My Stammering

[IcePrincessKRS]

[quote name='FuturePriest387' timestamp='1331524424' post='2399389']


Well, I just don't know what to do, then. I don't know anybody with this problem, and I need to talk to somebody about it. It's too awkward to talk about it with family members, and I have no friends in real life that I would even think of talking to about this. They would all just be uncomfortable and awkward about it.
[/quote]
I am not saying don't share these things, because someone might be able to help or sympathize---mikolbe, for instance, did just that---but I also don't think you should be hurt or offended or surprised if no one does. It's just one of those things that depends in the luck of the draw. If I started a thread about hip dysplasia I wouldn't expect many to understand even if they offered words of comfort. If you started a thread about breaking your arm or getting stitches it would probably garner more responses simply because more people have dealt with those things. I think what you are looking for is someone who understands what you're going through. In a way I am sorry we can't offer that in the way you'd hoped, but you have to realize that we are limited. We can't be all things to all people, no matter how much we try. Those who have experienced what you are going through gave you what they could.

[morakind]

Hello FP, pleased to make your acquaintance

I am a fellow stutterer, though it has gotten better over the years for apparently no reason. When I was in high school I was so, so shy that people didn't really seem to know I existed because I was afraid to talk to anyone. I always wanted to be in school plays or perform stand-up comedy, instead I focused every bit of my energy on playing piano (which worked out well for me in a lot of ways).
Now that I'm 27 I still stutter but I'm not as frustrated about it as I was when I was a kid. I have friends who say they don't even notice it anymore and I've even acted commercially!

ANYWAYS.. there's a whole network of people on Youtube who make videos for each other and have discussions about stuttering on the comments section of the videos. The channel that I like the most is called StutterTalk... I'm not trying to discourage you from talking about it on the phorum or anything

[AnneLine]

Hi, FP,

I've got several friends with significant speech impediments, and it can be a pain for them to communicate.... but after a while I really don't even notice it. If I am not sure I understand, I just repeat it back saying, 'did I understand this correctly?' For me it is more important to connect with the person.

You may know that the astronaut Senator John Glenn's wife, Annie, had a VERY bad problem with stuttering.

I just got through reading his autobiography (fascinating, by the way....) and he talks a lot about what it was like for her in high school and how it impacted her choices for high school and college. She chose to focus on piano and organ as it was a way to enjoy and share the music she loved without having to struggle with the speaking. And she always felt confident in John's presnce (I have a sneaking suspicion he may have done plenty of speaking for both of them!) But it impacted her ability to interact with people outside the family, and it was hard for her when he was such a public figure and the press wanted HER to talk.... you can imagine.

The two of them worked out ways of communicating and eventually she was able to find a teacher who was able to help her work through a lot of it. Sometimes stuttering it DOES get better as people age (I had some problems my self a long time ago... and still do have problems with certain words.) You're right - it helps to slow down and plan ahead... but sometimes life doesn't let that happen.

If I can find the book and the right paragraph, I'll type in a paragraph or two from the book tomorrow - it was a very interesting thing that would add to this discussion a lot....

You might want to know.... we had a priest in our parish at one point who had a HUGE stuttering problem (not sure if it had been there when he entered or if it happened later). The fascinating thing was that he would stammer and stutter and struggle with every word EXCEPT when preaching his sermons and the words of Consecration. And the look of adoration on Father's face made it clear that between him and God, no words were necessary.... and we had no problem with it.

Praying for you and for all the graces you need, to discern well, and to work through the stuttering.

Edited March 12, 2012 by AnneLine

[MIKolbe]

[quote name='USAirwaysIHS' timestamp='1331474031' post='2399053']
Kenny Loggins stutters?? Who knew!
[/quote]
you are so dense sometimes.. that's Kenny Rogers!!!!

[Archaeology cat]

I'd echo Icey. I have no experience with this,and therefore cannot offer advice. I can say that I'm praying. We all have topics we consider important, but hich others may not. We also have our fun things we like. I may not consider a thread about ponies important,but another said that had been his one tether to maybe coming back to the Church, so who am I to say. Bottom line, don't be offended if there aren't a lot who comment or share your experience or interest in this. It doesn't mean we don't like you, promise.

May God bless you.

[AnneLine]

[quote name='AnneLine' timestamp='1331535517' post='2399485']
Hi, FP,

I've got several friends with significant speech impediments, and it can be a pain for them to communicate.... but after a while I really don't even notice it. If I am not sure I understand, I just repeat it back saying, 'did I understand this correctly?' For me it is more important to connect with the person.

You may know that the astronaut Senator John Glenn's wife, Annie, had a VERY bad problem with stuttering.

I just got through reading his autobiography (fascinating, by the way....) and he talks a lot about what it was like for her in high school and how it impacted her choices for high school and college. She chose to focus on piano and organ as it was a way to enjoy and share the music she loved without having to struggle with the speaking. And she always felt confident in John's presnce (I have a sneaking suspicion he may have done plenty of speaking for both of them!) But it impacted her ability to interact with people outside the family, and it was hard for her when he was such a public figure and the press wanted HER to talk.... you can imagine.

The two of them worked out ways of communicating and eventually she was able to find a teacher who was able to help her work through a lot of it. Sometimes stuttering it DOES get better as people age (I had some problems my self a long time ago... and still do have problems with certain words.) You're right - it helps to slow down and plan ahead... but sometimes life doesn't let that happen.

If I can find the book and the right paragraph, I'll type in a paragraph or two from the book tomorrow - it was a very interesting thing that would add to this discussion a lot....

You might want to know.... we had a priest in our parish at one point who had a HUGE stuttering problem (not sure if it had been there when he entered or if it happened later). The fascinating thing was that he would stammer and stutter and struggle with every word EXCEPT when preaching his sermons and the words of Consecration. And the look of adoration on Father's face made it clear that between him and God, no words were necessary.... and we had no problem with it.

Praying for you and for all the graces you need, to discern well, and to work through the stuttering.
[/quote]


Found the book and right section.

The book is [i]John Glenn a Memoir [/i](2000), and the relevant section is on pg 429-30 (Thank you to the person who invented indexing and put one in this book!!!):


[indent=1]Annie and I were watching the [i]Today[/i] show one morning early in 1973 when a guest came on from a small college in Roanoke, Virginia. Ron Webster, a psychology professor at Hollings College, was doing research into why stutterers stutter. His program was having remarkable success in its early stages.[/indent]

[indent=1]Annie had tried various treatment programs before. They had functioned primarily as feel-good sessions; they eased the psychological burden of stuttering, but didn't solve the problem. Webster's program was different. He approached stuttering as a physical problem, not a psychological one. A couple of his graduates were shown in before-and-after film clips. Before the treatment they sounded much like Annie. Afterward, they--and 80 percent of the students in the program--showed improvement. I remembered a dinner party next door at Scott and Rene Carpenter's in Timber Grove. [i][Scott Carpenter was one of the other Gemini astronauts, and a good friend.][/i] Scott had a new stereo, and after dinner, as a parlor game, he asked everybody to try reading from a newspaper while wearing headphones, with the stereo set to delay the reader's voice by half a second. Nobody could do it except Annie. The delay that confused the rest of us somehow allowed her to read perfectly.[/indent]

[indent=1]"That's a new approach", I said when the [i]Today[/i] segment ended. "It looks good. Do you want to try it?"[/indent]

[indent=1]Annie was excited at the prospect.[/indent]

There are a few more parapgraphs about exactly what the technique was, and I'll be happy to transcribe them if there is interest from FuturePriest and/or the rest of you. It is interesting to note this comment after the discussion of the technique (on pgs 430-41):

[indent=1]... The final exercise, at the end of the three weeks, had the students doing something that Annie had never been able to do before. I'll never forget her phone call:[/indent]

[indent=1]"John," she said on the line from Virginia, forming her words slowly and carefully as the muscles worked, "Today we went to a shopping center and went shopping. And I could ask for things. Imagine that."[/indent]

[indent=1]I had never heard Annie speak that many words without a single pause. It was all I could do to reply, "That's wonderful!"[/indent]

[indent=1]"I think so too," she said slowly. "It is a start."[/indent]

FP, I would hope that your discernment search, and yes, interacting with us here on PhatMass, is also a new start for you.

God has given you many gifts.... we look forward to God helping you to put them to good use.

We will be praying for you!

Blessings!

Edited March 12, 2012 by AnneLine

[MissyP89]

See? Nice people.

You gotta take the good with the bad, that's all.

[Slappo]

I have an honest question and I don't mean to be rude by it at all.

Do people with a stammer/stutter do this in speech only, or do you "stutter" at all while trying to write as well? I really know absolutely nothing about the topic and whether or not it is only a thing having to do with control of the vocal cords/muscles or if it is a communication thing that would involve any sort of conveying thoughts.

My guess is that it only has to do with vocal speech and not communication of thoughts in general.

[PhuturePriest]

[quote name='Slappo' timestamp='1331604608' post='2399946']
I have an honest question and I don't mean to be rude by it at all.

Do people with a stammer/stutter do this in speech only, or do you "stutter" at all while trying to write as well? I really know absolutely nothing about the topic and whether or not it is only a thing having to do with control of the vocal cords/muscles or if it is a communication thing that would involve any sort of conveying thoughts.

My guess is that it only has to do with vocal speech and not communication of thoughts in general.
[/quote]

Ha, of course not. Alone, I can speak as smoothly and as fast as I like. This is completely physical, not mental. When I type, and I do speak in my mind when I type, I have no problem. I find myself imagining if I were a speaker or a Priest, and I imagine myself giving perfect speeches. This happens quite a bit, actually. So no, it is definitely not mental. It is brought on by not speaking correctly, odd muscle movements, traumatic experiences which cause these, etc.

And thank you to whoever gave the quote from the book. It's really razzle dazzle. Would you mind if I took you up on your offer?

[AnneLine]

Hi, FP,

I'm glad you found it c o o l (we don't need ANY more language fiddlers today!!!!) I thought so when I read it!

Of course I would be happy to transcribe the rest of that section for you, especially as you asked so kindly!.

The rest of the section follows the next 2 paragraphs quoted above (and another part of my earlier quote will be repeated, too):


[indent=1]"That's a new approach", I [i][John Glenn][/i] said when the [i]Today[/i] segment ended. "It looks good. Do you want to try it?"[/indent]


[indent=1]Annie was excited at the prospect.[/indent]

The book continues (on pg. 430-31):

[indent=1]Soon she was enrolled in a three-week course at Hollins that had her and other stutterers working intensively eleven hours a day. The theory behind the exercises was that speech patterns are set to a large degree by audio feedback, sounds and vibrations that let us pick up continuity and rhythm. If the nerve, brain, and muscle combinations that do this had some congenital weakness or for some reason got out of sync during childhood, stuttering could develop. Sometimes the stutterer's hearing could block out information given the brain by the sound of the voice, causing the speech muscles to jump out of control. The goal was to retrain the system and resestablish control.[/indent]

[indent=1]Students relearned alphabetical sounds from the ground up and spent hours practicing them, then speaking syllables, dragging them out to two seconds, and progressed from there.[/indent]

[indent=1]The final exercise, at the end of the three weeks, had the students doing something that Annie had never been able to do before. I'll never forget her phone call:
[/indent]
[indent=1]"John," she said on the line from Virginia, forming her words slowly and carefully as the muscles worked, "Today we went to a shopping center and went shopping. And I could ask for things. Imagine that."
[/indent]
[indent=1]I had never heard Annie speak that many words without a single pause. It was all I could do to reply, "That's wonderful!"
[/indent]
[indent=1]"I think so too," she said slowly. "It is a start."[/indent]

[indent=1]Annie grasped the gift of speech and held it tight. Our lives were transformed. "John," she said when she got home, hiding an impish smile, "I've wanted to tell you this for years: Pick up your socks." Our phone bill increased as she started calling friends around the country. She had never been able to read children's stories to Lyn and Dave [i][their children] [/i]when they were little. People had always mistaken her reluctance to speak for shyness, but she loved people and was no wallflower. Now, she said, she felt like a butterfly that had been let out of a cage.[/indent]


I hope that was helpful, FP.

A question for you -- II saw [i]The King's Speech [/i]only once, but am I correct that I remember vaguely that his teacher uses some kind of a similar technique as what John Glenn describedwhile working with the King? (from my earlier post about using the tape recorder to slow down sounds in such a way that ONLY Annie could speak?) I wonder if that technique is still being used... I think I will do a little searching to see if there is anything still going on on this... afater all, John Glenn's memoir is 12 years old and describing a technique from 35 years ago...)

However, the comments about how Annie's life was transformed (in the last paragraph of the quote) make me think of a sermon I heard a few years ago on the raising of Lazarus that I have prayed over many times. Father asked this question, "what must have it been like for Lazarus, raised from the dead but still inside the tomb, to hear the Voice of Jesus telling the astonished crowd, "Remove his bindings, and let him go free." Wow, what a thought! We were encouraged to think about what our own 'bindings' might be, and to beg that Jesus would call us out of our own lonely, dead, tied-up places....

It is a very powerful image...and very apropos for the end of the Lenten season....

Blessings, FP!

AnneLine

[AnneLine]

Wow! FP!!!! Lookee what I found!!!!!!

An article on the work of Dr. Webster --

[url="http://www.stuttering.org/webster.html"]http://www.stuttering.org/webster.html[/url]


[indent=1][size=4][font=Tahoma]Ronald Webster, founder and Director of the Hollins Communications Research Institute (HCRI), and Professor of Psychology (Emeritus), Hollins University, leads a major research program on stuttering that has produced a number of significant advancements in the treatment of this difficult and much misunderstood problem. At the present time, Dr. Webster and his colleagues are conducting research on the relationships between sensory newly discovered feedback anomalies and the disturbed speech motor activities in stuttering. Additional research is in process that examines new methods by which direct speech motor evaluations and speech motor training can be accomplished over the internet.[/font][/size][/indent]


[indent=1][size=4][font=Tahoma]His extensive work on stuttering is based on the theory that difficulties in the stutterer's reception of his own speech sounds is the primary cause of stuttering. His research on stuttering therapy has brought fluent speech to the majority of the 4,700 stutterers who have undergone speech retraining at HCRI.[/font][/size][/indent]

[indent=1][size=4][font=Tahoma]The Precision Fluency Shaping Program, and more recently, the Hollins Fluency System[/font][font=Tahoma]â„¢[/font][font=Tahoma], are stuttering therapies developed by Dr. Webster at HCRI. The therapy programs have been the subject of articles appearing in the New York Times, Newsweek, People, Parade, Sports Illustrated, and numerous other publications. Dr. Webster's work has also been featured several times on NBC's "Today" show, the "CBS Morning News," ABC's "Good Morning America," ABC's "20/20" program, and most recently, ABC's "Nightline" program.. Among the clients who have participated in his therapy are Annie Glenn, wife of Ohio Senator John Glenn; John Stossel of ABC's "20/20" program; and Arthur Blank, co-founder of Home Depot.[/font][/size][/indent]

[size=4][font=Tahoma]Good grief - John Stossel? Who would have thought he had ever had a speech impediment![/font][/size]

[size=4][font=Tahoma]And there is a whole lot more!!!! -- including info about their program Happy reading![/font]

[font=Tahoma]Here's the program's website:[/font]

[font=Tahoma][url="http://www.stuttering.org/"]http://www.stuttering.org/[/url][/font]

[font=Tahoma]I will pray hard, FP....[/font][/size]

Edited March 13, 2012 by AnneLine

[PhuturePriest]

[quote name='AnneLine' timestamp='1331626508' post='2400037']
Wow! FP!!!! Lookee what I found!!!!!!

An article on the work of Dr. Webster --

[url="http://www.stuttering.org/webster.html"]http://www.stuttering.org/webster.html[/url]


[indent=1][size=4][font=Tahoma]Ronald Webster, founder and Director of the Hollins Communications Research Institute (HCRI), and Professor of Psychology (Emeritus), Hollins University, leads a major research program on stuttering that has produced a number of significant advancements in the treatment of this difficult and much misunderstood problem. At the present time, Dr. Webster and his colleagues are conducting research on the relationships between sensory newly discovered feedback anomalies and the disturbed speech motor activities in stuttering. Additional research is in process that examines new methods by which direct speech motor evaluations and speech motor training can be accomplished over the internet.[/font][/size][/indent]


[indent=1][size=4][font=Tahoma]His extensive work on stuttering is based on the theory that difficulties in the stutterer's reception of his own speech sounds is the primary cause of stuttering. His research on stuttering therapy has brought fluent speech to the majority of the 4,700 stutterers who have undergone speech retraining at HCRI.[/font][/size][/indent]

[indent=1][size=4][font=Tahoma]The Precision Fluency Shaping Program, and more recently, the Hollins Fluency System[/font][font=Tahoma]â„¢[/font][font=Tahoma], are stuttering therapies developed by Dr. Webster at HCRI. The therapy programs have been the subject of articles appearing in the New York Times, Newsweek, People, Parade, Sports Illustrated, and numerous other publications. Dr. Webster's work has also been featured several times on NBC's "Today" show, the "CBS Morning News," ABC's "Good Morning America," ABC's "20/20" program, and most recently, ABC's "Nightline" program.. Among the clients who have participated in his therapy are Annie Glenn, wife of Ohio Senator John Glenn; John Stossel of ABC's "20/20" program; and Arthur Blank, co-founder of Home Depot.[/font][/size][/indent]

[size=4][font=Tahoma]Good grief - John Stossel? Who would have thought he had ever had a speech impediment![/font][/size]

[size=4][font=Tahoma]And there is a whole lot more!!!! -- including info about their program Happy reading![/font]

[font=Tahoma]Here's the program's website:[/font]

[font=Tahoma][url="http://www.stuttering.org/"]http://www.stuttering.org/[/url][/font]

[font=Tahoma]I will pray hard, FP....[/font][/size]
[/quote]

Thank you so much for both posts. They really help a lot, and they give me hope not to give up. Thank you very much. I'll definitely look into the website.