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Stuttering Foundation Encouraged by Neurology Study

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Aug. 8, 2012) — The Stuttering Foundation responds to a new study published in the August 8th online issue of Neurology, “Neural anomaly and reorganization in speakers who stutter:”
Actor, Author Damian Honored at Gala

“In his book V-V-Voice: A Stutterer’s Odyssey, Scott Damian explores his own personal struggles with stuttering while reminding us through his multitalented career how those obstacles can be overcome,” noted Jane Fraser at the gala. “He is an inspiration.”
Lankster: ‘Don’t quit. Go live your dream’

NFL Cornerback Ellis Lankster, of the New York Jets, was honored by the Stuttering Foundation at a May 8th gala in New York. “Ellis shows his true toughness by sharing his struggles with fluency as a child,” said Jane Fraser, president of the Stuttering Foundation.
Stossel Leads Winning Team

Renowned journalist and commentator John Stossel joined the Stuttering Foundation at a May 8th gala in New York to celebrate National Stuttering Awareness Week and the Foundation’s 65th Anniversary as the world’s leading charitable organization helping those who stutter.
Oprah, Forbes Feature Stuttering Foundation

The Stuttering Foundation's Memphis office was flooded with calls after the April 9th issue of Forbes featured a full-page public service ad on page 103. Then Oprah Magazine ran a full-page PSA on page 99 in the May issue to trumpet National Stuttering Awareness Week. Ads also ran in AARP, Seventeen, and Redbook.

Archived Articles

CELEBRITY FOCUS

Bill Walton

From BillWalton.com

Thank you for your interest in my life long problem with my speech and communication skills. I was a very shy and reserved young man who could not speak at all without severely stuttering until I was 28 years old. Always a success in the classroom and on the basketball court, I took refuge in the things that I did well as a youngster. A straight A student, my athletic abilities covered the deficiencies that limited my overall growth and development. The game of basketball was my religion, the gym my church. It was a convenient way of avoiding my responsibilities of developing my human relation skills.

When I was 28, a chance encounter at a social event with Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Glickman completely changed my life in so many ways that things have never been the same since, nor have they ever been better. That day, in a very brief, private conversation (one way, mind you, since I literally could not speak at the time) Marty explained, patiently and concisely, that talking, communicating was a skill not a gift or a birthright and that like any skill, whether it be sports, music, business or whatever, needed to be developed over a lifetime of hard work, discipline, organization and practice. Marty gave me some simple tips that day and then encouraged me to take those keys and apply them to methods of learning that I had received from the special teachers that I had come across in my life, particularly the 6 Hall of Fame basketball coaches that I had played for throughout my career. The beginning of my whole new life was as simple as that. No gimmicks, tricks or shortcuts. Just the realization that with some help, guidance and a lot of hard work that I too could do what seemed so easy, simple and natural to everyone else, yet seemed impossibly out of my reach and comprehension.

Byron Pitts

Byron Pitts has brought much attention to stuttering with his memoir, Step Out on Nothing: How Faith and Family Helped Me Conquer Life’s Challenges, released in September, 2009. The book not only details his speech difficulties, but also his illiteracy until age 12 and his unstable family life. Pitts overcame the odds to become the chief national correspondent with ABC News.

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.

Carly Simon

Carly Simon began stuttering severely when she was eight years old.

King George

In November 2010, worldwide movie audiences were presented with a most interesting and unusual movie release with The King’s Speech, starring Colin Firth as King George VI and Helena Bonham Carter as his wife Elizabeth.

Unfortunately, history may have forgotten the courageous and inspiring story of Prince Albert who stuttered badly and never dreamed that he would ever be king when his older brother, King Edward VIII, abruptly abdicated the throne in 1936 to marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee.

Famous People Who Stutter