Stuttering Foundation Offers Free Streaming Video for Teachers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Greg Wilson
gregwilsonpr@gmail.com
[1]571-239-7474

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (July 11, 2023) — When teachers hear a child stutter, their immediate reaction is one of concern mixed with a host of urgent questions:

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

Just in time for the back-to-school season, the Stuttering Foundation [2] is making their new, updated video, The ABCs of Stuttering, available for free on the video page of our website [3]. Featuring children who stutter, it provides practical strategies teachers can use immediately to help children who stutter in the classroom.

Teachers will learn how stuttering varies, how it affects learning, and how students who stutter feel about stuttering. There are also lots of suggestions about what teachers can do to help with class participation, presentations, teasing and bullying, and how to support students who stutter. Students share openly about their own stuttering and what helps them with talking in the classroom.

“Even when I knew the answer, I wouldn’t raise my hand because I was worried about what others might think,” says Umberto, a teenager in the video. He adds that giving a classroom presentation on stuttering to the entire class has made him feel more at ease.

“At the beginning of the school year, I was embarrassed to read aloud in front of my teacher and friends because of my stuttering,” says Kate. She worked with her teacher to plan how she could practice first at home and then individually with her teacher.

“The courage and honesty of the children sharing their experiences helps teachers understand stuttering and the important role they play in supporting every student who stutters,” says Ellen Kelly, PhD, of The Stuttering Foundation and co-producer of the video. She suggests teachers take the time to get to know students who stutter and help make their classrooms welcoming environments for them to communicate and learn.     

Educator Katie Lenell says, “This video is an excellent resource for teachers at all grade levels. I now feel more at ease having a child who stutters in my classroom.”

For additional free resources, call 800-992-9392 or visit www.stutteringhelp.org [2].

About the Stuttering Foundation

Malcolm Fraser [4], a successful businessman who struggled with stuttering, established the nonprofit Stuttering Foundation in 1947 and endowed it throughout his lifetime. The Foundation provides free online resources at StutteringHelp.org [5] for people who stutter and their families, as well as support for research into the causes of stuttering. Visit www.StutteringHelp.org [5].