The ABCs of Stuttering: New DVD for Parents and Teachers

The Stuttering Foundation is making 'Stuttering: Straight Talk for Teachers' available on DVD just in time for the back-to-school season. This 20-minute DVD helps parents and teachers understand how stuttering can affect children of all ages in the classroom.

(PRWEB) July 21, 2005 -- Give your childs teacher a copy of "Stuttering: Straight Talk for Teachers" on the first day of school
   
When teachers hear a child stutter, the immediate reaction is one of concern mixed with a host of urgent questions:

*Should I call on the student in class, or will that only make it worse?
*How should I handle teasing and bullying by other students?
*What should I do about reading aloud in class?

The Stuttering Foundation is making "Stuttering: Straight Talk for Teachers" available on DVD just in time for the back-to-school season. This 20-minute DVD helps parents and teachers understand how stuttering can affect children of all ages in the classroom.
   
Noted speech-language pathologists Bill Murphy, M.A., of Purdue University and Kristin Chmela, M.A., of Northwestern University present practical strategies teachers can use immediately to help children feel more comfortable talking in the classroom.
   
The highlight of the DVD is the children who discuss their experiences in the classroom and share what was helpful for them.
   
"Even when I knew the answer, I wouldnt raise my hand because I was worried about what others might think," says Umberto, a teenager in the video. He added that giving a classroom presentation on stuttering to the entire class has made him feel more at ease.

"I was embarrassed to read aloud in front of my teacher and friends because of my stuttering," says Kate. She worked with her teacher to make a plan to practice first at home and then individually with her teacher.
   
Martin offers a different perspective. "I feel confident and even though I might mess up when I talk, Im not ashamed. I still want the teacher to call on me even though I might be having a bad day."

At school, children who stutter often face bullying and teasing. This treatment by other students sometimes causes more anxiety than does the speech disorder itself.
   
Murphy suggests teachers make stuttering an open topic for discussion in the classroom. One exercise they can use is to discuss famous people who stutter.
   
NBA basketball star Kenyon Martin, news anchor John Stossel, and actor James Earl Jones are just a few of the many celebrities who struggle with stuttering. A list of famous people who stutter and a downloadable poster can be found at www.stutteringhelp.org.
   
The DVD, offered free to all public libraries, comes with a 42-page handbook of additional resources. Contact the Stuttering Foundation at 1-800-992-9392 or online at www.stutteringhelp.org.

Tips for talking with a child who stutters
1. Dont tell the child to slow down or "relax."

2. Speak with the child in an unhurried way, pausing frequently. Wait a few seconds after the child finishes speaking before you begin to speak. This slows down the overall pace of conversation.

3. Use your facial expressions, eye contact, and other body language to convey to the child that you are listening to the content of her message and not how she is talking.

4. Don't complete words for the child or talk for him.

5. Don't make stuttering something to be ashamed of. Talk about stuttering just like any other matter.

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