Letter to the Editor: Help for stutterers

By Contributor
March 27th, 2011
Section: Letter to the Editor - Opinions

Dear editor,

I enjoyed your article “CSUN program helps students, community reduce stuttering.” Some points made in the article were right on target. For instance, the article stated that boys are more likely to stutter than girls. This statement is definitely true, as over the years, I have read the ratio of boys-to-girls as being 4-1, 5-1, and 7-1. Personally, I think the ratio is closer to 7-1.

Also, Devin Billingsley said that his stuttering was not cured. It is important to know that the word “cure” is not practical when discussing stuttering. A person may find near total fluency through speech therapy, but it is not responsible to use the label “cured”. Kudos to Mr. Billingsley.

I want to make a point of my own to DAILY SUNDIAL readers in that many people do not know that free speech therapy is available to every child in the U.S., as has been mandated by federal law for forty years.

The website of the nonprofit Stuttering Foundation (www.stutteringhelp.org) has a brochure titled “Special Education Law and Children Who Stutter” that explains this right to free speech therapy for all kids with any type of speech problem. The website of The Stuttering Foundation also offer many free resources on stuttering. There is a Spanish-language version of the site at www.tartamudez.org.

Salvador Montoya Oretga
Bakersfield, CA

top

Disclaimer: The Daily Sundial is not responsible for comments posted on dailysundial.com. In accordance with the Communications Decency Act of 1996 the Sundial is not liable for the content of comments. By commenting, all persons posting on dailysundial.com have agreed to our comment policy. If a comment does not abide by the comment policy the Sundial reserves the right to delete comments without warning. The Daily Sundial advises persons commenting not to abuse their First Amendment rights, and to avoid comments of hate speech or encouraging violence.

  • http://twitter.com/WeStutterNSA NSA

    The SFA does offer great materials on stuttering, I have found some of their books helpful. However, there is nothing like meeting other people who stutter, and the National Stuttering Association (NSA) makes that happen. For 35 years the NSA, which is the largest self-help non-profit organization for people who stutter in the country, has connected kids and adults who stutter through local chapter meetings, workshops, on-line support groups and annual conferences in which over 600 people who stutter attend each year! Conferences have included such keynote speakers as VP Joe Biden, Arthur Blank (Owner, Atlanta Falcons), Adrian Peterson (Chicago Bears), Annie Glenn, John Melendez and John Stossel. To learn more, visit http://www.westutter.org