2014 National Stuttering Awareness Week

Who knew when I had Nate, that his birthday would fall during National Stuttering Awareness Week and he would stutter?  Nobody!  But, it does!  This week is National Stuttering Awareness Week and today is Nate's 12th birthday.

Nate is extremely kind, compassionate, intelligent and giving.  He loves his family and will do just about anything for his siblings. He has a strong love of soccer, and plays his hardest on his club soccer team.  He loves to serve on the altar at Mass, and his favorite role is carrying the crucifix during Mass. He's also musical, and excited that we are looking for a string bass for him to call his own this summer.

He is my selfie partner, the child who will always care for me when I'm not feeling well, and is the most empathetic of my three children. He will go out of his way to make sure others feel included.  He is a thinker, and is always considering how others feel, as well as how things work.

Today, we made a video about stuttering in honor of National Stuttering Awareness Week.  Here it is!

Sharing Arizona with friends

Last week, I let the kids play hooky from school! It was well worth it because a friend of ours, Sarah, was in town from frigid Boston.

We had the good fortune to meet Sarah thanks to the National Stuttering Association, where she takes charge of many of the kid activities at the annual conferences.  Over the last 3 years, we've gotten to know her better and think she is awesome!

She stutters, and is an ELL teacher, as well as a member of the Board of Directors of the NSA.  When Nate's teachers mentioned earlier this year that they couldn't imagine a teacher stuttering, I wished I could teleport Sarah into their classrooms so she could show them that it was no big deal!

One of the things that I like about Sarah is that she is extremely kind and considerate towards everyone. She really takes the time to listen, especially to kids! She has taken a genuine interest in my 3, but I know that if you asked any parent whose kids spent some time with her they would say the same thing!

We were excited to show her the Desert Botanical Gardens during her stay in our lovely, warm state and she and her sweet friend had a great day.  My kids shared their wealth of knowledge about Arizona and I know that if nothing else -- the sunshine and warmth were highlights of their day.

On our way home, Lydia piped up from the back seat -- "I really like Sarah's stutter!" and Nate said "I liked being able to spend the day with someone else who stuttered!"  It reminded me again how grateful I am that we found the National Stuttering Association.  It's allowed us to meet the most amazing and wonderful people and build fabulous friendships.  Along the way, we've learned quite a bit about stuttering -- mainly that it just doesn't matter if someone stutters!  No matter who you are, or what your gifts are, all that matters is how you treat others.

Sarah is a shining example of a wonderful person that I'm glad my kids look up to.  She makes our world a better place. If she didn't stutter, we probably never would have met -- so I'm also grateful for Nate's stutter and her own!

Stuttering is Cool Book Review

I have mentioned Rossi's book, Stuttering is Cool, before on the blog -- but Nate just made a video review of the book that he wanted me to share!

You can find the book on etsy by following this link!

Can't Wait! #NSAinAZ13

Thanksgiving & Room Renovations

A few weeks ago, I pushed a bit hard and finally got Bo to agree to work on re-doing the boys' bedrooms.  We had talked about heading to California the day after Thanksgiving, but instead decided to stay home so he could focus on the rooms.  We decided to start with Nate's room -- paint, rip out the carpet, lay down laminate floor, remove the too-tall platform bed and build a new, shorter platform bed.  (While I say that "we" decided, please know that ALL the work was done by Bo. He's awesome)

On Tuesday before Thanksgiving, I received a phone call from the school nurse.  I rushed over, picked up Nate and took  him immediately to the ER.

He was admitted, and this picture you see was from the Thanksgiving meal he and I enjoyed at the hospital cafeteria.   Yes, it was quite the eventful holiday.  Thankfully, he was released in the late afternoon and we made it home to enjoy Thanksgiving with family.  (That Bo spent all day cooking - so I'm glad we were able to make it home and enjoy it.)

We still aren't sure what is wrong, but life-threatening, scary things were ruled out.  He is weak, and cannot yet return to school. The holidays meant that nobody was open on Friday to start setting up appointments, so we have the first follow up tomorrow.

His dad worked tirelessly on his bedroom and it is 90% complete. The blue stripes are on his wall to look like Shelby stripes (the car.)  It was a ton of work, but it probably gave him a great place to channel some energy as we worry about our sweet boy.

We are hoping that the symptoms suddenly disappear as they suddenly appeared, but are ready to do whatever is necessary.  We are grateful that it doesn't appear to be life-threatening, but we are also hoping for some answers in the coming days.

Hug your kids and loved ones tight tonight. Things can happen in the blink of an eye.

Phoenix Family Fun Day NSA

Nate and I attended the Phoenix Family Fun Day at ASU Campus in Tempe AZ this past weekend.  This was the third year we've attended, and it was great again!

The day before I ended up in the hospital -- thanks to kidney stones AGAIN! I was at lunch with friends, and they ended up taking me to the emergency room where I was given massive doses of painkillers and basically told to go home and wait. (Aside: I know there isn't much they can do, and I was grateful that the stones this time are small enough that they should pass easily, but I was not happy with my care this time.)

Anyway, we had this day planned for a long time, so even though I was still in pain and dopey from painkillers, I had Bo drop us off in the morning so we could attend.  It was great seeing some of the national staff, as well as seeing both of Nate's SLPs attend. (There's another component geared towards SLP where they can earn CEUs.)  We also got to meet a bunch of new people (was kinda sad that people we've met in the past weren't able to attend this year.)

In the end, I was glad we went. Nate had a good time, as always, with the kid activities.  There were 2 informative topics discussed - the new common core standards and how they will affect kids who stutter and then a psychologist spoke about coping with stuttering within a family.  Finally, Nate and I were both on a panel with adult people who stutter and we both answered questions from the audience. 

The best part, though, were the people who came up and recognized Nate from his videos, or his spots on the NSA website and newsletters.  One mom said that her son's SLP said they should come because they "might meet Nate!", and they did!  Her son's SLP had shown her son Nate's videos and interested him in making a presentation to his class.  Nate was also approached by some SLP students who said they watch his videos in class and one sweet girl even asked him for his autograph.  

We can't wait for the annual conference in July!  I'm so excited it will be held in Scottsdale so my entire family can experience the power of the NSA finally!

October 22 Is International Stuttering Awareness Day

If you've read for a while, or if you've ever met my son Nate, you know that he stutters.  Today is International Stuttering Awareness Day.  Earlier, I posted about a presentation that Nate gave to his classmates.  Now, I want to share some links where you can find more information about stuttering, and meet more fabulous people who just happen to stutter.

So much of the support and knowledge we have has been a result of our involvement with the National Stuttering Association (www.westutter.org)  Through the NSA, we have met many people and found much support that I sometimes have a hard time explaining it.  I have heard people in the past talk about support organizations, but I never really understood how powerful they could be until I found the NSA.  The reason the NSA is so powerful is because of the fabulous people that are part of it -- starting with the Director, Tammy Flores and going through the staff and into the membership.   Warm, welcoming, knowledgable, kind and supportive are just a few words that I would use to describe the organization.

Through the NSA, we have met too many people to list individually, but I want to list a few that have made contributions that I can share :)

One of those people is Jody Fuller.  He's a soldier and a speaker and someone who also happens to stutter.  He's an inspiration to Nate -- who aspires to joining the Air Force and also expresses a love for public speaking.  His recent blog post talks about his story, and also check out this video he made for this year's ISAD:

Another creative soul we've met is Daniele Rossi.  He's a social media fiend who is also a talented comic artist. He is one of the forces behind Stutter Social on Google+, and is behind Ti-Ger.org where you'll find a fabulous analogy about stuttering, some great tips, and wonderful cartoons.  This one is a favorite of Nate's: 

And so many more wonderful people!!  

Outside of the NSA, I was pointed to this article recently (actually, I think I saw the link thanks to an NSA member!)  The article, named "Digital Snake Oil: The Emergence of Online Stuttering Scams and Shams" is an excellent look at miracle cures touted on the Internet.  I've been targeted a few times by a Russian woman who claims she can "cure" Nate in 3 days for only $7000 and implies that I'm a rotten mom because I don't let her fix my son. This article helps explain what to look for when people are claiming "miracle cures" and hopefully will help unsuspecting people who are hoping for a quick fix!  Nate can sometimes control his stutter, but he cannot be "cured."  He will continue to work with his tools to improve fluency, but it's not a quick fix!

The Stuttering Foundation is another excellent resource, and the place where we found a fantastic poster of famous people who stutter.  They have a ton of resources available on their site, which are a wealth of information. 

And, Nate says I can't finish this post without including a link to his videos.  This will take you to a playlist of all the videos Nate has made about stuttering. He wants you to let us know if there's anything you want him to talk about, and he'll make more!  

Nate & International Stuttering Awareness Day 2012

October 22 is set aside every year to be International Stuttering Awareness Day.  This year, Nate created a brand new presentation to give to his class that updated the one he created when he was in 2nd grade.  His dad and I visited his classroom this morning so we could watch (and support) him!

He did a great job! He knew the material, and while he most definitely stuttered throughout, he shared some information that was knew to his classmates and even his teacher. The kids in class were all attentive and interested, and asked him some great questions at the end of the presentation.

At the end, he handed out custom "Stutter Like a Rockstar" tattoos I had made.  (It's been awesome being tagged in pictures on Facebook today from some of the people I sent tattoos to!)

One of the questions he was asked was, "Have you ever spoken in front of any other group than your Stuttering Association?"  His answer was "No, but I sure hope to!"  He was also asked if it hurt when he stuttered (he answered "no") and another asked for clarification about the different types of stuttering (he gave excellent examples to explain repetition, prolongation and blocking.)

Here's a quick video Nate made when he got home from school this afternoon --

National Stuttering Conference 2012

I had intended to write posts while Nate & I were in St. Petersburg for the National Stuttering Conference, but we were so busy and there were new things to absorb, so I didn't write while I was there.

We've been back for a couple weeks now, and thoughts have been bouncing around in my head!

This was our second conference.  Last year, I wrote about what a wonderful experience we had at the conference.  This year, it was wonderful once again, but in different ways.

Last year, I was a bit overwhelmed by all the people, all the workshops and all the new ideas.  This year, I wasn't as overwhelmed and was able to spend more time meeting people, while still learning quite a bit.

One thing that helped was getting to know people through Facebook and Twitter in the year since last year's conference.  It felt great to connect again with people we met last year, to put faces to Twitter/Facebook accounts, and meet some brand new faces.  I confess I still felt a bit overwhelmed, and wish I could have spent more time / gotten to know more people better.  The good news is that next summer and I'll have another opportunity to connect with the amazing people that make up the NSA.

Nate and I presented together a workshop about Empowering Children.  Tammy Flores (Executive Director of the National Stuttering Association) let him know that he was the youngest presenter she ever had present at the conferences, which impressed Nate.  We talked about ways that Nate has become empowered over the last few years, and strategies that others could potentially use. Nate did a fantastic job -- I had him introduce us and then he spoke throughout the presentation and also fielded questions from the audience.

He & I both attended various workshops -- sometimes he went to the kid workshops and a couple times he came along with me to the adult workshops.  He had fun with the kids, and made a few fast friends.

One of the things I most enjoyed this year was sitting in an "Open Mic" workshop.  This was a workshop that encouraged people to stand up in front of a group and share their story.  It was very interesting to listen to the wide array of stories from a very diverse population -- who all had stuttering in common.  It was powerful for everyone involved.

It's hard to describe the friendliness and openness of the participants of this conference, but you feel cared about.  I also enjoy watching everyone patiently listening to each other and communicating -- disfluent or fluent.  That is something that is rare, as people usually are trying to rush those who stutter along.

Nate was asked to speak at the closing ceremonies.  It's something that made him nervous, but also extremely proud.  He took the time to plan out what he wanted to say and when it came time -- he stood up there proudly and delivered a wonderful speech about what the NSA means to him.  Did I mention there were around 700 people at the conference this year?  He spoke to a full ballroom of people, and didn't flinch.   He was happy to share his story, and was a bit surprised at all the people telling him later at how well he did.  He did enjoy the attention, however!

Next year, the conference is here in our home state of Arizona -- and I am thrilled that my entire family will be able to attend.  While traveling solo with Nate is fun, I want my husband and other children to experience the NSA Nation!

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National Stuttering Conference 2012, VLog

Nate & I were in St. Petersburg last week for the National Stuttering Association National Conference.  I intended to post while we were there, but never found the time.  Nate shot this video the morning we left St. Petersburg.



I have a couple posts I want to write about the conference last week, but I've been working all week and haven't had a chance to gather my thoughts.  Hopefully this weekend I'll have a few minutes to write.

Wordless Wednesday - Youngest Presenter

Lil JaXe - Young Rapper Who Happens to Stutter

Nate & I leave tomorrow morning for Florida!  We are headed to the National Stuttering Association's Annual Conference, where we're going to give a presentation together as well as volunteer in a couple of different areas.  This is only our 2nd conference, but it feels like we're headed into an alternate family!

This morning,  I was sent a link to a video of JaXe and his mom being interviewed on Canada AM.  JaXe is now 13 years old, and following his dream of rapping.  JaXe also happens to stutter, but he hasn't let that stop him!

There are so many ways to cope with a stutter -- and I'm so proud of anyone who doesn't let it hold them back.  While singing doesn't stop Nate's stutter, he thinks it's great that JaXe is following his dream and helping spread awareness!

Here's the interview:




I'm not sure if JaXe and his family already know about the NSA, but if they don't, I hope they check it out!

If you're looking for more information about stuttering, I recommend visiting the NSA site (www.westutter.org) and the Stuttering Foundation (www.stutteringhelp.org)

Stuttering Resources

When Nate was younger, we assumed he would outgrow his stutter.  When we asked his pediatricians about it, we were told that he would most likely outgrow it.

Because we homeschooled the first few years, we probably held on to the idea that he would just stop one day for longer than if he had been in the school down the street.

When it became obvious that it was getting more pronounced and not less, we began searching for information.  We were still homeschooling the first year he attended speech therapy, but he has attended through the school the last 2 years.

When I started to look for information, I found 2 websites that provided me with the most (and most useful) information.  One of those sites is the National Stuttering Association's website (www.westutter.org)

Through the NSA site, I found local support groups and learned about their national convention. They have been an awesome place to find both support and information about stuttering.  The local group is fun and informative, and the national conference last summer was amazing. We have met so many fantastic people, including their Executive Director, Tammy Flores.  She is wonderfully positive, warm, welcoming and energetic.

Another site that gave me tons of great information is the Stuttering Foundation website (www.stutteringhelp.org/)  Their site helped us learn about tons of famous people who stuttered/stutter and helped me find tons of free resources that helped us all learn more about stuttering.

A third resource I have to mention is Super Duper Publications.  (www.superduperinc.com)  Nate's first Speech Language Pathologist purchased their Focus on Fluency set with her own funds to help Nate.  He was the first child she had worked with that had a stutter, and she was committed to learning as much as she could.  The Focus on Fluency set included a template for a classroom presentation -- which Nate successfully has given multiple times over the years.  When he first did it in May of 2010, I made a video of it and uploaded it to YouTube.  That video has almost 30,000 views, and we've received hundreds of emails thanking Nate for sharing the information.

Those are the 3 most important resources that we've found in the last few years to help us learn more about stuttering.  I'm grateful for all the information they provide!

A Small World - National Stuttering Awareness Week

Yesterday, Nate served at Mass.  He's been an altar server since September, and it's something that he enjoys.

After Mass, we were waiting for Nate to change out of his alb and a man came up to me about the same time that Nate came up to me.  He asked me, "Are you his mom?  Is his name Nate?"  I was surprised, but I answered "Yes!"

It turns out that his wife had recognized Nate on the altar because she had watched some of the YouTube videos he has made about stuttering.  She found the videos because she was looking through the NSA website to find out more information about stuttering, and noticed one of his videos on their site.

We were able to meet his wife, and their 9yo son who stutters.  (Their family also includes 2 daughters -- not to leave anyone out!)  They seemed like a sweet, wonderful family and they were very excited about the conference in July and are hoping to attend.

Nate was shy today, so he didn't talk much -- but I probably talked their ears off about how wonderful the NSA is and how fantastic the conferences are.  (Listen to me -- I've only been to one!  But I still think they are fantastic.)

Without the NSA's website, it's unlikely we ever would have met this family that attends our church.  Nate is the only child who stutters at his school, and their son is also the only child who stutters at his school.  With stuttering only affecting about 1% of the population, it's not that easy to run into another person who stutters.

Nate was nervous about being on the altar today.  Even though he's served since September, he doesn't serve every weekend, and there are 5 altar servers at each Mass.  He is much more comfortable acting as the crucifer than one of the servers on the altar.  Today, it was as though he was meant to be there!

I am so glad we met them, and hope that we have the chance to spend more time with them before the conference in July.  It's always nice to see familiar faces, even though the faces at the NSA conference are some of the friendliest around!

It seemed like a great way to kick off National Stuttering Awareness Week!  And, now Nate feels like a bit of a rockstar!

National Stuttering Awareness Week 2012

Today is the first day of National Stuttering Awareness Week 2012.

Nate, who turns 10 this week, stutters.  He has stuttered since he was about 3 years old.  He has been in speech therapy for 3 years now.

Stuttering is a part of him, but it's just that -- a part.  He has never let stuttering define him and rarely lets it hold him back.

Yesterday, he had his first horse riding lesson.  As we were waiting for the trainer, I asked him if he wanted to mention his stutter to her, or if he wanted me to mention it.  He said he wanted me to mention it.

But, you know what?  There wasn't a need.  It's obvious Nate stutters, but it was also obvious that it didn't matter to the trainer.  She listened to him, didn't interrupt him, and they had a great lesson.  Stuttering never even came up -- and I think that was a good thing.

In the same day, he didn't want to order his lunch because he wasn't very fluent today. That was fine, too, and I ordered his lunch for him.

After his lesson yesterday, he made this video.  It's Nate -- telling you that yes, he stutters, but it is just one part of who he is.

Proud of His Stutter

Nate has about 5 videos he has been wanting to make about stuttering, but after another comment today from someone who said that Nate would probably be happy/ier if he didn't  stutter -- he handed me the Flip and said "Mom, we need to make a video and clear this up!"

So, here it is --



I'd like to add that I am so very proud of him and his attitude towards his stutter.  I know that many people still won't understand, but his attitude is about accepting himself just as he is -- stutter and all.  That doesn't mean that he doesn't struggle, or work hard to be more fluent, but he likes who he is and who he is happens to stutter.

If you want more information about stuttering, I suggest you visit www.westutter.org and the www.stutteringfoundation.org.  You can also visit YouTube and check out some of Nate's other videos about stuttering.

Nate's Thoughts on Stuttering

Today, Nate & I attended the NSA sponsored Stuttering Youth Day event at ASU.  It just happened to coincide with International Stuttering Awareness Day!

We had a wonderful morning at the event (I'll share more in a couple days) and then headed over to a pumpkin patch so the kids get find pumpkins, and then to the Phoenix Food Truck Festival to finish up our long day.  I tell you all of this as a preface, so you know that he made this video after a long day!  He wanted to share his message, though, so here it is!

Stuttering Awareness Day - October 22

October 22 is International Stuttering Awareness Day. The sweet boy pictured above is the reason I even know such a day exists.

Nate stutters.  He has stuttered since he was about 3 years old, and has had speech therapy for the last 2 years.  His stutter never stops him from communicating with others, or sharing his story.  He just keeps trying until he finally is able to get all the words out.

Last October, I saw a mention of a "Stuttering Youth Day" at ASU someplace online.  I looked into it further, and registered for the event.  I had never heard of the National Stuttering Association (NSA) before then, but I wanted to learn more about how to help Nate stop stuttering.

I learned so much at that morning event.  Most importantly, I learned that the important thing is NOT helping Nate stop stuttering -- but to accept his stutter as an integral part of who he is.  I learned about research done about stuttering, and how it is unlike most other speech impediments.  I learned that people who stutter make up only about 1% of the population.  I learned how much my boy liked listening to others who stutter.

That doesn't mean that we don't want to help him learn tools to control his stutter when he makes the choice to do so.  Stuttering affects him physically and sometimes is very uncomfortable.  Many people don't want to take the time to let him finish his own sentences.  Others are just plain rude when he tries to communicate.  But, we acknowledge that he will probably always stutter.  And, that's okay!

Learning about the NSA, and the local kids chapter in our area, has made a huge difference in how we think about stuttering, and what we know about stuttering.  We happily attended events locally, and then made the effort to attend the National Conference over the summer.  Nate has now met tons of people who stutter and he is richer because of it.

Right now, Nate is struggling mightily with his speech.  The speech therapist he had been working with moved to a different school and he's not clicking with the new SLP.  He finds it hard to remember to use his tools and his secondary behaviors are very strong these days (physical manifestations of his stutter that cause him to strain his neck and shoulders and bob his head). We can always understand him, but more often he is asking us to order for him at restaurants to avoid the entire situation of trying to order a meal.

What I know, though -- thanks to the NSA and all the wonderful people we have met through the NSA -- is that his speech will get better, and maybe even worse.  But, there are those who will support him.  Help him.  Those who are just like him and struggle with fluent speech.  He can be in touch with others who truly understand what it's like to stutter.

Tomorrow , Nate and I are attending our 2nd Youth Day Event.  Nate is looking forward to it, and plans to wear his sea-green shirt (the awareness color for stuttering)  We'll both proudly wear our "Stutter Like a Rockstar" bracelets.  We'll learn more about stuttering.  Meet more people who stutter and those who love those who stutter.  Most importantly, we'll be reminded that we are not alone.

Click here to read more of my posts about stuttering. 

NSA Family Blog Talk Radio - Going Back to School

Nate and I just participated in the NSA (National Stuttering Association)'s virtual meeting via BlogTalkRadio about back to school issues.  If the code worked correctly, you should be able to play it back below.

The topic was "Back to School" and everyone that participated gave great information and I found it very interesting.  I loved that the kids participated fully in the show.

Nate called in from Arizona (where he was waiting for his sister during her ballet class) while I called in from South Carolina (where I am for work).  Technology is amazing! 

Listen to internet radio with NSA Family Radio on Blog Talk Radio

Tell Me Thursday - Oscar Winner

It's very possible that you don't recognize the man sitting with Nate.  He is David Seidler, and he won an Oscar for his amazing screenplay for The King's Speech.  He was also the keynote speaker at the National Stuttering Conference this year.

Nate chose to skip the kids' workshop in order to hear him speak.  He told his life story -- of how he stuttered as a child, how he and his family evacuated England during WWII, how he coped with his stutter.  He shared his story beautifully, and I learned a lot about him that I didn't know. He shared that he had promised the Queen Mother not to write King Bertie's story until after she had passed away, and also that he felt it was a mistake to re-release the movie with a PG-13 rating.  (The original movie is rated R for language.  He felt it was completely appropriate in the scene where it was used, and felt that it took away from the story to remove it.)

During his speech, he said "love and support are more important than mechanical devices" when thinking about how to help people who stutter.  I have to say that I wholeheartedly agree with him! 

He was also extremely gracious and took time not only after his speech, but also the following morning to sign autographs and pose for pictures.  This picture was taken the morning before we headed to the airport to fly home.  Definitely a special memory, and a wonderful picture!
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