What makes you stutter?

Everyone is different. Your best friend may be better at math than you are. And maybe you're better than he is at art. Maybe another one of your friends is good at sports and can run really fast. Everyone is good at different things.

Your arm muscles are working when you paint a picture. They mix up the colors of the paint. They tell your hand where to paint on the paper. They move the paintbrush around. Pretty soon, you have a really pretty painting. Maybe you painted a good picture on Monday. But on Friday when you go to art, you just can't paint a good picture at all. Nothing seems to go right no matter how many times you start over. Your arm muscles might be having a hard time telling the paintbrush where to go. It is no big deal. Everyone's body works differently on different days.

Now let's talk about math. Maybe your teacher gave you a really hard worksheet. You notice your best friend is already done with the worksheet and you're only halfway through. You might get nervous because you want to do it right. Things can get harder when you are nervous about them, especially if you're being extra careful to do them right. People who are good at math don't get as nervous about doing it right. They are not as afraid of making any mistakes. That's just like you not being nervous about painting a good picture. If you think math is hard, you might get especially nervous when your teacher passes out a hard worksheet.

It can be the same with talking. Maybe it's hard for you to talk but easy for your friends. Your talking might be easy on some days. On other days, your talking might be hard.

If you get nervous about stuttering and you have to read aloud in class, it can make talking harder. You might even get mad at yourself and shut your eyes, or press hard, or make a face. Some kids who are scared of stuttering may not talk at all. That's just like getting so scared about doing your math right that you won't even try to do it. Some kids who stutter don't talk on the phone. Some won't tell a story. Some kids even mix up their words because it makes talking easier.

Stuttering can feel like a big deal if you don't talk when you want or if you don't say the words you want. If this happens to you sometimes, try to just let the stuttering happen. Don't try to stop it or hide it. Remember that stuttering can be like homework. Even when you're nervous or scared about being right, it's always better for you to do your homework than skip it. You will feel less nervous and just might do better on your work. Talking can be the same way. If you let yourself stutter, you'll probably feel better.

Adapted excerpt from Sometimes I Just Stutter by Eelco de Geus.

CELEBRITY FOCUS

Bob Love

Bob Love has dreamt about being a great public speaker since his early days in Bastrop Louisiana, even though, as a young man, he could barely put two words together, let alone speak a full sentence.

In spite of his severe stuttering disability, Bob Love, the son of a sharecropper, rose to become a Chicago Bulls NBA superstar, whose records were eventually surpassed by Michael Jordan. Throughout his entire athletic career, Bob Love kept his stuttering a secret from the fans who adored him, thinking he could do his “talking” on the basketball court.

Mel Tillis

Mel Tillis, born Lonnie Melvin Tillis, was an influential figure in country music, both as a songwriter and a performer. His journey to fame was marked by overcoming personal challenges, including a stutter that he turned into a defining part of his public persona.

Ken Venturi

As much of the nation watches the U.S. Open Golf Championship, it is impossible not to think about our late friend Ken Venturi. Ken overcame many challenges to win the Open at Congressional in 1964 and go on to become the voice of golf for more than three decades.

However, Ken faced no bigger obstacle than stuttering. Ken Venturi was a champion to those who stutter, going out of his way to share his personal experience when consulted by a colleague, friend, or child who stutters.

Emily Blunt

Actress Emily Blunt struggled with stuttering early in her life. A teacher encouraged her to act in a school play at age 12 despite her stuttering.

Blunt’s name is prominently featured on the Stuttering Foundation's list of Famous People Who Stutter.

Frank Wolf

This Virginian congressman has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1981. The longtime supporter of the Stuttering Foundation drew national attention to childhood stuttering in 2006 when he submitted an article about Tiger Woods from the SFA newsletter to the Congressional Record. The congressman is featured in the Stuttering Foundation's Famous People Who Stutter brochure.