Blog By James Hayden If you’ve been in the stuttering world long enough, then you’ve heard the popular stuttering iceberg analogy. For those unfamiliar with it, allow me to explain. Only 10 percent of the iceberg is visible, while the remaining 90 percent is underneath the surface. Likewise, only 10 percent of stuttering is visible, while the remaining 90 percent is beneath the surface. During a stuttering moment, the audience sees: the head jerks, the blocks, the lack of eye contact, and the other minute details associated with stuttering. What the audience doesn’t see is the 90 percent tha ..read more

Blog by James Hayden Following are the results of an “Ask Me Anything” exchange hosted by James Hayden on his Facebook Account earlier this month in observance of National Stuttering Awareness Week. 1. What is the biggest misconception people have about stuttering, in your experience? The typical misconceptions are that I’m nervous or lying during a stuttering moment. I’ve been accused of those numerous times over numerous stuttering moments. However, the biggest misconception is people assuming I don’t know what I’m talking about when I stutter. I’m knowledgeable about a lot of topics. Some ..read more

Blog by Jordan Northrup You wake up to an average day after sleeping soundly through the night. You get your morning coffee and start thinking about your day. You’ve got to get your kids to school. You need to get to work. After work you have a few errands to run, then you need to get home to get dinner going. Soon you start to feel overwhelmed by all the moving pieces. Sound familiar? Here’s another one. You go to the doctor for your routine physical. They do the normal tests, but then call you back because your blood work has abnormalities. Cancer? But you’re only 35?! Suddenly, things beg ..read more

A blog by James Hayden The look. Everyone has their own definition of it, but we all know what it means. It's the hard-to-describe look a parent or teacher gave you that said, "You need to get your act together in the next 0.005 seconds or else." If you're a person who stutters (PWS), "the look" has a second definition. I don't need to describe it to you. You know exactly what I'm talking about. For those who don't stutter, it's hard to accurately describe "the look." It's an expression that blends embarrassment, being uncomfortable, sympathy, wanting to help but not knowing what to do, not ..read more

Blog By James Hayden A couple months ago, I went for my yearly well visit. On my “after visit summary,” I noticed that stuttering was listed under the medical history section. If that had been on my previous after visit summaries, then I never noticed it. At first, I found it interesting because I had never disclosed to my doctors that I’m a person who stutters (PWS). I’ve had the same medical team for a few years and they know I’m a PWS; however, I’ve never directly disclosed to them. Yes, I sometimes wear stuttering related t-shirts to my appointments, but I never said, “Hi, Dr. Smith. You ..read more

A blog by Jordan Northrup I was a 30-year-old Marine Corps Captain sitting in a conference room on Marine Corps Base Quantico. Like with all large meetings, it was customary to go around the room and introduce yourself. The general started the meeting. “Good afternoon, I’m Brigadier General Smith. I’m the director of the Capabilities Directorate here.” One by one, Marines around the room had their turn. My heart began to race. I could feel the blood pounding in my veins. I could feel the silent blocks building up in my throat. My turn was coming soon. The guy right next to me said “Good afte ..read more

Blog by Vince Vawter I'm going to share with you a half dozen or so ideas. If you embrace any one of them, your life will improve. Why should you believe me? I’m a 75-year-old person who stutters. I have made all the mistakes that are lining up to get in your way. In spite of my mistakes, I have had a wonderful life and, difficult as it might be for you to hear and for me to say, I’m not sure I would change a thing. Know this first: You are in the deepest part of the mud now. Everything gets easier. You aren’t quite sure what’s happening. Your main concern is that you don’t talk like your fr ..read more

Today marks the beginning of National Stuttering Awareness Week, a weeklong spotlight on the condition affecting more than 70 million people worldwide. This year, we are focusing on fighting myths associated with the speech disorder. For as long as people have been stuttering, there have been myths surrounding the condition. We work hard to raise awareness about stuttering, to provide help to the stuttering community, and to set the record straight. Myth: People who stutter are not smart.Reality: There is no link whatsoever between stuttering and intelligence. The Stuttering Foundation keeps ..read more

Blog by Madeline Wahl Stuttering, according to the Stuttering Foundation, is a communication disorder which affects more than 70 million people worldwide. Sometimes, a person who stutters may repeat a word or phrase, prolong a sound or syllable, or experience internal blocks where it's hard to speak a word. Even though many negative stereotypes and myths about stuttering are still prevalent in the United States, there have been award-winning movies that have shown stuttering in a positive light. “The King's Speech” won multiple Academy Awards in 2011, including Actor in a Lead ..read more

A Blog by James Hayden “Did I stutter?” Some variation of this phase is typically used when person A clearly said something to person B and person B did not understand what person A said. Person B then asks person A to repeat themselves to which person A says the aforementioned phrase.  This is typically meant as an insult to person B as they could not clearly hear person A. This phrase has been around for decades and has been said in every possible venue: film, NFL press conferences, scripted and non-scripted television, commercials, gifs, memes, TikToks, everyday conversations, and tw ..read more