Some Stutter, Luh!: Recent Episodes
The Communication Collaborative
Some Stutter, Luh! Podcast aims to rebuild confidence and hope for people who live with communication disorders by dismantling stuttering myths, stigma, stereotypes and barriers. https://somestutterluh.ca/
Description:Some Stutter, Luh! Welcomes Dr. Hazel Price, a lecturer in English language at the University of Salford, and author of "The Language of Mental Illness: Corpus Linguistics and the Construction of Mental Illness in the Press". She shares her insights about the intersection of language, media, and mental health, emphasizing the critical role of linguistics in understanding and addressing stigma. Let’s listen! Notes:In her book, "The Language of Mental Illness: Corpus Linguistics and the Construction of Mental Illness in the Press," published in 2022, Dr. Price examined how UK news reports have shaped public perceptions of mental health over 30 years using a corpus of 45 million words. She aimed to bridge the gap between linguistic research and practical guidelines for language use in mental health contexts. In her book, she used methods from corpus linguistics and critical discourse analysis to analyze public perceptions and stigma related to mental illness. She discusses the importance of accurate language in media and its impact on public understanding and stigma. Dr. Price emphasizes that all health experiences are mediated through language, from recognizing symptoms to communicating with healthcare providers. She discusses the role of language in perpetuating stigma and the importance of linguistic research in health communication.
Description:Some Stutter, Luh! welcomes Kris Conlin who shares her personal experience with dyscalculia. She emphasizes the importance of raising awareness about dyscalculia and the need for better support systems in education. Kris recommends others to follow their passion to maintain mental wellbeing! Notes:Kris explains her challenges with dyscalculia, a branch of dyslexia that affects the brain's processing of numbers and data, making math challenging. She faced difficulties at school due to dyscalculia, but she was lucky to receive help from supportive teachers, and specialized programs. Dyscalculia significantly affected Kris's self-esteem and mental health. Despite her condition, she successfully navigates her job by coping strategies like focusing on her love for plants and gardening to manage stress. Emphasizing the need for increased awareness and support for dyscalculia, Kris advocates for more resources and training for teachers and mental health professionals. She highlights the vital role of her support systems, including therapy and family, in managing her condition. Additionally, she advises others with dyscalculia to engage in activities they are passionate about to help manage their condition and maintain mental well-being.About Kris: My name is Kris and I’m honored to be a guest on this radio podcast to share my personal journey with Dyscalculia. I believe that by sharing my experiences, we can raise awareness about this learning disability and inspire others to overcome its challenges.I realized I had Dyscalculia roughly around Grade 8 when one of my best friends mentioned the condition as they were recently diagnosed. It made perfect sense; I struggled with mathematics and trying to practice the concepts were marked by frustration and self-doubt. However, I was determined not to let this learning disability define my potential.Challenges:Dyscalculia presented a range of challenges in my academic and personal life. Tasks that involved numbers, such as basic calculations and mental math seemed insurmountable at the time. I often felt isolated and struggled to keep up with my peers. Thankfully, I wasn’t alone as there were a group of kids in my grade that all needed some extra help.The Turning Point:My turning point came when I met a couple supportive teachers in middle school (Ms. N. Elias and Ms. L. Cusak) who recognized my struggles and provided alternative teaching methods. With their help, I started building a foundation of numerical understanding step by step. It was a slow and often frustrating process, but I remained committed.Overcoming Dyscalculia:Through years of hard work, determination, and the support of dedicated educators and loved ones, I began to gain confidence in my mathematical abilities. I discovered strategies and tools that worked for me, such as visual aids, specialized tutoring, and assistive technology.Today, I can proudly say that I’ve overcome many of the challenges associated with Dyscalculia. I’ve not only improved my math skills but also learned to embrace my unique way of thinking. My journey has led me to become an advocate for individuals with learning disabilities and to inspire others to never give up on their dreams.Message to Others:To anyone struggling with Dyscalculia or any learning disability, I want to emphasize that you are not alone, and it’s okay to seek help. With the right support and determination, you can overcome the challenges posed by Discalculia and achieve your goals. Remember, your journey is unique, and your strengths are immeasurable.I’m grateful for the opportunity to share my story on this podcast, and I hope it encourages conversations about Dyscalculia and the importance of inclusive education. Together, we can create a world where everyone, regardless of their learning differences, can thrive and reach their full potential.
This episode of SSL! presents Helme’s journey from misdiagnosis to proper treatment of Wilson's disease, which can cause various symptoms including speech difficulties like dysarthria and dysphasia. Let’s learn about his challenges and coping strategies.Notes:Helme discusses how Wilson's disease, a condition affecting copper metabolism, affects daily activities, work, and relationships, highlighting the importance of support systems and managing stress. The disease's complexity and variability contribute to under diagnosis, necessitating awareness and consideration for alternative diagnoses, such as multiple sclerosis. This episode highlights the significance of recognizing personal limits and the need for greater support for people with conditions like Wilson's disease. It emphasizes the importance of awareness and understanding among medical professionals about the diverse manifestations of the disease. Despite ongoing struggles, Helme emphasizes gratitude for his recovery and aims to raise awareness about Wilson's disease.
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About Steff: I am a speech-language pathologist who stutters in the United States. My brother has stuttered since the age of six (child-onset) and me since the age of 36 due to a brain injury. I am also a person that lives with chronic lung disease- and stuttering support groups helped me find myself and navigate this lung disease journey as a young career woman, wife and mother- more than lung support groups. I have been an SLP for almost 15 years, and now own a private practice solely focusing on the treatment of stuttering. I LOVE to talk about the shift in treatment to a very holistically-based model focused on autonomy of the person who stutters in the therapy room. Additionally, I am an adjunct professor at four universities!Website: https://somestutterluh.ca/Anchor: https://anchor.fm/somestutterluhInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/somestutterpodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/somestutterluhpod/Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy80ZDk5ZjhhYy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw== Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/some-stutter-luh Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/f104pr7uRadiopublic: https://radiopublic.com/some-stutter-luh-Ww7lXa Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5f9V7PkdfcPPOBSc7WNsBf#stuttering #podcast #newfoundland #labrador #speech #therapy #therapist #disability #communication
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This episode was recorded in Persian. An English translation is provided on our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@somestutterluh
This special episode of SSL! podcast presents the cultural perceptions of stuttering in Iran. As a person who stutter, a speech therapist and the founder of the first stuttering-focused startup in Iran, GREEN SPEECH, Amir covers various aspects of stuttering, including personal experiences, societal perceptions, treatment approaches, the role of awareness, and the importance of self-acceptance. Let’s listen to someone who made his stuttering to a stepping stone to success! Notes:Amir Hossein, as a PWS, a speech therapist and founder of Green Speech, discusses his personal journey with stuttering. He shares his experiences with stuttering from childhood through adulthood, detailing the reactions of family, peers, and professors. Amir emphasizes the importance of self-acceptance and open communication about stuttering to reduce stigma and improve quality of life. As student of speech therapy at University of Michigan, he also addresses the differences in cultural attitudes towards stuttering between Iran and America, highlighting the need for awareness and support for people who stutter. In his role as a speech therapist and startup founder, Amir aims to provide resources, support, and education to both individuals who stutter and professionals in the field and he emphasizes on the importance of early intervention. He encourages those who stutter to seek help and take action towards improving their speech, stressing that stuttering does not define one's worth or capabilities. Website: https://somestutterluh.ca/Anchor: https://anchor.fm/somestutterluhInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/somestutterpodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/somestutterluhpod/Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy80ZDk5ZjhhYy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw== Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/some-stutter-luh Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/f104pr7uRadiopublic: https://radiopublic.com/some-stutter-luh-Ww7lXa Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5f9V7PkdfcPPOBSc7WNsBf#stuttering #podcast #speech #language #disability #Iran #Persian #Newfoundland #Labrador #Communication
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Description:
This bilingual episode of SSL! Podcast narrates Mounah Bizri’s inspiring journey who overcame disabilities like dysgraphia, dyspraxia, stuttering, and ADHD. Mounah founded “Eloquence de la Différence” in 2019, a nonprofit organization that offers a public speaking platform for individuals with disabilities to communicate freely and authentically. Mounah highlights the importance of self-acceptance and embracing one's strengths.
Notes:
Through his personal experiences, Mounah emphasizes the significance of loving oneself, acknowledging limitations. Despite facing bullying and challenges in his youth due to his disabilities and differences, Mounah pursued higher education and a successful career, eventually founding the “Eloquence de la Différence”. The program started in Paris and has since expanded to 5 cities, welcoming individuals with various disabilities such as stuttering, Down's syndrome, autism, and deafness, blindness, since they focus on people not disabilities. The program provides support for individuals to improve their communication skills and embrace their unique way of speaking. Mounah’s story exemplifies the transformative power of self-acceptance, resilience, and the importance of embracing diversity in communication initiatives.
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Greg chats with Carolina and Sang, a long distance couple who were brought - and kept - together by stuttering.
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S5E3: Sean BW Parker
Description:
In this episode, Some Stutter, Luh! welcomes Sean BW Parker, a British writer, artist, musician, and academic specializing in cultural theory and justice reform to discuss his recently published book, "Compelling Speech: The Stammering Enigma." Sean shares his personal experience with stammering, highlighting the challenges he faced and the various therapies he underwent over the years. Sean expresses his pride in the unique aspects of his personality that come with stammering and he believes in a kind of natural fluency in which there is no need to hammer the stammer!
Notes:
Following his 2013 Ted Talk on stammering and creativity, Sean BW Parker was inspired to write his autobiography on the subject, titled "Compelling Speech: The Stammering Enigma”. Using a fun language in this book, Sean tracks the social and cultural-political context of communication differences through the cultural lens. Sean discusses the origins of his stammer, attributing it to a mix of genetic factors, upbringing, and personal experiences. Pointing to his personal journey with stammering, he reflects on the interplay between nature and nurture. Defining natural fluency as the ease of communication, Sean suggests that if one can stammer easily, it can be considered a form of fluency. Through the concept of "Stammering Pride," he explores how confidence and directness can, at times, reduce stammering. Sean believes in the multifaceted nature of people who stammer and encourages individuals not to limit themselves based on their speech impediment. Discussing reviews of his book, he particularly values feedback from Jack Nicholas and Joann Williams, appreciating reviews that acknowledge the complexity and interest in his writing rather than providing simplistic praise. Finally, Sean emphasizes the importance of embracing the present moment, minimizing expectations, and the value of thinking less.
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Today, October 22, 2020 is International Stuttering Awareness Day (ISAD).
I’d like to take a few moments out of your time to share a recent experience that happened to me when I was asked about the significance and importance of ISAD.
My name is Greg O’Grady. I am Chair of the Newfoundland and Labrador Stuttering Association, Host of SOME STUTTER, LUH!. I am also a professional stutterer, who specializes in covert stuttering.
I introduce myself this way, as a professional stutterer, who specializes in covert stuttering to remind myself of my many yesteryears and attempts at camouflaging or hiding my stutter out of shame and humiliation. I desperately wanted to be accepted and approved, and to gain access to fluent, abled-body privileges. I am a person who stutters, and those privileges are not mine.
On October 17, I attended a City of Mount Pearl Public Council meeting to accept and speak to the Newfoundland and Labrador Stuttering Association's request to have October 22 Proclaimed as ISAD in the City of Mount Pearl. City Councillors and other community individuals were in attendance.
While standing beside the Mayor of the City of Mount Pearl, David Aker, listening to him proclaim ISAD in my city, I felt myself becoming overwhelmed with emotion. Once Mayor Aker finished reading our Proclamation, he handed me the microphone, and asked me to share the significance and importance of ISAD. As hard as I tried to choke down and to control my emotions erupting within me, as soon as I attempted to speak, the flood gates opened. For what seemed like and eternity, I struggled through my tears attempting to articulate the importance of ISAD. As I looked around the room, I saw in the eyes of those in attendance, looks of discomfort, surprised, and yet, looks of caring and compassion.
Few people understand how stuttering can have devastating educational, emotional and psychological, social, physically, spiritual, and vocational affects on children, adolescents, adults and seniors who stutter throughout life.
Based on my years of lived experience, living with a severe stutter, I feel that stuttering is TRAUMA.
As I reflect now on struggling to articulate the significance and importance of ISAD, what I considered an embarrassing and humiliating experience, was in reality, my “VOICE” when I could not speak.
Those tears ARE my VOICE.
My TEARS communicated so clearly and echoed loudly, the TRAUMA associated with stuttering - more than any words possibly could.
My TEARS gave VOICE to our global community of people who stutter; raising awareness, education, understanding and acceptance of stuttering.
And so, I sincerely want to thank Mayor David Aker, the City of Mount Pearl Councillors, and others in attendance, for providing me an opportunity and a safe space to able to articulate through TEARS, the TRAUMA that stuttering can inflict on approximately 1% of the population; the 70 million people worldwide who stutter.
Happy ISAD!
Greg
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Transcript: S5E2 Kellina Powell.docx
Description: In this episode of Some Stutter Luh! we welcome Kellina Powell, a writer, professional coach and advocate specializing in mental health and empowerment for young adults with disabilities. Kellina shares her journey and lived experiences as a hard of hearing individual. She became a coach to empower young adults with disabilities, especially in the deaf community. So, be all ears to DEAF QUEEN BOSS who believes that we must live life to the fullest!
Notes: Kellina Powell is a passionate advocate for people with disabilities, particularly in the deaf community. She became a professional coach and advocate specializing in mental health and empowerment for young adults with disabilities due to her personal experiences and a desire to make a difference.
Kellina believes communication is about being flexible in order to really understand a person’s voice. In her book "Every Day I Am Just Deaf: Life in a Hearing World with Deaf Queen Boss," Kellina shares her daily experiences as a deaf individual in a hearing world. The book discusses various aspects of her life, including relationships, mental health, and the challenges of communication. It aims to raise awareness and promote understanding of the deaf community's challenges and abilities.
As a professional coach and advocate specializing in mental health and empowerment, she can provide valuable support to individuals in the stuttering community. She can assist them in building self-esteem, improving mental health, enhancing employment opportunities, and boosting overall quality of life. Kellina uses techniques like role-playing and goal setting to help clients gradually become more comfortable with communication, including phone calls.
At the end of the interview, Kellina emphasizes the need for better support systems and government policies to assist people with disabilities and mental health concerns. She also encourages people to live life to the fullest, let go of negativity, and have fun.
Kellina's book is available here: https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/everyday-i-am-just-deaf-life-in-a-hearing-world-with-deaf-queen-boss/9781778112102.html
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This special episode of Some Stutter Luh! welcomes individuals who stutter from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Maryam and Greg engage in a discussion centered around an interview with Parsa, a bilingual Persian-Kurdish individual living in Iran, who also stutters. The conversation commences by addressing the significance of speaking about stuttering in various societies and cultures. While stuttering itself possesses consistent characteristics, it is the cultural context that influences the unique experiences of individuals with stuttering. So, let’s look at stuttering through the lens of cultural differences! The discussion delves into how different cultures define disability, offering explanations and examples that elucidate how cultural norms and laws can influence the acceptance of certain disabilities within society. Greg and Maryam also discuss the ongoing debate within the stuttering community regarding whether stuttering should be classified as a disability, considering the impact it has on individuals' lives.One of the key highlights is Maryam's personal experience connecting with Parsa, an individual who stutters, emphasizing the significance of acceptance and support. Parsa's journey and comfort with stuttering offer a unique perspective on embracing one's identity.As the episode concludes, Maryam and Greg express their commitment to exploring the diverse cultural facets of stuttering, underscoring the importance of raising awareness and advocating for the rights of individuals with disabilities worldwide.The book mentioned in the episode is: Disability in Different Cultures: Reflections on Local Concepts, available at https://www.amazon.com/Disability-Dif...
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A special episode of Some Stutter, Luh! to raise awareness of the Newfoundland and Labrador Stuttering Association's 1k/5k Walk, Run, and Roll for Stuttering Awareness. Proceeds of this annual event go towards supporting NLSA initiatives such as a bursary program to subsidize treatment programs and equipment for people who stutter, public awareness campaigns, educational events, etc. To support the NLSA visit https://nlstuttering.ca/
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Season 4 is complete! In Season 5, SSL! gets "blocked". Listen as Greg explains.
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Some Stutter, Luh! welcomes Aaron Silverthorne, Judith Silverthorne, and Jayan Juneja for a conversation about stuttering.
Aaron is a producer at Silverlight Productions whose latest documentary is called Echoed Words. This half hour documentary takes "a powerful first-person perspective on the impacts of a person’s life who stutters, and how to find ways to manage the disorder to ease their everyday life."
Judith is an author and television documentary producer who is passionate about hearing and sharing the stories of others.
Jayan is the star of Echoed Words and is a high school senior applying for engineering school.
During this episode, Aaron and Jayan share their personal experiences as people who stutter, and the three guests discuss the impact of stuttering on their lives. The episode also touches on the importance of seeking help and the hope that there is for those who stutter.
Echoed Words makes it's broadcast premiere on August 31, 2023 at 7:00 PM Eastern Time on on AMI. Produced/Directed/Written by Aaron Silverthorne and Judith Silverthorne; with Cinematographer and Editor Tony Quiñones, and assistant videographer Nicholas Hotte. Produced by Silverlight Productions Inc for AMI with additional funding support of Creative Saskatchewan. #Creativesaksaskatchewan #documentary #stuttering #Silverlight Productions Inc #ISTAR
Click here for the transcript of this episode.
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A frank discussion about stopping stuttering.
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Danny. 34. Connecticut. I struggled with stuttering for 15 years. I surprisingly started at age 18 which is late since most develop their stutter during adolescent years. I attended speech therapy for nearly a year, but never felt any improvement. Thankfully I found a book called “How to Stop Stuttering and Love Speaking” by Lee G Lovett earlier this year and after diligently immersing myself in the author’s methods, I greatly reduced my stuttering after 2-3 months.
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Brian Woo is an ADHDer who stutters. Since being involved in both the Disability Community and the Neurodivergent Community, Brian realized the importance of the Stuttering Community to be open to learning from and being involved in these other communities as stuttering is a form of neurodivergence. Brian shares his journey and increases awareness of stuttering, ADHD, and mental health on his Instagram accounts @StutteringLoudly and @StutteringIsNeurodivergence and on Twitter @StutteringNeuro. He is also the creator of a Facebook support group called "Stuttering is Neurodivergence".
stuttering #neurodiversity #disabilities #advocacy #Newfoundland #Labrador
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Today, Some Stutter, Luh! welcomes Dr. Simon Falk, a trained linguist and an associate professor in neurolinguistics at the University of Montreal, Canada, and member of the International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research. She currently holds a Canada Research Chair in Interdisciplinary Studies on Rhythm and Language Acquisition. In this episode, Dr. Falk talks about the relationship between stuttering and music.
stuttering #disabilities #advocacy #Newfoundland #Labrador
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TBA
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Join us for a unique and compelling look at the stuttering experience, and stuttering assessments and therapy techniques from the perspective of Speech language pathologist, Terry Campbell.
Show Notes:
- Professional areas of interest and specialties, and what makes stuttering a unique and interesting research area.
- Stuttering experiences that might be unique to the individual (ex. Mental or emotional triggers or responses)
- Discussion of experience working with people who stutter as a person who doesn’t stutter, and the impossibility of truly understanding what it’s like to be a person who stutters.
- Stuttering and mental health: scope of practice is practical speech therapy, but also counseling. Discussion of how these components interact.
- Discussion of SLP assessment methods and techniques (ex. Disfluency counts), and problems with traditional techniques.
- The internal and external experience of stuttering, and the necessity of starting with the internal experience in therapy.
- Stuttering misconceptions vs. truths: what actually causes stuttering? Many possible contributing factors.
- Challenges of treating people who stutter, and best practices in treating people who stutter.
- When should an SLP collaborate with a psychologist, psychiatrist, or social worker, for example, to assist with the mental health component of stuttering?
- Importance of any mental health professional who works with someone who stutters to understand the misperceptions and truths about stuttering.
- The “F word”: fluency vs. management of stuttering.
- Goals of treatment: fluency? Management? Secondary characteristics? Or focus on the speaker’s feelings and perspective?
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Amanda is the Humanities Collection Development Librarian in the Collection Strategies Division at the Queen Elizabeth II Library, Memorial University of Newfoundland. She’s also a wife and mother of two. Amanda did some coursework in Linguistics during her undergraduate degree, and currently manages collections in Linguistics as part of her professional duties. Amanda is also a person who stutters. While her stutter has become managed in adulthood, fluidity will probably always be something she has to work for. Being a member of this team allows Amanda to become part of a conversation that holds great personal significance to her, and also part of an admirable effort to normalize stuttering, and to create a deeper understanding of stuttering in our province and beyond.
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Philip Rodrigues was born and lives in Toronto, to two Portuguese immigrants who were fluent in English. Philip is married, with two dogs and works in the IT field. He bikes and plays video games in his spare time. Early on before starting junior kindergarten Philip was identified to have a speaking disability including a prominent stutter, lisp and delayed development in his ability to form full sentences. He worked with an SLP 1-1 and participated in special education up until grade 3-4 in school. After this he had no further issues. Philip no longer has a stutter or lisp, but can't help but feel as though he continues to use verbal crutches to prop up his ability to speak today. Today, Philip is a reserved and quiet individual. This may be related to his early hesitation to speak up in case and feared that he could not effectively communicate his thoughts. His wife says that while he is quiet and reserved, he is surrounded by incredibly chatty and outgoing people including herself and his immediate family so she thinks secretly he is also one.
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Farrah grew up in Toronto has had hearing loss and sever stuttering since age 4 . She enjoys reading and doing research and spending time with family and friends.
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Glenn Roy Blundon was a student at Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) whose advocacy broke new ground for students with disabilities. Greg chats with Jason Geary and Hannah Blundon (Glenn's niece) about his legacy through the Blundon Centre.
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Is “fluency” the goal for people who stutter? In this episode Greg holds a panel discussion to find out how his guests feel about the “f” word.
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Lori Scott-Sulsky is the senior clinician and subject matter expert for the Stuttering Program at the Speech and Stuttering Institute, in Toronto. She has dedicated her practice to stuttering for more than 20 years. Marni Kinder is a Speech-Language Pathologist at The Speech and Stuttering Institute, where she has spent the past 14 years working exclusively with People Who Stutter in both individual and group treatment programs. Greg has been involved with The SSI as a client and as a volunteer since the mid 1980's and received treatment from Lori and Marni for his severe stuttering over these years.
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Cara Bennett is a Stutter Warrior, wife, mother of two boys and step mom to a daughter. A Registered Nurse of 20 years. A small business owner helping woman feel and look their best with skincare and cosmetics. Cara started a Best Life Reset Program and is still maintaining weight and wellness. She is very active with the YMCA community in Grand Falls-Windsor. Cara is a Christian that keeps helping others anyway she can through her steadfast unwavering faith that everything will be ok.
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Jeff Gibellina is happily married to his wife Emily of 11+ years with three kiddos, Charlie (9), Peter (4), and Kate (3). He whole-heartedly identified as a lifelong stutterer until about a year ago. Jeff is neither an SLP nor does he hold any degrees/certificates in communication disorders but he can help create a new way of speaking through habit/behavior formation and modification using the Pro90D system. Jeff is a Pro90d speech coach.
Do you think PRO90D is the solution to stuttering? Take our very first Some Stutter, Luh! audience poll on Spotify or post your response on our Instagram and Youtube channels! We'll discuss the results on a future episode of SSL!
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Welcome to a special Valentine’s Day episode of Some Stutter, Luh! Naturally, this episode is about stuttering and dating!
During our conversation today, our guests will be sharing the challenges and triumphs they faced when navigating the unfamiliar and stressful waters of dating while living with a stutter.
Thank you for joining us for this special interactive episode. We know this topic may be uncomfortable for some but recognize it as a very important conversation to have.
Today we have put together a panel of experts :) to chat about stuttering and dating. From past episodes Greg speaks to Liz Fagan, Robert O'Brien with return-guest-couple Carolina and Sang from last year's Valentine's Day special.
There is much to talk about on what I considered to be a confusing and scary topic.
- confidence,
- questions about comfort levels,
- identify,
- disclosure,
- whether or not to disclose,
- when and how one discloses,
- fear of consequences, such as disapproval, rejection, etc.
- benefits of disclosure,
- relief,
- self respect, etc.
Greg asks our guests:
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What are your individual thoughts about these words and questions based on your individual experiences?
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While reflecting back on your individual experiences with stuttering and dating - the good, the bad, the ugly - would you have approached your stuttering and dating experiences differently? If yes, why and if not, why not?
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What advice and or strategies for success can you provide other PWS who are considering entering these unfamiliar and stressful waters of stuttering and dating for the first time?
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Do you have any advice for individuals who stutter, that based on their previous unsuccessful dating experiences, may have decided to step away from attempting to find the right mate? Do you have any advice for not giving up this quest?
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Does being a PWS give you any special qualities that people who don’t stutter might lack in the world of dating? (e.g. are we better listeners?) :)
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Michael Wright is from the UK and works within the Nuclear Sector at Sellafield as a Planning Engineer.Two years ago he Co founded a online Facebook Group called Stand Up to Stammering, which offers a safe, encouraging, empowering platform that invites members to share their stammering experiences, gain support from other members, and invites them to build on their courage and confidence through the daily mind over matter challenges.
Michael is also Co founder of the Nuclear Stammering Network, which aims to make the Nuclear industry an inclusive place to work for those who stammer, by sign posting, raising awareness on the subject as well as supporting those within the Nuclear industry who stammer.
Elle-même une personne qui bégaie, Geneviève Lamoureux s’implique dans la communauté bègue depuis plusieurs années. Depuis 2020, aux côtés de l’orthophoniste Judith Labonté, elle est notamment co-productrice et co-animatrice de « Je je je suis un podcast », le balado de l’Association bégaiement communication (ABC), un organisme basé au Québec offrant des services et ressources aux adultes qui bégaient.
Geneviève est également candidate au doctorat en sciences de l’orthophonie de l’Université de Montréal, où elle mène des recherches sur l’(auto-)stigmatisation des personnes qui bégaient. Détentrice d’une maîtrise professionnelle en orthophonie, elle est aussi diplômée en traduction et littératures d’expression anglaise et française.
As a person who stutters, Geneviève Lamoureux has been involved in the stuttering community for several years. Since 2020, alongside speech therapist Judith Labonté, she has been co-producing and co-hosting of "Je je je suis un podcast" (This this this is a podcast), the podcast of the Association bégaiement communication (ABC), a Quebec-based organization offering services and resources to adults who stutter.
Geneviève is also a doctoral candidate in speech-language pathology at the Université de Montréal, where she is conducting research on the (self-)stigmatization of people who stutter. She holds a professional master's degree in speech-language pathology and a degree in English and French translation and literature.
Transcription / Translation available here.
Brian Woo is a Social Service Worker student, studying part-time at Durham College. He has worked with people with developmental disabilities for 12 years, and has worked in a congregate care setting for over 7 years. He has a passion for raising awareness about Mental Health and is an advocate for the Stuttering community, the Disabled community, the Neurodivergent community, and the Chronic Illness community (which includes immunocompromised people). Brian identifies as a member of each of these communities and he increases awareness through his Twitter account @StutterLoudly and his Instagram @StutteringLoudly. Brian has volunteered at the Abilities Church, DramaWay, and was a Planning Committee Member of the "Simply People" Disability Pride Celebration and the "A Million Things I Need to Say" Walk for Stuttering Awareness. Brian's early volunteer work taught him that identifying as a Disabled or Neurodivergent person is not something to be ashamed of. We all have our own gifts & talents and we all want a world that is inclusive & accessible.
Some Stutter, Luh! is working on providing transcripts of all of our episodes. We are currently working on Brian's episode and while we have some work to do, we wanted to share it with our listeners. To read along, click here.
Cody is always seeking after that next new experience. An avid traveler, hiker, and coffee aficionado, Cody works for various non-profits, including the John Howard Society, where he offers employment services to formerly incarcerated individuals. He holds a BA in sociology and anthropology from Memorial University, and recently finished a graduate program in human resource management at McGill University. Cody is also immensely interested in politics and intends on running his own political campaign one day, where you might just hear him stutter.
Around the 15 month mark, Ashlie noticed her son wasn't as verbally communicative as his sister at the same age. At 18 months, he wasn't meeting speech milestones and so they found a private SLP to work with them once a month. Then came the diagnosis.
Tune in this week as Ashlie shares her family's story which she hopes can help others on their own journey.
This episode aired Sunday, October 9, at 9am Newfoundland Time.
You can watch it on our Youtube page or listen to it on our Anchor page. Check out every past episode in our archives at somestutterluh.ca, and catch the latest updates via Instagram.
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In SSL! episode (S3:E17) Greg speaks with Steven Hiscock. Steven works with the Burgeo Broadcasting Station. Growing up in Burgeo, NL he never imagined he would become an on-camera personality. As a child Steven stuttered; so interviewing people was not a career path he envisioned at all. He was bullied and made fun of a lot. Over time Steven has learned a few tricks to help manage his stutter. Steven says that it’s all about your breathing when you talk and along with a few more tricks.
There is a great article about Steven published in SALTWIRE NL by Rosalyn Roy Posted: May 7, 2019.
Steven's community, Burgeo, was affected by last month's Hurricane Fiona. For more info, check out "Steve Hiscock from the Burgeo Broadcasting System... report[s] on the wreckage of Fiona on the ground in Burgeo." from The St. John's Morning Show from CBC Radio Nfld. and Labrador (Highlights).
Dr. Freeman is an assistant professor in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program at Oklahoma State University. Greg speaks to Valerie about her Deaf Experience, Deaf Expression (DXDX) Project and how listeners can take more responsibility for ensuring smoother communication with people who communicate differently.
Click here for more information about the Deaf Experience, Deaf expression Project.
Caroline Bredeson recently retired from her private practice in stuttering therapy in Ottawa, Ontario and has passed the torch on to Julie Rodrigue, her former student who is herself a person who clutters. Join Greg as he speaks with Caroline and Julie about being a speech-language pathology student (and teaching them!), developing a deep understanding of stuttering and its impacts, and working as an S-LP with a fluency disorder.
In this episode Greg speaks with Kim Block, a full-time student at Simon Fraser University completing a degree in Criminology with a certificate in Social Justice. Kim is a person who stutters and has been involved in the stuttering community for over twenty years. She runs the website Speaking Up and is author of the children’s book series Adventures of a Stuttering Superhero.
After years of struggling with bullying, depression, suicide, loneliness, and anxiety, Robert was inspired to write his memoir, Just One More Drive: The true story of a stuttering homosexual and his race car.
Help is available for suicide crisis and prevention.
Get support from a local crisis centre. There is also Talk Suicide Canada (1-833-456-4566), Kids Help Phone, the Hope for Wellness Help Line, and 1 866 APPELLE (277-3553) (Quebec residents), that all offer 24/7 support.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call 9-1-1.
In this episode, Greg speaks with Tom Scharstein, a person who stutters and an entrepreneur from South Florida, USA. Taking full advantage of the changing times with the new dependence on virtual connection, he and a team of innovators created the World Stuttering Network (WSN) in 2020. The mission of the WSN is to create a discussion among the world's stuttering support leaders to share helpful information & best practices to provide the best help for people who stutter globally. The WSN hosts the annual 'StutterFEST!', a 24-hour celebration of the world stuttering community. Guests and organizations from around the world present on multiple virtual stages throughout the day, allowing attendees from every time zone to attend.
Tom's life journey with stuttering has included over 25 years in stuttering support, mostly as a support group leader. 3 out of his 4 household family members stutter, which makes the family dynamic very interesting, as each person stutters & deals with their stutter differently.
Lisa & Tom are avid outdoor enthusiasts, and are often found paddling around Florida on the weekends.
After a short summer hiatus, we are back with Mary Wood, who, after her first interview with Greg, published her first book Beyond the Fear of Stuttering: My Journey to Self-Acceptance and Freedom.
Join Greg and Mary as they talk about the wonderful life lessons Mary shares in the book, including the powerful role of thought in controlling behaviour as well as what it takes to overcome fear and rejection. Mary challenges us to change our perspectives on how we approach stuttering (she sees it as a GIFT) and discusses her belief that it's not up to others to determine who we are. As a pastor in the Unity Church, Mary reflects on the role of spirituality in stuttering support - forgiveness and gratitude - and how there is so much more to people who stutter than simply stuttering.
Since 1993, Mary has inspired people at conferences in Canada, the United States, parts of Europe, and Great Britain. Currently Mary resides in Lee’s Summit Missouri, USA.
Episode Description
Jenny was recent Guest on SSL! where she was joined by two of her colleagues from the Stuttering Scholarship Alliance, now renamed My Speech, to discus the great work that this amazing organization is doing. My Speech is a non profit organization dedicated to providing a bridge to access for people who stutter—otherwise facing barriers of access—to achieve their fullest potential and receive effective speech therapy. During this conversation, Greg managed to get a glimpse of Jenny's lived experience as a PWS. So, to find out more about Jenny's story Greg thought a SSL! Guest revisit was in order. Greg was touched by the commitment and work that Jenny has placed on her self care journey to accept and embrace her stutter
About
Jenny McGuire is a person who stutters and a vociferous advocate for the stuttering community. Jenny’s journey as a stutterer has been marked by many different speech therapy experiences. Most of these therapies taught her behaviors intended to mask her stutter–spoiler, these tricks never worked when she needed them most–but did little to address the spate of adverse cognitive and affective effects of stuttering. ARTs (avoidance reduction therapy for stuttering) with Vivian Sisskin changed the trajectory of Jenny’s life. Through ARTs group therapy Jenny learned that a distinction can be drawn between the problem of stuttering and the act of stuttering. Having some dysfluencies when she spoke was not ruining her life, but her avoidance of stuttering along with constant negative thoughts and feelings about stuttering sure were. Through hard work, doing the things she didn’t want to do, and leveraging the loving support of a wonderful group therapy community, Jenny climbed out of the darkness that is the problem of stuttering.
As Executive Director My Speech, Jenny can’t think of anything she feels more passionately about than removing barriers so that others–particularly individuals from underserved communities– may find a way out of the darkness and live full, joyful lives, stuttering and all. My Speech touches the part of her that knows that everything is more tolerable and manageable within the context of a supportive community, and she looks forward to connecting stutterers with “their people” so that they may continue to thrive in the long term.
Dr. Samantha Shune is an associate professor and the director of the Communication Disorders and Sciences Program at the University of Oregon. Prior to returning to school for her PhD and throughout her doctoral program, she worked as a speech-language pathologist across a number of healthcare settings. Her primary area of interest is dysphagia, particularly in terms of exploring the impact of disruptions to the eating and swallowing process on the individual and their family system.
Michele Vandehey, MS, CCC-SLP, is a clinical supervisor for graduate student clinicians at the University of Oregon in the Brain Injury and Concussion Clinic. Michele also continues to work in the medical setting, specifically acute care, and inpatient rehabilitation as a medical speech-language pathologist. She completed her coursework and thesis in dysphagia at Idaho State University. She is also the daughter of a stroke survivor who experienced severe dysphagia, and cognitive- communication deficits who she provided support to within the home and community for nearly 20 years. Her clinical and research interests primarily center on identifying dysphagia and its impact on individuals and their families, including how to foster improved functional outcomes.
In this week's episode, Greg talks to Nathan Mallipeddi, Jenny McGuire, and Nikhil Bilkha from MySpeechApp.org (previously known as the Stuttering Scholarship Alliance)! They have built a digital resource platform enabling people who stutter to access affordable speech therapy and community support. Their work has been celebrated by US President Joe Biden.
Jessica Deluce completed her undergrad at Wilfrid Laurier University in Business with a specialization in Human Resources. She currently works as a Senior HR Generalist for Moffatt & Powell RONA. She will join the Smith School of Business at Queen's University MBA program in January 2023. Jessica is also a young entrepreneur and person who stutters, who seeks to establish a not for profit foundation to help raise money for people who stutter that cannot afford speech therapy. Jessica has officially applied (and paid!) for trademark status on The Well Spoken Foundation!
What is a linguist? We know it has something to do with languages, right? Well, Dr. Jesse Harris is one and in this episode he explains what he does. (Spoiler! His research involves experiments that track people’s eyes while they read!) As a linguist who stutters, he views stuttering as "a normal part of the speech continuum". Tune in to learn more about Jesse’s research and personal experiences at both ends of this continuum! Dr. Jesse Harris is an associate professor at UCLA in the Department of Linguistics, and advises the UCLA Language Processing Lab. He investigates how the brain figures out meaning when engaged in communication. As a person who stutters, he’s proud to serve on the Board of Directors of My Speech, a non-profit dedicated to facilitating access to high-quality, client-centered speech therapy to people in underserved communities, as well as providing resources on disability rights for students who stutter and education for speech-language pathologists in training.
In this episode Greg has an exciting and informative conversation with Dr. Janet Tilstra, PhD CCC-SLP. During their conversation, they discuss Dr. Tilstra's article, From Speech Helper to Ally. This article recognizes the need for developing a greater understanding of the psychological effects and emotions associated with communication disorders in order to encourage professionals in the field to incorporate counselling strategies in their clinical interactions. This article identifies a stuttering paradigm shift from a clinical focus to ally: a clinician changes her own perceptions of speech fluency and encourages others to re-examine theirs.
Dr. Tilstra is a speech-language pathologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Disorders at St Cloud State University, St Cloud, Minnesota (USA). She completed her undergraduate and Master’s degree in speech-language pathology at the University of Iowa and PhD in educational psychology at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Tilstra teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on stuttering, language development/disorders and research methods. She is an active clinical supervisor and passionate ally dedicated to amplifying the voices of people living with communication differences and disorders. She enjoys mentoring students, consulting with non-profit agencies, and designing innovative training models.
Enjoy their conversation.
In the first episode of season 3, Greg speaks to Casey Dumaresq about his most fluent and severe phases of stuttering, the exact moment when he felt that he had a speaking challenge for the first time, and why he was not diagnosed with a fluency disorder. He also discusses careers that a person who stutters might pursue. All this and much more!
About Casey: Casey Dumaresq is a gay person who stutters and a Speech-Language Pathologist. Casey grew up in rural New Brunswick, and went to graduate school in Halifax. He now lives in Toronto with his husband. Casey leads a stuttering support group in downtown Toronto (currently on pause due to the Covid-19 pandemic), and previously served on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Stuttering Association. These days, Casey finds himself in a mostly-fluent phase of life, and looks forward to discussing his current place in the stuttering community.
Hard to believe it but we've reached our final episode of Season 2! Join the production team as they discuss new the many new projects scheduled for The Communication Collaborative. We also celebrate the 1st Anniversary of SSL!
Today, Greg and Katelyn are chatting with Penny Welch-West!
Penny Welch-West is a medical Speech-Language Pathologist working at Parkwood Institute, St. Joseph's Healthcare in London, Ontario. She holds a Lecturer position with the University of Western Ontario and an Adjunct Clinical Professor position with McMaster University. Penny practices as a medical SLP in a hospital setting working in Complex and Continuing Care as well as Acquired Brain Injury, working with an adult population including young adults.She has a special interest in concussion care and specifically return to learn in the secondary and post-secondary school populations. Throughout her clinical practice, she can most often be found advocating for cognitive-communication services. As the first medical S-LP on the show, Greg and Katelyn ask Penny broad questions about what exactly her clinical work consists of and the types of people she sees on her caseload. Penny shares her experiences as an S-LP and talks about what drew her to the medical field. Penny also explains Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and it's place in her clinical practice. All three discuss the importance of advocacy and awareness for individuals with communication differences, whether that be a person who stutters, or an individual with an acquired language disorder or traumatic brain injury.
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Katelyn Mayo, Greg O'Grady, Dr. Paul De Decker, Melanie Crane, Luca Dinu, Emily Murphy
On today’s episode, Greg and Katelyn are chatting with Andrea Power! Andrea attended the Walk/Run event in 2018 in support of NLASLPA organized by Greg and members of the stuttering community. Shortly after she quickly accepted an invitation to join the board for the newly formed NLSA. She continues to be inspired by work of the Board and is impressed at how far the NLSA has come in the past 3 years. She is proud to be a part of this growing not for profit organization and embraces the opportunity to expand her knowledge about stuttering so that she can assist in raising awareness and acceptance of PWS!
On today's episode, Greg and Katelyn are speaking with Saran Croos!
Saran is the Engineering and Computer Science Librarian at the University of New Brunswick (UNB), Fredericton. He holds an honours BA from the University of Windsor, an MPA from Queen’s University and an MLIS from Western University. Saran also has a Mechanical Engineering Technology diploma from Algonquin College and worked as a Computer Numerical Control Machinist before his career as a librarian. Saran was born in Sri Lanka, and his family immigrated to Canada in 1991. He grew up in Ottawa, Ontario and lived in many cities in Ontario before relocating to New Brunswick, where he resides currently. In addition to English, Saran also speaks Sinhalese and a bit of Tamil. Saran is a person who stutters, and he has been stuttering most of his life. Throughout the episode, Saran shares personal stories and experiences about growing up as a person who stutters. He talks about how his stuttering has changed over the years, and explains how he views stuttering in relation to his identity.
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Katelyn Mayo, Luca Dinu, Melanie Crane, Emily Murphy, Dr. Paul De Decker, Greg O'Grady
For our special Valentine's day episode, we are welcoming back Carolina Ayala, who is joined by her partner Sang!
Carolina and Sang are a long distance couple from two different cultures, living in different North American cities. Carolina, an extrovert who lives in Toronto and working as a Community Support Worker supporting people with disabilities. Sang, an introvert who works as an IT Tech living in New York City. They are both foodies at heart that share common interests such as being curious and enthusiastic to explore the world together and challenge each other along the way. They are sometimes opposites who attract. But they are definitely 2 stuttering peas in a pod! Sang and Carolina share with us what dating is like as a person who stutters. They chat about stuttering brought them together, and the best parts about being in a relationship with another PWS!
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Katelyn Mayo, Melanie Crane, Emily Murphy, Luca Dinu, Dr. Paul De Decker, Greg O'Grady
Today, Greg and Katelyn are chatting with Dr. David Luterman!
Dr. Luterman is an audiologist who has made incredible contributions to the fields of both audiology and speech-language pathology with his research and publications about counselling for people with communication disorders. Dr. Luterman has a long list of achievements, some of which he discussed with us throughout the podcast. During the interview, Dr. Luterman explains a little about his primary area of interest, counselling for families of hearing impaired children, but also talks about his work with stuttering and communication disorders more broadly. The three discuss the emotional components of communication disorders, and the need for this to be better addressed. David and Katelyn chat about why the field is lacking when it comes to counselling, and why it would be beneficial for students and clinicians to receive more counselling training. David gives advice for communicating difficult information to clients and their families, while especially emphasizing the role of the parents in these situations. David also talks about his work with support groups, and he and Greg discuss the importance of support groups for people with communication disorders, as well as for their families and loved ones.
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Katelyn Mayo, Luca Dinu, Dr. Paul De Decker, Melanie Crane, Emily Murphy, Greg O'Grady
On today's episode, Greg and Katelyn are speaking with Martha Horrocks!
Martha, also known as @martha_speech on instagram, is a Maine-based S-LP. She is the owner of Martha Speech & Stuttering Therapy, a private practice providing speech/language teletherapy for school-age children. Martha is passionate about stuttering, and shares the latest research, treatment ideas, and resources with people who stutter, speech-language pathologists, educators, and parents on her Instagram page! Martha also specializes in teletherapy and creates interactive, digital activities to support therapy sessions. Prior to becoming a SLP, Martha received two other MEds (in Elementary Education and Special Education), and worked as a special educator. Throughout this interview, Martha shares her journey towards Speech-Language Pathology and speaks about her interest in stuttering. Martha gave us an interesting look into treating young people and children who stutter. We discussed the emotional component of stuttering and the importance of addressing this in therapy. Katelyn and Martha discussed why they think some S-LPs shy away from stuttering.
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Dr. Paul De Decker, Katelyn Mayo, Greg O'Grady, Luca Dinu, Melanie Crane, Emily Murphy
Today, Greg and Katelyn are speaking with Paige Smith!
Paige is a person who stutters and has spent her adult years focusing on accepting her stutter and turning it into something more positive! Paige started the "The Happy Stutterer Mindset" coaching program, which she says guides you through the emotional healing process, allowing you to gain speaking confidence from the inside-out. Throughout the interview, Paige tells us about how this program started and what it entails. She explains the success she's seen from this program, and how important gaining confidence can be for everyone. Paige shares some of her own struggles that led her to this point, and shares some of the things that helped her most along the way, including a poignant story about why she decided to change her name. All three discuss the heavy emotions that accompany stuttering and the need to address those emotions and learn to live and be happy and confident, despite your stutter.
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Melanie Crane, Emily Murphy, Luca Dinu, Katelyn Mayo, Greg O'Grady, Dr. Paul De Decker
Today Greg and Katelyn are chatting with Dr. Rachel Goldenberg, one of Katelyn's classmates!
Dr. Rachel Goldenberg is a leading authority in singing and lung disease. Dr. Goldenberg’s doctoral dissertation focused on the use of singing lessons as an adjunctive airway clearance technique for cystic fibrosis and her article, “Singing for Respiratory Health: A Literature Review” was published in 2018 in the peer-reviewed Journal of Voice. As an active and trained singing voice specialist, she frequently assists injured singers, actors and other voice users referred to her from medical professionals and the voice community. Dr. Goldenberg received her Doctor of Musical Arts in vocal pedagogy from Shenandoah University and also holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in voice performance and pedagogy from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey. She previously taught voice, speech and pedagogy at Ambrose University and maintained a private voice studio in her native Calgary. Recently she has focused her work on helping people with lung disease to better coordinate their breath with the voice through individual lessons and the “Breathe, Sing, Move!” program created at Breathe Well Physio in Calgary.
During our interview, Rachel told us about the “Breathe, Speak, Pace” voice skills program for people experiencing long-COVID. Rachel talked a lot about how she teaches breath training and breathing skills, and her and Greg discuss the importance of breath in stuttering management. Rachel explains why she was drawn to Speech-Language Pathology and what inspired her to continue to pursue her education. Throughout the interview, all three discuss the importance of music, and how singing can be beneficial in many ways, including in stuttering treatment. Rachel also talks about acceptance when living with a chronic condition, and explains the parallel she has seen between those with chronic lung disease and the experience of stuttering. Finally, Rachel gives some words of wisdom to Katelyn, her classmates, and any other students listening to the podcast!
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Katelyn Mayo, Luca Dinu, Melanie Crane, Emily Murphy, Greg O'Grady, Dr. Paul De Decker
Our first interview of 2022 and our first group interview! Today, Greg and Katelyn are chatting with Wendy, Dan, and Robert of Tightrope Improv Theatre!
Tightrope Improv a company specializing in the art of improvisation. This company, based in British Columbia, partners with Columbia Speech and Language Services Inc. to provide improv classes for people who stutter. Tightrope will bring the fundamentals of improv to support participants to speak with confidence by focusing on presence & saying yes, cultivating laughter, and celebrating mistakes. Throughout our interview we spoke with the Tightrope team members Dan (Director of Work and Wellness), Wendy Duke (Speech Language Pathologist and founder of Columbia Speech and Language Services Inc), and Robert O’Brien (Author, Educator, trained actor, and PWS). The team talked about the benefits participants of these Improv workshops have experienced and share how these workshops came to be. Katelyn and Wendy have conversations about speech-language pathology, Dan shares about his experiences with improv and what exactly improv entails, and Robert & Greg discuss some personal experiences as people who stutter. All three offer some interesting perspectives and discussions, and we are so lucky to have had the chance to speak with them!
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Greg O'Grady, Katelyn Mayo, Luca Dinu, Emily Murphey, Melanie Crane, Dr. Paul De Decker
On today's episode, we are welcoming Mary Wood!
Mary is a person who stutters and has had lots of experiences throughout her life to share with us on this topic! Mary talks about her experiences in speech therapy, and her experiences in support groups. All three discuss the importance of support group for people who stutter. Mary gives advice for future clinicians, as well as the future generation of people who stutter. Throughout the episode, Mary offers wisdom and provides inspiration and motivation in her stories and experiences!
Today, Greg and Katelyn are speaking with Dr. Ronan Miller!
Ronan is a person who stutters, an English foreign language teacher, and worked on his PhD at the University of Valencia. His research looks into the experiences of students who stutter in foreign language classes. He is also a member of the team that is developing the app BeneTalk, which is an app for people who stutter. He considers himself a stuttering advocate and enjoys talking about stuttering in an open and honest way, which is what he shared with us throughout the episode! He also shared some insights into stuttering in bilingual/multilingual individuals and discussed some points from his research!
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Katelyn Mayo, Luca Dinu, Greg O'Grady, Melanie Crane, Emily Murphy, Dr. Paul De Decker
Today, Greg and Katelyn are welcoming Dr. Mark Onslow!
Dr. Onslow is the Foundation Director of the Australian Stuttering Research Centre. His research interests are the epidemiology of early stuttering, mental health of those who stutter, measurement of stuttering, and the nature and treatment of stuttering. Mark is also a member of the international Lidcombe Program Trainers Consortium. Throughout the interview, Mark explains what the Lidcombe Program is, and discusses some special considerations for treating young people who stutter. All three talk about the emotional component of stuttering and the relationship between stuttering and mental health. Further, they talk about addressing feelings and attitudes surrounding stuttering with children, and how to best intervene early and mediate the negative effects stuttering may have on mental health in the future.
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Katelyn Mayo, Luca Dinu, Melanie Crane, Emily Murphy, Greg O'Grady, Dr. Paul De Decker
In today’s episode, Katelyn and Greg are welcoming back Dan Rossi! Dan Rossi is a digital marketer and cartoonist living in Toronto, Canada. He is the host of the long-standing "Stuttering is Cool" podcast and author of the book "Stuttering is Cool" (which you can find for sale on Etsy)! Unfortunately, Katelyn was overwhelmed with midterm exams, assignments, no the business of grad school, so Greg graciously took over this interview himself! Throughout the interview, Greg and Dan talk about the character Franky Banky, a fox who stutters, created by Dan! They discuss how this character can be a useful therapeutic tool in speech therapy!
On today's episode, Greg and Katelyn welcome Jordi Fernandez!
Jordi is originally from Spain but lives in the UK. He studied mechanical engineering, but moved to UK in 2007 to work as a subsea engineer. Then, after working for 10 years designing subsea structures for deepwater projects for the oil & gas, Jordi decided to quit to build the app BeneTalk. Jordi tells us about the ideas behind BeneTalk and how his experiences as a person who stutters in life and in speech therapy inspired the app. Jordi compared the app to a 'fitness tracker', where you can track progress! Jordi spoke with us about the goal of the app, which he hopes will be able to help those already in therapy maintain their skills and improve their mental health, as well as providing speech therapy techniques for this who stutter but may not have access to treatment and therapy. Jordi and his team have created a wonderful app, and you can find more info at their website https://www.benetalk.com/.
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Katelyn Mayo, Dr. Paul De Decker, Luca Dinu, Melanie Crane, Emily Murphy, Greg O'Grady
On today’s episode, Greg and Katelyn are welcoming back Ryan Cowley!
Ryan was our very first guest on SSL! and is back again to chat with us about his new book "All THE RIGHT WORDS, My Journey as a Sportswriter Who Stutters." Ryan’s book is a remarkable and inspirational work, a must read. Thank you Ryan for sharing your story, both in your writing and on our podcast!
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Luca Dinu, Dr. Paul De Decker, Greg O'Grady, Melanie Crane, Emily Murphy, Katelyn Mayo
On today's episode, Greg and Katelyn are chatting with John Paskievich!
John is a filmmaker and person who stutters living in Manitoba. John produced the film Unspeakable, which examines the nature, history and treatment of stuttering. Paskievich says that "the film is a call for liberation, not from stuttering, but from the ignorance and stigma that surround it". Throughout this interview, John talks about Unspeakable and his experiences being a filmmaker who stutters. He also shares many stories about his life in general as a person who stutters and talks about working towards accepting his stutter. He talks about the emotional component of stuttering, the impact that it has had on his life, and some of the ways stuttering has presented him with difficulties throughout his life. Despite these obstacles, we can see that John has pushed through and made a name for himself as a successful filmmaker!
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Katelyn Mayo, Greg O'Grady, Dr. Paul De Decker, Melanie Crane, Emily Murphy, Luca Dinu
On today's episode, Greg and Katelyn are chatting with a very exciting guest, Eddie Läck!
Eddie is a Swedish-born hockey player, and a former NHL goaltender. He spent many years playing hockey professionally before retiring due to an injury, and shifting his focus to both coaching and working in real estate. Something many hockey fans don't know about Eddie is that he is also a person who stutters. Throughout the interview, Eddie shares a little bit about what it was like to be a person who stutters in the public eye, and recalls some of the negative comments he received as a result. He speaks about learning to accept his stutter and about being open with his stuttering in the NHL, in the sports industry, and in life. All three discuss the importance of having positive role models for people who stutter, and Eddie shares a special story about a young fan who reached out to him because of his stutter!
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Katelyn Mayo, Greg O'Grady, Melanie Crane, Emily Murphy, Luca Dinu, Dr. Paul De Decker
On this episode, we are very excited to be chatting with our friend, Laura Tulk!
Laura is currently in her second year at the University of Toronto studying Speech-Language Pathology and has been a long time supporter of SSL! She has been an active advocate for stuttering awareness in Newfoundland, which we discuss together throughout this episode. In 2020, Laura created the documentary "Getting the Words Out" in collaboration with the Newfoundland and Labrador Stuttering Association to help dispel stuttering stereotypes and increase public awareness and understanding of stuttering. She is also a member of the NLSA Collaborative research group and has worked with fluency clients in her placements as an SLP students. Laura shares details about these experiences and the impact they have had on her and the stuttering community. Laura and Katelyn talk about the importance of understanding the emotional component of stuttering as future clinicians working in the area of fluency disorders. Laura shares what it was like to complete her first year of graduate school online and gives lots of thoughtful and insightful advice & tips for future SLP students going into their first year or working on grad school applications!
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Luca Dinu, Dr. Paul De Decker, Katelyn Mayo, Greg O'Grady, Emily Murphy, Melanie Crane
On today's episode, Greg and Katelyn are chatting with Brad Glynn.
Brad is the executive director of CHANNEL, is a registered charity created by and for individuals living with mental health and addictions issues. Brad, himself, has experienced mental health challenges, as well as injuries, which led to the development of a stutter. Brad talks about the changes to his mental health that came as a result of developing a stutter and the additional challenges his stuttering has caused. Brad shares his story in an emotional and vulnerable way, and his struggles have led him to a job in the field of mental health support and awareness. Brad explains to Greg and Katelyn the mission of CHANNEL and some of the resources the organization offers. He talks about the need for mental health resources for people who stutter and gives advice to those seeking support, emphasizing the importance of finding others with similar lived experiences. Throughout the interview, Brad is vocal about the need for awareness and stigma reduction for both stuttering and mental health challenges, and this is something Brad works towards in his job and personal life.
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Katelyn Mayo, Luca Dinu, Dr. Paul De Decker, Greg O'Grady, Melanie Crane
WHAT IS A CDA? On today's episode, Greg and Katelyn chat with Amy about her role as a CDA and the benefit CDAs provide in speech therapy!
Amy Bateman is a graduate of Memorial University and has recently finished the Communicative Disorders Assistant program at St. Lawrence College. Throughout this interview, Amy shares with us her experiences in this program and explains exactly what a CDA is, how they differ from an SLP, and all the ways in which a CDA can enhance a client's experience. While sharing her own stories from the program and from her placements, Amy also emphasizes the need for more CDAs (especially in Newfoundland & Labrador) and for the valuable work that they do to be more recognized in the community. Greg and Katelyn discuss ways in which SSL could support CDAs in NL and encourage Amy to keep advocating for CDAs and the incredible work that they do!
This episode is dedicated in loving memory of Jaclyn Aguiar, who left us before the world could see what an incredible CDA and person she would become. Some words from her friend and classmate, Amy:
I would like to thank Katelyn and Greg for providing me the opportunity to dedicate this episode of SSL to my friend, Jaclyn Aguiar.
Jaclyn was a student in the Communicative Disorders Assistant program at St. Lawrence College. She was a straight A student who had the charisma and motivation to move mountains. Jaclyn enjoyed the CDA program as it provided academic challenges and the opportunity to learn about communicative disorders in the field of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. Jaclyn became a close friend of mine over the course of the CDA program. Although our friendship began virtually, it had no impact on how real and true our friendship was. We were kindred spirits and I miss her terribly. A friendship that will last a life time.
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Katelyn Mayo, Greg O'Grady, Luca Dinu, Melanie Crane, Dr. Paul De Decker
Welcome to Season 2 of Some Stutter, Luh! We are beyond excited to be back for another season and to be kicking it off with such an incredible guest. Today, we are chatting with Dr. Gerald Maguire.
Dr. Maguire is a professor and the Chair of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at the UCR School of Medicine. He is board certified by The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and serves as the Chair of the National Stuttering Association. Dr. Maguire has been named as one of the Best Doctors in America every year since 2009 and is recognized as the world's authority on the medical treatment of stuttering. Throughout the episode Dr. Maguire discusses his research on drug therapies for stuttering, while, importantly, highlighting the fact that drug treatment and acceptance of stuttering can work together. All 3 discuss the importance of reducing stigma towards stuttering and address the importance of mental health awareness and resources for people who stutter. Drawing on his work in psychiatry, Dr. Maguire gives important advice to Katelyn and others working in the helping professions on how to be compassionate and empathetic. Finally, Dr. Maguire adds throughout this interview bits and pieces of his own experiences as a person who stutters, which has inspired and motivated his work!
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Luca Dinu, Dr. Paul De Decker, Katelyn Mayo, Greg O'Grady, Melanie Crane
For our dedicated listeners, we wanted to upload a bonus episode as a special surprise during our summer break! In this episode, we are chatting with Margit Pukonen!
Margit is the Program Director at The Speech & Stuttering Institute. She received her Master of Health Science degree in speech-language pathology from the University of Toronto and has worked at The SSI (formerly Speech Foundation of Ontario) since it opened its doors in the 1980s. Margit highlights here areas of experience throughout the interview, which are Motor Speech Disorders, a subtype of Speech Sound Disorder. She mentions that many years ago her area of “specialty” was group therapy with preschoolers, where she did a number of workshops on how to run group therapy programs with preschoolers who had speech and language difficulties. In this episode, Margit speaks about the history of the Speech and Stuttering Institute and details her time and roles at the SSI. Greg and Katelyn chat with Margit about other communication disorders, noticing and discussing parallels with the experience of those who stutter. They discuss how SSL can support a broader range of individuals with communication disorders, in addition to stuttering.
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Katelyn Mayo, Luca Dinu, Dr. Paul De Decker, Greg O'Grady, Emily Murphy, Melanie Crane
We have reached the end of our first season! To close out, we have members of our production team here to recap the season and chat about some of our favourite moments!
On this episode, Dr. Paul De Decker shares updates on his research, Greg and Katelyn reflect on how the podcast has grown, and Greg, Katelyn, Paul and Luca share their highlights from this season's episodes and guests. The group also discusses what's next for the podcast and what you can look forward to in Season 2 (which is coming September 19th, stay tuned!!!)
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Katelyn Mayo, Luca Dinu, Greg O'Grady, Melanie Crane, Emily Murphy, Dr. Paul De Decker
In this episode, Greg and Katelyn chat with Carolina Ayala!
Carolina is a person who stutters and an active advocate of stuttering acceptance. Throughout the interview, Carolina shared her personal stories and experiences as a PWS, detailing her journey towards acceptance. She talks about the anxiety, emotions, and bullying associated with stuttering and the impacts it has had on her personal and professional life. Carolina also shares how she overcomes the negative impacts and gives advice for other people who stutter. Carolina also talks about how best to educate the public and promote stuttering awareness!
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Luca Dinu, Dr. Paul De Decker, Melanie Crane, Katelyn Mayo, Emily Murphy, Greg O'Grady
On today's episode, Greg and Katelyn chat with Cecil Haire!
Cecil Haire is a reporter for CBC news in St. John's. For many years Cecil has supported the stuttering community in Newfoundland, but has now decided to speak out about his own experiences with stuttering! Throughout the podcast, Cecil talks about the tools and strategies he has used throughout his life and his career to hide his stutter. He also expands on the toll that hiding his stutter has taken on him emotionally and psychologically. He talks about feelings of panic and anxiety, how he deals with these stressful moments, and how he takes care of himself. Cecil discusses his journey of acceptance of his stutter, and how disclosing his stutter for the first time on this podcast is an important step! Katelyn, Greg, and Cecil discuss the importance of role models for people who stutter; Cecil shares his role model of Samuel L. Jackson, and he discusses the idea that he, with his career as a reporter and public figure who stutters, could be viewed as role model for people who stutter.
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Greg O'Grady, Katelyn Mayo, Emily Murphy, Melanie Crane, Dr. Paul De Decker, Luca Dinu
On today's episode, Greg and Katelyn chat with fellow podcaster Dan Rossi!
Dan Rossi is a digital marketer and cartoonist living in Toronto, Canada. He is the host of the long-standing "Stuttering is Cool" podcast and author of the book "Stuttering is Cool" (which you can find for sale on Etsy)! Throughout the episode, Dan talks about his book and the creation of the character Franky Banky, a fox who stutters. In addition to sharing about his book, Dan talks about his own experiences as a person who stutters, discussing the concept of a confident stutter and how he become comfortable to stutter openly and accept his stutter. The group chats about toxic positivity, and how to look for the positives in a situation without invalidating others' negative experiences and emotions. Dan shares what he feels might be some of the advantages of having a stutter and also details some of the most rewarding parts of his work. Finally, all three chat a little about podcasting and Dan asks what "luh" means in the name "Some Stutter, Luh!".
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Dr. Paul De Decker, Luca Dinu, Katelyn Mayo, Emily Murphy, Melanie Crane, Greg O'Grady
Today, Greg and Katelyn are chatting with April Kennedy.
April is the parent of a person who stutters, and, having no previous knowledge or background with stuttering, April shares her experiences and everything she learned as a parent. She shares some of the mistakes she made and opens up about the feelings of guilt that come to parents of PWS. She shares when and how she began to learn more about stuttering, and how that changed the way she reacted and parented her son. April chats about the challenges of supporting someone who stutters and the ways in which she has sought support, while also explaining ways that support and resources could (and should) be made more easily accessible for parents of children who stutter. Finally, April shares about her experiences in the NLSA support group and how that has helped change her perspective of stuttering and people who stutter. She gives advice and encourages other parents of PWS to learn about stuttering and seek out support wherever available.
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Katelyn Mayo, Luca Dinu, Dr. Paul De Decker, Emily Murphy, Greg O'Grady
On today's episode, we are chatting with Dr. Michael Boyle.
Dr. Boyle is a clinical speech-language pathologist and an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Montclair State University in the United States where he teaches graduate courses in fluency disorders and directs the Fluency Disorders Laboratory. He is an influential researcher in the field of stuttering and SLP and researches the psychosocial impacts of stuttering including public and self-stigma. Dr. Boyle's research also focuses on identifying predictors of well-being and communicative participation in people who stutter. Throughout the episode, Dr. Boyle discusses some of his work with Greg and Katelyn, expanding on the concepts of stigma and stigma-reduction, as well as explaining the Self-Stigma of Stuttering Scale (4S). All three discuss the emotional component of stuttering and Dr. Boyle shares his thoughts on how to address this in treatment. He gives advice to PWS on how to deal with negative experiences and negative emotions. Finally, Dr. Boyle shares some of the most rewarding aspects of his work as an SLP, professor, and researcher.
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Katelyn Mayo, Luca Dinu, Emily Murphy, Greg O'Grady, Dr. Paul De Decker
Today, Greg and Katelyn chat with Michael Campbell, as well as a surprise guest, Michael's son Cameron!
Michael is from Dallas, Texas. He is a person who stutters and is father to Cameron, who is also a person who stutters. Michael started the organization 'Smile I Stutter', which provides advocacy and support for people who stutter. Some of the goals of Smile I Stutter, which Michael addresses throughout the episode include: providing free speech therapy and the proper mental health resources for all those who stutter, having a Smile I Stutter representative in every school from kindergarten to post-secondary, and passing an act through congress which would require all drive-thrus to provide a touch screen option. Throughout the episode, Michael talks about his experiences as a person who stutters and how this has inspired him to create change! He discusses watching his son grow up with a stutter and explains that his son is the motivation behind creating the organization Smile I Stutter. Michael's son, Cameron, joins us in the interview and shares some of his experiences in school, as a student who stutters and both give advice for navigating school as a person who stutters. Michael also discusses his relationship with his stutter, learning to accept his stutter, and all the thinks he hopes to do to raise awareness for people who stutter!
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Katelyn Mayo, Luca Dinu, Emily Murphy, Greg O'Grady, Dr. Paul De Decker
Today we are chatting with George Shields!
George Shields speaks with us about his involvement with the Speech and Stuttering Institute and Harmonize for Speech. The Harmonize For Speech fund was established in 1977 as the fund-raising project of the Ontario District Association of Chapters, SPEBSQSA, commonly known as the Barbershop Harmony Society. George shares what has inspired his advocacy work and chats with Greg and Katelyn about the importance of music and how it works in treatment. He gives advice for Katelyn and other future SLP students, as well as for those interested in promoting awareness and supporting people who stutter.
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Katelyn Mayo, Greg O'Grady, Dr. Paul De Decker, Emily Murphy, Luca Dinu
Today, Greg and Katelyn chat with Kim Lawlor!
Kim is a Speech-Language Pathologist in Newfoundland. Kim chats with us about the Fluency Plus program, an intensive program used by SLPs in the treatment of stuttering. We discuss the 17 SLPs in Newfoundland who have recently completed the Fluency Plus training, and how this program can be used in the effective treatment of people who stutter in the province. Kim also talks about the importance of addressing the emotional component, in addition to fluency enhancing skills, in stuttering therapy and gives her thoughts on the collaboration between other SLPs, counsellors, psychologists, teachers, etc... Finally, Kim discusses some of her experiences working as an SLP and talks about some of the most rewarding aspects of the profession!
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Katelyn Mayo, Greg O'Grady, Dr. Paul De Decker, Luca Dinu, Emily Murphy
On today’s episode, Greg and Katelyn chat with Ronan Corr! Ronan is a person who stutters, having developed a stutter as a result of brain injury. Ronan talks about his experiences living with his stutter, and how they may differ from someone who’s cause of stuttering is unknown. They discuss the differences in conceptualizing stuttering when it comes to being as a result of clear biological factors, and how this impacts the shame and anxiety experienced. Ronan all shares some powerful thoughts about living with disability. Music: Luca Dinu Production Team: Greg O’Grady, Katelyn Mayo, Emily Murphy, Dr. Paul De Decker, Luca Dinu
On today's episode we are chatting with Ryan Gielen!
Ryan is a film producer and took on the rolls of producer and director of the award-winning documentary "My Beautiful Stutter". This film follows five kids who stutter, ages 9 to 18, from all over the United States and all walks of life, who, after experiencing a lifetime of bullying and stigmatization, meet other children who stutter at an interactive arts-based program, The Stuttering Association for the Young, based in New York City. Though not a PWS or SLP himself, Ryan's interest in advocating for people who happen to stutter came when he attended the SAY (Stuttering Association for the Young) Gala. Ryan speaks about this experience and what led him to creating this documentary. Throughout the interview, Ryan addresses some of the profound stories he heard from PWS while filming, and how those stories affected him. He chats with Greg and Katelyn about the importance of this documentary, the feedback he has received, and the most rewarding parts of working on this project! Speaking as a person who does not stutter, Ryan shares a wonderful perspective on how to be an ally and an advocate for the stuttering community.
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Dr. Paul De Decker, Luca Dinu, Emily Murphy, Greg O'Grady, Katelyn Mayo
In today's episode we interview Jon Garcin!
Jon is a person who stutters, a speech-language pathologist, and member of the NLSA. Jon has been a big supporter of this podcast and other NLSA projects in Newfoundland for many years! Jon speaks not only about his experiences as a person who stutters, but also as an SLP treating those who happen to stutter. Jon discusses his experiences of anxiety and acceptance as a PWS and also shares how being a person who stutters has impacted and influenced him in his education, career and relationships. Jon also shares his experiences as an SLP working virtually throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, how he supports both students and parents during treatment, and his experience with the Fluency Plus program. As well, all three have some thought-provoking conversations about what it means and how it feels to be "normal" or to live without anxiety associated with communication.
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Katelyn Mayo, Dr. Paul De Decker, Luca Dinu, Greg O'Grady
On today's episode we chat with Lisa Wilder!
Lisa is a writer, graphic designer and artist living in Toronto with. She grew up in Ottawa and attended school in Vancouver. She is a volunteer with the Canadian Stuttering Association and has also shared her graphic design talents with the NLSA! Throughout the episode, Lisa and Greg discuss their mutual experiences with the CSA. Lisa also talks about her experiences as a person who stutters, touching on the topics of treatment of stuttering by SLPs, the need for stuttering awareness, and the emotional component and anxiety that accompanies stuttering. Lisa shares advice for PWS, specifically when dealing with anxiety, and also speaks about what sort of supports she would like to see implemented for PWS in the future.
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Dr. Paul De Decker, Greg O'Grady, Katelyn Mayo, Luca Dinu
Lisa is a person who stutters and is
In today's episode we are chatting with John Gomez!
John is a SLP and filmmaker in Los Angeles, California. In this episode, we chat with John about his documentary "When I Stutter". When I Stutter is a 7 time award winning documentary with 100 screenings worldwide. The film reveals the humanity that exists within an often mysterious malady. John tells us about what inspired the film and talks about the process of creating the film and sharing these stories. John also details some of his thoughts and experiences as an SLP, sharing his insightful philosophies and ideas about treating PWS, as well as teaching other SLPs effective ways of approaching stuttering treatment.
Production Team: Katelyn Mayo, Greg O'Grady, Luca Dinu, Dr. Paul De Decker
In this episode we chat with Audrey Bigras!
Audrey is a person who stutters and a member of ABC (Association Bégaiement Communication). She details her personal experiences as a PWS, and highlights some of the concerns and anxieties that accompany stuttering. She addresses some of the social pressures and prejudices of being a person who stutters. Audrey also discusses accepting her stuttering and where she is on her journey to acceptance. On this episode, we also chat with Audrey about how the transition to online due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the increase of phone calls and online video conferences have impacted people who stutter.
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Luca Dinu, Katelyn Mayo, Greg O'Grady, Dr. Paul De Decker
On today's episode we welcome Brent Foote!
Brent is a PWS and has recently become heavily involved with the NLSA! We chat with Brent about his involvement with the NLSA support group and hear his experiences and perspectives as a PWS. Brent shares stories about growing up with a stutter and talks about how his stutter has affected both social life and work life. He shares his love of sports and hockey, and talks about how those passions helped him gain confidence. Brent shares some great advice for PWS, for SLPs, and for the public and he also asks both Greg and Katelyn some great questions!
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Katelyn Mayo, Greg O'Grady, Dr. Paul De Decker, Luca Dinu
On today's episode we hear from Liz Fagan!
Liz is a musician, a writer for Le Gaboteur and is very involved in the French community of NL. With a background in linguistics, Liz says their love of sociolinguists and writing/translating music are their favorite ways to bring audiences together! Liz shares their experiences as a PWS, how having a stutter has influenced a passion and interest in working with languages, and talks about their journey of accepting their stutter.
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Greg O'Grady, Dr. Paul De Decker, Luca Dinu, Katelyn Mayo
On today's episode we are chatting with Chad Feehan!
Chad is a writer, musician & student in Newfoundland. He is in school for journalism at CNA and is active in a number of artistic endeavors such as music, writing and photography. Chad says he has "been stuttering since I could talk" and throughout this episode we hear some of Chad's story. We talk about Chad's experiences growing up with a stutter, what he has done to begin to accept his stutter, and the overwhelming need for more attention to be put on treating the emotional component of stuttering and the mental health of people who happen to stutter.
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Luca Dinu, Dr. Paul De Decker, Katelyn Mayo, Greg O'Grady
On today's episode we are chatting with Ryan Cowley!
Ryan is a sportswriter, originally from in St. John's, who grew up in Ottawa and now lives in Toronto. Currently, he is a hockey writer who writes about the NHL's Los Angeles Kings for RinkRoyalty.com. He is also a public speaker, sharing his story of a sportswriter who stutters and is also writing a book on the subject. In this episode, we chat with Ryan about his lived experiences as a PWS, what impact this has had in his career and what he feels has helped him most on his stuttering journey!
Production Team: Luca Dinu, Dr. Paul De Decker, Greg O'Grady, Katelyn Mayo
Music: Luca Dinu
Welcome to our first official episode! On today's episode you'll hear a little more about your hosts (Greg O'Grady and Katelyn Mayo!), you'll learn about the mission and objectives of the Some Stutter, Luh! podcast and hear some of the positive feedback we've already received from the public!
We invite guest Dr. Paul De Decker to introduce us to a recurring segment called 'The Science of Stuttering'. Paul is a professor of Linguistics at Memorial University and is a key part of our production team! For almost a year, he has been working with the people who stutter and the Newfoundland and Labrador Stuttering Association (NLSA) to develop research projects which aim to increase awareness of stuttering. Paul shares about some of the advocacy work he is doing and discusses his research on the Sociolinguistics of Stuttering. Make sure to listen to the episode to hear more from Paul, and stay tuned (!!!) because he will be back with more exciting research in future episodes.
Production Team: Greg O'Grady, Luca Dinu, Dr. Paul De Decker, Katelyn Mayo
In this week's teaser, we reflect on the name of our podcast and learn a little bit more about where "Some Stutter, Luh" came from! Dr. Paul De Decker, professor of Linguistics at Memorial University & a member of our production team, explains the terms "some" and "luh" in the Newfoundland English dialect.
Production Team: Greg O'Grady, Luca Dinu, Dr. Paul De Decker, Katelyn Mayo
In today's teaser, we hear a little more about the people involved in Some Stutter, Luh! podcast. Team member, Luca Dinu, joins co-hosts Greg O'Grady and Katelyn Mayo to discuss their excitement about this project!
Stay tuned for next week to meet the final member of our production team! And mark your calendars for our first full episode coming March 14th, 2021.
Production Team: Luca Dinu, Dr. Paul De Decker, Greg O'Grady, Katelyn Mayo
Coming soon... Some Stutter, Luh! Podcast with Greg O'Grady and Katelyn Mayo.
NFLD's first podcast about stuttering.
Production Team: Luca Dinu, Dr. Paul De Decker, Greg O'Grady, Katelyn Mayo