Hide | Stuttering Foundation: A Nonprofit Organization Helping Those Who Stutter

Singing a ‘Safe Haven’ for Marc Anthony

Marc Anthony struggled with stuttering in his early years and found singing as a way to break free of his stuttering bonds.

Stuttering Foundation’s 23rd Annual Media Awards Competition

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Jan. 27, 2014) — For the 23rd consecutive year, the Stuttering Foundation, www.StutteringHelp.org, announces it will recognize journalists for excellence in reporting that furthers the understanding of this complex disorder.

“We are happy to announce these awards to further public awareness of stuttering,” said Jane Fraser, president of the nonprofit foundation. “Media coverage has grown substantially in volume and sensitivity in recent years. We want to continue to recognize outstanding reporting.”

Positive Attitude

When I was about five years old, I started to stutter badly. It would take me about five minutes to read a sentence. Going to school made me more afraid to speak. High school was a little better because I had teachers who understood me.

Materials Fly Off Shelf in Windy City

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association had record attendance at its November convention in Chicago, and the Stuttering Foundation was there to spread the word about stuttering to the nearly 15,000 attendees.

Buddy Morgan: Perfectionist & Gentleman

Winfred A. “Buddy” Morgan passed away in June. Buddy, as most people called him, directed and produced many of the Stuttering Foundation’s videos.

Laura Jo McKamey: A Dedicated SLP

Laura Jo McKamey passed away in May. She was killed in a car accident when a semi-truck struck her from behind during a “white out” in Montana. She was a graduate of the Stuttering Foundation’s Eastern and Western workshops.

Miss Manners Tackles Stuttering

In her nationally syndicated column, Miss Manners responds to a question we get all the time… DEAR MISS MANNERS: What is the proper protocol when speaking with someone who has a stutter? Is it considered helpful or rude to assist him in completing a sentence or question?

Minding Miss Manners: Advice for Speaking with a Person Who Stutters

For Immediate Release
Contact: Greg Wilson
greg@curleycompany.com
571-239-7474

Why Me?

The following is Chapter 1 from the book Do You Stutter: A Guide for Teens.

Why Me?

By Richard F. Curlee, Ph.D.

Speak Up, Speak Out, Stutter On!

By Eric, 14 years old

Pages

CELEBRITY FOCUS

James Earl Jones

Actor James Earl Jones, a Broadway, television and movie star, was well-known for his voice as Darth Vader in Star Wars and his book Voices and Silences. Jones spoke some of the most memorable lines in the history of American film, but the man known for his voice was once afflicted with a severe stutter.

Mel Tillis

Mel Tillis, born Lonnie Melvin Tillis, was an influential figure in country music, both as a songwriter and a performer. His journey to fame was marked by overcoming personal challenges, including a stutter that he turned into a defining part of his public persona.

Bill Walton

From BillWalton.com

Thank you for your interest in my life long problem with my speech and communication skills. I was a very shy and reserved young man who could not speak at all without severely stuttering until I was 28 years old. Always a success in the classroom and on the basketball court, I took refuge in the things that I did well as a youngster. A straight A student, my athletic abilities covered the deficiencies that limited my overall growth and development. The game of basketball was my religion, the gym my church. It was a convenient way of avoiding my responsibilities of developing my human relation skills.

When I was 28, a chance encounter at a social event with Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Glickman completely changed my life in so many ways that things have never been the same since, nor have they ever been better. That day, in a very brief, private conversation (one way, mind you, since I literally could not speak at the time) Marty explained, patiently and concisely, that talking, communicating was a skill not a gift or a birthright and that like any skill, whether it be sports, music, business or whatever, needed to be developed over a lifetime of hard work, discipline, organization and practice. Marty gave me some simple tips that day and then encouraged me to take those keys and apply them to methods of learning that I had received from the special teachers that I had come across in my life, particularly the 6 Hall of Fame basketball coaches that I had played for throughout my career. The beginning of my whole new life was as simple as that. No gimmicks, tricks or shortcuts. Just the realization that with some help, guidance and a lot of hard work that I too could do what seemed so easy, simple and natural to everyone else, yet seemed impossibly out of my reach and comprehension.

Jack Paar

While Jack Paar is among the most prominent of the entertainers on the Stuttering Foundation’s list of Famous People Who Stutter, he deserves special recognition as he was among the first to openly address his stuttering in public. As host of The Tonight Show from 1957-1962, he spoke of his difficulties as a stuttering child and teenager, giving hope to young people.

Carly Simon

Carly Simon began stuttering severely when she was eight years old.