Since 1998, every year on October 22 the world celebrates International Stammering Awareness Day. This day is intended to raise public awareness of stammering, which affects 1 % of the world’s population. International Stammering Awareness Day is a special worldwide commitment to educate people about this complex disorder, work toward the prevention of stammering in children, let people know that help is available and promote research to find the causes of stammering.
This year’s International Stammering Awareness Day theme is ‘People Who Stutter Supporting Each Other’. The self-help groups and the national associations became very active and creative when International Stammering Awareness Day approached. ISAD encompassed a variety of events including an international online conference, public awareness and education events, media campaigns, and individual fundraising efforts. People who stutter from self-help groups as well as professionals were interviewed for TV and newspapers. Excellent projects, interesting discussions and parties occurred around the World.
Stammering can affect anyone. It is defined as a disorder in which you experience disruption to the flow of their speech with repetition of sounds or parts of words, struggling or blocking. Young children who are still learning to speak very often have a dysfluency in speaking but most of them stop stammering as they grow older.
Scientists don’t fully understand why some people stammer. There is no cure, but treatments can help. Starting stammering therapy early for young children can keep it from becoming a lifelong problem. Stammering adults deal with negative self-concept, guilt, shame and anxiety about speaking. They might feel that their speech has a negative impact on their personal relationships and job.
At ASLTIP there are a number of members that are specialised in stammering and you can find them all here:http://www.helpwithtalking.com/directory/specialty/15
The views expressed in the blog do not necessarily represent the views of ASLTIP. Publication does not imply endorsement.
