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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (June 7, 2011) — "Sometimes I'm scared to stutter because some of my friends will call me names and it makes me sad," wrote Brad, age seven.
Amy shared, "People laugh at me and when they do, it makes me so sad inside of me."
Brad and Amy, in the book Sometimes I Just Stutter, are getting letters from children around the world.
This 40-page book, available free as an e-book from the Stuttering Foundation, is written for children ages 7-12. It covers a range of topics: why stuttering varies across situations and days, common feelings and emotions children have because of stuttering, how to handle teasing, and who can help.
Also included are sample letters children can use to write to their teachers, parents, grandparents, siblings, and other relatives.
Ann Mitchell, a school-based speech-language pathologist, said she uses the book in therapy, "This book helps me talk to the children about how they're feeling and then start helping them make positive changes."
The letters from children make it clear that stuttering is no joke.
While many letters discuss negative experiences with stuttering, some children write about how they've learned to cope with stuttering. They share how speech therapy is helping them, what they want listeners to do when they stutter, and that it is OK to stutter.
Says Lisa Scott, Ph.D., of The Florida State University, "I have been using this book in therapy with all my school-age clients. We read it together, then discuss or write how the experiences of the characters in the book are similar to or different from the child's own experiences."
For more information about this wonderful book, which has been translated into several languages and is also available for the Kindle, call 800-992-9392 or download your own copy at www.StutteringHelp.org. The book includes Myths About Stuttering in a colorful, new format.
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About the Stuttering Foundation
Malcolm Fraser felt the same dread of speaking in public that King George VI experienced in the 1940s. Inspired by the plight of “Bertie”, Fraser, a successful businessman and stutterer, went on to establish and endow the 64-year-old nonprofit Stuttering Foundation in 1947. The Stuttering Foundation provides a toll-free helpline, 800-992-9392, and free online resources on its Website, www.StutteringHelp.org.