to hide your stutter. It is OK to try to speak better, but when you feel the stuttering come, the best solution you can pick is to just stutter.

Introducing two new hosts: Anita "Scatsis" Blom and Hanan Hurwitz

Left: Anita "Scartcis" Blom (photo credit: Blom); 
right: Hanan Hurwitz (photo credit: Hurwitz)

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.

Introducing two more new hosts: Annie Bradberry and Pamela Mertz

Left: Annie Bradberry (photo credit: Bradberry);
right: Pamela Mertz (photo credit: Ali Salem)

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).

Introducing one of our new hosts: John Robinson

Photo credit: John Robinson

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.

Top 10 benefits of stuttering

Keeping with Stutter Social's vision of connecting people who stutter from around the world and seeing them empowered, Thursday night's Google+ Hangout featured a discussion about the benefits of stuttering.

Participants created a list of 10 benefits and opportunities that stuttering brings.

1. It makes us compassionate.

One participant suggested in the Hangout that having a stutter makes us humble and gives us a sense of empathy for other people and their issues.

2. It allows us to meet others from around the world.

Another participant highlighted that, if he hadn't stuttered, he wouldn't have had the opportunity to meet so many inspiring people from around the world and share experiences with them.

3. It lets us overcome challenges.

In other words, having a stutter makes us overcome obstacles and challenges that even fluent people may be afraid of doing, such as public speaking.

4. It makes you dedicated to improving yourself.

Not to say that stuttering needs improving, but being someone who stutters provides us with a sense of persistence and dedication to being the best person that we can be.

5. It makes us memorable.

Let's face it - people usually remember who we are due to the fact we stutter. It's an interesting, exciting trait to have.

6. Stuttering makes us consider what's important to us.

It teaches us how to prioritize and achieve our goals, which, for one participant, includes practicing breathing, working on his physique and improving his life in general.

7. As people who stutter, learning how to deal with problems makes us feel more liberated.

Similarly, as another participant suggested, learning how to achieve the goals that we set out and deal with any issues can provide us with feelings of liberation.

8. Stuttering gives us a sense of discipline.

For another participant, stuttering has made him more disciplined. "I wouldn't be as disciplined to work towards my goals if I didn't stutter," he said. 

9. Stuttering has opened up career paths.

Another participant has said he wouldn't have pursued a rewarding career in speech-language pathology if he wasn't a person who stutters. 

10. Stuttering has taught us how to value effective communication.

Last but not least, a participant also highlighted that stuttering teaches us how to get our message across effectively.

Do you think there are any benefits to stuttering? Are there opportunities you feel you would have missed out on if you didn't stutter? Please feel free to share your thoughts below.

From frustration to acceptance

Christine Dits, a Stutter Social participant and 23-year-old person who stutters, seen at the National Stuttering Association's annual conference this past year in St. Petersburg, Florida (photo credit: Dits).

Soon after starting the speech-language pathology graduate program at Eastern Michigan University this fall, Christine Dits, a 23-year-old person who stutters and Stutter Social participant, found herself confidently disclosing her stuttering to her classmates.

However, she didn't always have this confidence. “I couldn't accept the fact that stuttering was a part of me and I would always have it,” she recalls. “I was embarrassed by my stuttering and dreaded the negative reactions from others.”

Over the years, her attitude changed from feelings of frustration to feelings of acceptance, she notes. And it was this shift that prompted her to become a speech-language pathologist. “I understand the frustration and anxiety that comes with such a disorder and wanted to share my story with others. I knew I could relate to others about their struggle with communication on a deeper level, and I wanted to help serve as a driving force in their recovery.”

Dits's attitude started changing when she was about 16 or 17, and began researching self-help activities and came across the National Stuttering Association (NSA).

“I stumbled upon the NSA website during a quick Internet search,” she says. “I sought out these resources and the NSA because I wanted answers and I wanted information. I also wanted to be connected to a support system of people in my area or near me who could understand exactly what I was feeling.”

Her support system continued to expand. Last year, she found out about Stutter Social through her friends from the NSA. “I wanted to reconnect with my NSA friends and talk to other people who stutter,” she says about what drew her to participate in hangouts.

What she enjoys most is the opportunity to gain advice from others and offer her own advice to those facing similar struggles. “It’s a big self-help group,” she says.

Due to the support she's received and her attitude changing, Dits has accepted her stuttering, giving her the confidence to advertise her stuttering in a classroom full of strangers.

"I want you all to know that she just showed a lot of courage by introducing herself to a room full of strangers and telling you all that she stutters,” her professor told the class after she disclosed, as Dits wrote on Facebook.  “I have had some clients who, it took 50 days (or sessions) to get them to open up about their stuttering. For people who stutter, stuttering is like a backpack they carry around all day and can never take off. These individuals are very well-adjusted people, because they have to learn how to work around their stuttering."

Pong Down Under

Photo credit: Grant Meredith

Every time Grant Meredith comes into a Stutter Social hangout, those in the group who haven't previously met him enthusiastically ask about the gaming posters adorning his walls.

A lecturer in multimedia and games design at the University of Ballarat in Australia, Grant is also an avid collector of game consoles.

“I have about 200 or more consoles," explains Grant. “Most of them are basically Pong. And a different version of Pong. And another different version of Pong!” he laughs. “My Pong powers are such that I play myself at Pong. Right hand versus left hand.”

When he is not playing Pong or tending to his other important responsibilities of life, the father of two enjoys hanging out with his fellow stutterers on Stutter Social. It gives him easy access to a support group since the nearest one is about 100 km away from where he lives.

“Stutter Social makes it basically a button press away. I guess because in my country, everyone is so widely dispersed and it's really hard to get a number of people who stutter online at the same time.”

Along with the international participants in the hangouts, Grant is drawn to the ease being able to talk to other people who stutter around the world in an open environment, “and a non-judgemental one. I like the fact that it's not technique-orientated because that's normally more exclusive then. I'd class this service as inclusive. It is open to anybody who stutters in any shape or form.”

It's also that open environment that Grant says makes it easy for first timers to quickly feel at home.

“I can understand how it can be a scary step for some first timers,” he ponders. “You might not be comfortable stuttering in front of other stutterers. You might not want to put your hand up and talk at various times, but it's a brave step you should be taking.”

“[Stutter Social] is a non-pressure-filled environment and nothing will be held against you. You don't have to use any form of technique. You can practically talk about any topic, too, and everyone there is friendly and fun.”

From India to Italy

Photo credit: Kishore Bisht

Originally from Uttrakhand, a small Indian state near the Himalayas, Kishore Bisht currently lives in Noida, a suburb of New Delhi. He moved around a lot growing up as his father worked for the government. A mechanical engineer by training, Kishore, recently spent two years in Milan, Italy, working for a power sector company. Now 25, Kishore says he always felt challenged by speaking situations.

“It felt like someone has ripped off your clothes in the middle of a crowd,” he said about speaking to family, answering roll-call in class or engaging with colleagues.

When he first learned that he was moving to Italy, Kishore was excited but also nervous at having to learn a new language and speak to new people. He had previously visited self-help groups in New Delhi and hoped to continue this engagement in Italy. Initially, he found speaking easier; he had to slow the pace of his speech so colleagues who weren’t fluent in English could understand him and because he was just learning Italian. But as his responsibilities at work increased, his fluency decreased. He sought therapy and looked to engage with other people who stammered but didn’t have much luck. It was at this time that he first discovered Stutter Social from a Facebook group.

Without an in-person social support group in Italy, he says he uses Stutter Social as a virtual alternative. He enjoys participating in hangouts because he gets to meet new people, many of whom speak different languages. He is able to share his speaking experiences and consult with others on how to approach speaking situations.

Beyond Stutter Social, Kishore also attended the McGuire Programme, a treatment programme for people who stammer, and joined a Toastmasters club, where he has already completed his first speech project.

However, going back to Stutter Social, Kishore notes the greatest benefit is the opportunity to express himself freely in a big group without worrying about stammering.

In his spare time, Kishore is an artist and photographer. He also enjoys cooking for friends and family. In the future, he plans to spend more time exploring painting.

A shift in attitudes

Photo credit: Matt Schreifels

Matt Schreifels, a 32-year-old person who stutters from Minnesota, was apprehensive about giving a Stutter Social hangout a try. When he first heard about it a few months ago, he wasn't involved in any social networks other than Facebook.

Fortunately, he changed his mind. "I thought I had nothing to lose because I could make friends with other stutterers."

A dog lover and avid fisherman, Matt felt a connection with everyone in his first hangout. "I found instant friendship and people going through the same things I'm going through." Now a regular, what keeps Matt coming back is "the camaraderie and instant support that everybody offers right away."

While stuttering was never a major issue for Matt growing up, his self-image was the problem. He could feel the tension in his face due to blocking when he spoke to people. “I've always wanted to know what was going through the listener's head as I was speaking to them”, Matt shared “Not knowing what they were thinking made me self-conscious.”

Within a month of participating in Stutter Social hangouts, Matt found his attitude changing as he hung out with stutterers who had confidence in themselves. “My attitude went from caring how people saw me to letting it roll off my back. Their loss, not mine. Meeting other stutterers who stutter openly helped me embrace my stutter and not care anymore.”

Matt had never talked to anyone about his stuttering prior to trying out Stutter Social. While he never considered himself to be a covert stutterer, it was by interacting and listening to other participants' stories that he was able to disclose for the first time. "When I disclosed to my friend it was like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. I was somewhat hesitant to bring it up to her but I'm sure glad I did. From that one experience it helps me want to disclose more often."

Recap of Q+A Hangout with women from ABC's What Would You Do?

This past Thursday, Alina Davis and Whitney Aerenson, two women who first met each other in a New Jersey ice cream parlour under unusual circumstances, were reunited once more in a Stutter Social hangout.

Alina, a 19-year-old woman who stutters and member of Our Time Theatre Company, was featured in the April 6th segment of ABC’s What Would You Do? Program. She portrayed a girl who was stuttering while in line at the parlour.  Other actors played the role of bullies who made rude comments to her. Whitney, a customer who saw the encounter, had no idea it was fictionalized. She stepped in on behalf of Alina and defended her against the “bullies.”

In Thursday’s hangout, both girls fielded questions from participants about themselves, and their experiences and feelings since appearing on national television.

“To see her (Whitney) cry, I started to cry. It was so sweet, it was awesome,” Alina said in the hangout, referring to the moment when Whitney defended her in the parlour.

Whitney herself said it was her first time defending someone like that. When asked what prompted her reaction, Whitney, who was with her boyfriend in the parlour, said it was the result of anger over what she was seeing. “I’ve never ever heard anyone say such terrible things,” she said. “She (Alina) was just trying to order ice cream. The anger that came over me was so strong.”

When Alina was asked how the initial opportunity arose, she said ABC invited Our Time for an interview for the show. “I went and the producer approached me and was like ‘Do you want to audition for the lead actress?’” she recalls. “I said sure. It was crazy.” She revealed she landed the role right way.

Since the appearance, Alina says, she grew more confident about her stutter. “It helped me be open about (my stutter) and not hide it, since it’s on national TV,” she said.

In terms of how the experience changed Whitney, she noted that she learned that when faced with similar situations, she’s the reactive type.

For Alina, one participant asked her what she would do in a similar event which wasn't fictionalized. “Whenever I get weird looks or someone makes a comment, I would usually ignore it,” she said. “But if I saw it happening, I would stand up and say something.”

Whitney, of course, agreed, adding that “whenever someone is picked on or having someone be rude to them, (she) hopes someone is there to say something because it’s just not right.”

Other questions and topics include the reactions of friends, family and strangers to Alina’s and Whitney’s appearances, and stuttering and bullying in general.

The entire video is available below for your viewing pleasure. Have comments? Feel fee to share them below or on YouTube! Once again, we thank Alina and Whitney for joining us.

A mid-summer night's Stutter Social

At about 1:30am, Nenad Rendic is armed with his wake-up call device, his mobile phone.

While most people are sleeping during the wee hours of the morning, Nenad Rendic is immersed in conversation online with his fellow stutterers. Every Sunday at 2am, Rendic, a 71-year-old retired navy merchant and person who stutters from Split, Croatia, gives himself a wake up call so he can join the Stutter Social hangout held during that time.

During those early morning hangout days, Rendic sets his alarm on his mobile phone so he’ll wake up on time. In addition to Sunday, that also means 2:30am on Tuesday and 4am on Wednesday.

Despite the time, he feels “very well when participating.” “I’ve never talked to fellow stutterers as much before,” he says.

Rendic first heard about Stutter Social in February from Shorn Jacob, a fellow participant from New Zealand, when they were chatting via Skype. “Since then, I’ve been in every hangout,” he says.

In the past few months, he says he learned a lot from them. “I’ve learned that people who stutter are in many different professions. (In the hangout), there are often theatre actors and people on the radio.”

For Rendic, there are two things in particular that he gets out of participating in Stutter Social four times a week: improving his speech and refining his English.

As a young man, Rendic was in the Croatian merchant navy, where he served as a navigation officer on board cargo ships. During that time, he notes, he was a severe stutterer and had a fear of speaking.

“I used to write things down on a sheet of paper instead of talking,” he recalls. “Since there was no nautical school in Split, I had to attend school in Dubrovnik, where I had to travel by passenger ship. When getting my ticket, I had to use a pencil to write down the destination because I could not pronounce it.”

However, his attitudes changed when he went for speech therapy and began practicing his speech daily. “I’ve been practicing speaking to myself two hours a day and after that, practicing half an hour reading (aloud). I realized I could speak to more people.”

Now, after three years of practice and months of participating in Stutter Social, his efforts seem to have paid off. “I speak a lot better than I did three years ago,” he says, adding that he even cracks jokes from time to time.

Earth-Shattering Discovery!

In my hangout Wednesday night, I stumbled upon the world's first attainable source of free energy. Forget about all those snake oil salesmen on YouTube.  I have the solution.  We can use stuttering to power the world!  Yes.  It is a naturally occurring phenomenon that undoubtedly produces enormous amounts of energy, both electro-chemical and thermal.  Just think about it...every time a person stutters there is a surge of energy.  All we have to do is find a way to channel that energy into a storage device that could be piped to our homes (or at least to our mobile phones).  Who'da thunk it?  I can see the headlines now: "People who Stutter Save the World!"

(of course I'm just kidding, but we really did have a good time laughing about it in the hangout)

Stuttering Over Coffee in a New York Café

Photo credits: David Stones and Jacquelyn Revere

Los Angeles native, Jacquelyn Revere, a recent graduate of the masters program at The New School for Drama in New York, loves meeting fellow theatre lovers. When she found out that one of them, David Stones, a fellow Stutter Social regular of Toronto, Canada, was visiting The Big Apple with his wife, Jacquelyn sent an invitation to join her and her mother to chat over coffee.

A semi-retired business executive and CEO, David divides his time between Toronto and Stratford, Ontario volunteering in support of the world renowned Stratford Shakespeare Festival and the town's rich cultural heritage.

“I was intrigued by Jacquelyn being a stuttering actress", recalls David. "I thought it was really cool”.

Jacquelyn had begun exploring the stuttering community when she first heard about Stutter Social. “I stuttered since I was three and so I've lately wanted to  explore more of the stuttering community. Mainly because I was ashamed of it”.

Regularly participating in Stutter Social hangouts gives Jacquelyn a chance to “have conversations that I can't have every day with people who I talk to all the time because they don't have the same experience with speech. Sometimes we talk about stuttering and sometimes we don’t but the open dialogue is fun”.

For David, participating in Stutter Social Hangouts is like having a weekly therapy session.

"A very important part of therapy for stutterers is desensitization, confronting your stuttering. And being comfortable with stuttering. You can’t find a more supportive environment than a hangout because you’re talking to fellow stutterers who have empathy and understanding. And they are very supportive of you."

Over coffee in a New York cafe, David and Jacquelyn chatted about each other’s experiences.

"I learned a lot about how Toronto has a thriving theatre community", says Jacquelyn. "And I also love talking to people who have been where I am right now. Hearing his stories and his successes and difficulties, its always nice to know that you are not the only person who has ever gone through something, and even though, in the back of my mind I know that, the reassurance is always nice."

"Small victories was one of the most important lessons that I took away from our meeting, along with our new found relationship."

"The mountain may seem very high", explains David. "But with each step the summit appears closer. There is a tipping point with stuttering, as with so many things in life”. And once that tipping point is reached, one is able to put their stuttering into perspective and feel a sense of control and “counting, treasuring and embracing the value of the small victories along the way".

Jacquelyn adds, "I can be very hard on myself, and I just have to continuously remind myself that 26 years of a certain habit will not change overnight. It's a continual road, and luckily now I have someone to talk to who has been on this road. David really is at a place where I strive to be, so I am excited for our future conversations."