Some Stutter, Luh!
By The Communication Collaborative
Some Stutter, Luh!Sep 22, 2023
S5E01: Stuttering Around the World, Part 1
This special episode of Some Stutter Luh! welcomes individuals who stutter from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Maryam and Greg engage in a discussion centered around an interview with Parsa, a bilingual Persian-Kurdish individual living in Iran, who also stutters. The conversation commences by addressing the significance of speaking about stuttering in various societies and cultures. While stuttering itself possesses consistent characteristics, it is the cultural context that influences the unique experiences of individuals with stuttering. So, let’s look at stuttering through the lens of cultural differences! The discussion delves into how different cultures define disability, offering explanations and examples that elucidate how cultural norms and laws can influence the acceptance of certain disabilities within society. Greg and Maryam also discuss the ongoing debate within the stuttering community regarding whether stuttering should be classified as a disability, considering the impact it has on individuals' lives. One of the key highlights is Maryam's personal experience connecting with Parsa, an individual who stutters, emphasizing the significance of acceptance and support. Parsa's journey and comfort with stuttering offer a unique perspective on embracing one's identity. As the episode concludes, Maryam and Greg express their commitment to exploring the diverse cultural facets of stuttering, underscoring the importance of raising awareness and advocating for the rights of individuals with disabilities worldwide. The book mentioned in the episode is: Disability in Different Cultures: Reflections on Local Concepts, available at https://www.amazon.com/Disability-Dif...
Say My Name
A special episode of Some Stutter, Luh! to raise awareness of the Newfoundland and Labrador Stuttering Association's 1k/5k Walk, Run, and Roll for Stuttering Awareness. Proceeds of this annual event go towards supporting NLSA initiatives such as a bursary program to subsidize treatment programs and equipment for people who stutter, public awareness campaigns, educational events, etc. To support the NLSA visit https://nlstuttering.ca/
A Messsage From Our Host, Greg O'Grady
Season 4 is complete! In Season 5, SSL! gets "blocked". Listen as Greg explains.
Echoed Words
Some Stutter, Luh! welcomes Aaron Silverthorne, Judith Silverthorne, and Jayan Juneja for a conversation about stuttering.
Aaron is a producer at Silverlight Productions whose latest documentary is called Echoed Words. This half hour documentary takes "a powerful first-person perspective on the impacts of a person’s life who stutters, and how to find ways to manage the disorder to ease their everyday life."
Judith is an author and television documentary producer who is passionate about hearing and sharing the stories of others.
Jayan is the star of Echoed Words and is a high school senior applying for engineering school.
During this episode, Aaron and Jayan share their personal experiences as people who stutter, and the three guests discuss the impact of stuttering on their lives. The episode also touches on the importance of seeking help and the hope that there is for those who stutter.
Echoed Words makes it's broadcast premiere on August 31, 2023 at 7:00 PM Eastern Time on on AMI. Produced/Directed/Written by Aaron Silverthorne and Judith Silverthorne; with Cinematographer and Editor Tony Quiñones, and assistant videographer Nicholas Hotte. Produced by Silverlight Productions Inc for AMI with additional funding support of Creative Saskatchewan. #Creativesaksaskatchewan #documentary #stuttering #Silverlight Productions Inc #ISTAR
Click here for the transcript of this episode.
Interview with Lee Lovett, founder of World Stop Stuttering Association
A frank discussion about stopping stuttering.
“Don’t be your own obstacle.”
Danny. 34. Connecticut. I struggled with stuttering for 15 years. I surprisingly started at age 18 which is late since most develop their stutter during adolescent years. I attended speech therapy for nearly a year, but never felt any improvement. Thankfully I found a book called “How to Stop Stuttering and Love Speaking” by Lee G Lovett earlier this year and after diligently immersing myself in the author’s methods, I greatly reduced my stuttering after 2-3 months.
Stuttering *IS* Neurodivergence
Brian Woo is an ADHDer who stutters. Since being involved in both the Disability Community and the Neurodivergent Community, Brian realized the importance of the Stuttering Community to be open to learning from and being involved in these other communities as stuttering is a form of neurodivergence. Brian shares his journey and increases awareness of stuttering, ADHD, and mental health on his Instagram accounts @StutteringLoudly and @StutteringIsNeurodivergence and on Twitter @StutteringNeuro. He is also the creator of a Facebook support group called "Stuttering is Neurodivergence".
#stuttering #neurodiversity #disabilities #advocacy #Newfoundland #Labrador
Interview with Dr. Simone Falk
Today, Some Stutter, Luh! welcomes Dr. Simon Falk, a trained linguist and an associate professor in neurolinguistics at the University of Montreal, Canada, and member of the International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research. She currently holds a Canada Research Chair in Interdisciplinary Studies on Rhythm and Language Acquisition. In this episode, Dr. Falk talks about the relationship between stuttering and music.
#stuttering #disabilities #advocacy #Newfoundland #Labrador
Chad Feehan Returns!
TBA
Interview with Terry Campbell
Join us for a unique and compelling look at the stuttering experience, and stuttering assessments and therapy techniques from the perspective of Speech language pathologist, Terry Campbell.
Show Notes:
Professional areas of interest and specialties, and what makes stuttering a unique and interesting research area.
Stuttering experiences that might be unique to the individual (ex. Mental or emotional triggers or responses)
Discussion of experience working with people who stutter as a person who doesn’t stutter, and the impossibility of truly understanding what it’s like to be a person who stutters.
Stuttering and mental health: scope of practice is practical speech therapy, but also counseling. Discussion of how these components interact.
Discussion of SLP assessment methods and techniques (ex. Disfluency counts), and problems with traditional techniques.
The internal and external experience of stuttering, and the necessity of starting with the internal experience in therapy.
Stuttering misconceptions vs. truths: what actually causes stuttering? Many possible contributing factors.
Challenges of treating people who stutter, and best practices in treating people who stutter.
When should an SLP collaborate with a psychologist, psychiatrist, or social worker, for example, to assist with the mental health component of stuttering?
Importance of any mental health professional who works with someone who stutters to understand the misperceptions and truths about stuttering.
The “F word”: fluency vs. management of stuttering.
Goals of treatment: fluency? Management? Secondary characteristics? Or focus on the speaker’s feelings and perspective?
Interview with Amanda Tiller-Hackett
In this episode, Amanda considers the origins of her feelings of shame, and the life events that inspired her to let those feelings go and welcome acceptance
Amanda is the Humanities Collection Development Librarian in the Collection Strategies Division at the Queen Elizabeth II Library, Memorial University of Newfoundland. She’s also a wife and mother of two. Amanda did some coursework in Linguistics during her undergraduate degree, and currently manages collections in Linguistics as part of her professional duties. Amanda is also a person who stutters. While her stutter has become managed in adulthood, fluidity will probably always be something she has to work for. Being a member of this team allows Amanda to become part of a conversation that holds great personal significance to her, and also part of an admirable effort to normalize stuttering, and to create a deeper understanding of stuttering in our province and beyond.
Interview with Philip Rodrigues
Philip Rodrigues was born and lives in Toronto, to two Portuguese immigrants who were fluent in English. Philip is married, with two dogs and works in the IT field. He bikes and plays video games in his spare time. Early on before starting junior kindergarten Philip was identified to have a speaking disability including a prominent stutter, lisp and delayed development in his ability to form full sentences. He worked with an SLP 1-1 and participated in special education up until grade 3-4 in school. After this he had no further issues. Philip no longer has a stutter or lisp, but can't help but feel as though he continues to use verbal crutches to prop up his ability to speak today. Today, Philip is a reserved and quiet individual. This may be related to his early hesitation to speak up in case and feared that he could not effectively communicate his thoughts. His wife says that while he is quiet and reserved, he is surrounded by incredibly chatty and outgoing people including herself and his immediate family so she thinks secretly he is also one.
Interview with Farrah Sattaur
Farrah grew up in Toronto has had hearing loss and sever stuttering since age 4 . She enjoys reading and doing research and spending time with family and friends.
Glenn Roy Blundon's Legacy
Glenn Roy Blundon was a student at Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) whose advocacy broke new ground for students with disabilities. Greg chats with Jason Geary and Hannah Blundon (Glenn's niece) about his legacy through the Blundon Centre.
The "f" Word
Is “fluency” the goal for people who stutter? In this episode Greg holds a panel discussion to find out how his guests feel about the “f” word.
Interview with Marni and Lori
Lori Scott-Sulsky is the senior clinician and subject matter expert for the Stuttering Program at the Speech and Stuttering Institute, in Toronto. She has dedicated her practice to stuttering for more than 20 years. Marni Kinder is a Speech-Language Pathologist at The Speech and Stuttering Institute, where she has spent the past 14 years working exclusively with People Who Stutter in both individual and group treatment programs. Greg has been involved with The SSI as a client and as a volunteer since the mid 1980's and received treatment from Lori and Marni for his severe stuttering over these years.
Interview with Cara Bennett
Cara Bennett is a Stutter Warrior, wife, mother of two boys and step mom to a daughter. A Registered Nurse of 20 years. A small business owner helping woman feel and look their best with skincare and cosmetics. Cara started a Best Life Reset Program and is still maintaining weight and wellness. She is very active with the YMCA community in Grand Falls-Windsor. Cara is a Christian that keeps helping others anyway she can through her steadfast unwavering faith that everything will be ok.
Interview with Jeff Gibellina
Jeff Gibellina is happily married to his wife Emily of 11+ years with three kiddos, Charlie (9), Peter (4), and Kate (3). He whole-heartedly identified as a lifelong stutterer until about a year ago. Jeff is neither an SLP nor does he hold any degrees/certificates in communication disorders but he can help create a new way of speaking through habit/behavior formation and modification using the Pro90D system. Jeff is a Pro90d speech coach.
Do you think PRO90D is the solution to stuttering? Take our very first Some Stutter, Luh! audience poll on Spotify or post your response on our Instagram and Youtube channels! We'll discuss the results on a future episode of SSL!
A Special Episode on Stuttering and Dating
Welcome to a special Valentine’s Day episode of Some Stutter, Luh! Naturally, this episode is about stuttering and dating!
During our conversation today, our guests will be sharing the challenges and triumphs they faced when navigating the unfamiliar and stressful waters of dating while living with a stutter.
Thank you for joining us for this special interactive episode. We know this topic may be uncomfortable for some but recognize it as a very important conversation to have.
Today we have put together a panel of experts :) to chat about stuttering and dating. From past episodes Greg speaks to Liz Fagan, Robert O'Brien with return-guest-couple Carolina and Sang from last year's Valentine's Day special.
There is much to talk about on what I considered to be a confusing and scary topic.
- confidence,
- questions about comfort levels,
- identify,
- disclosure,
- whether or not to disclose,
- when and how one discloses,
- fear of consequences, such as disapproval, rejection, etc.
- benefits of disclosure,
- relief,
- self respect, etc.
Greg asks our guests:
1. What are your individual thoughts about these words and questions based on your individual experiences?
2. While reflecting back on your individual experiences with stuttering and dating - the good, the bad, the ugly - would you have approached your stuttering and dating experiences differently? If yes, why and if not, why not?
3. What advice and or strategies for success can you provide other PWS who are considering entering these unfamiliar and stressful waters of stuttering and dating for the first time?
3. Do you have any advice for individuals who stutter, that based on their previous unsuccessful dating experiences, may have decided to step away from attempting to find the right mate? Do you have any advice for not giving up this quest?
4. Does being a PWS give you any special qualities that people who don’t stutter might lack in the world of dating? (e.g. are we better listeners?) :)
Interview with Michael Wright
Michael Wright is from the UK and works within the Nuclear Sector at Sellafield as a Planning Engineer.Two years ago he Co founded a online Facebook Group called Stand Up to Stammering, which offers a safe, encouraging, empowering platform that invites members to share their stammering experiences, gain support from other members, and invites them to build on their courage and confidence through the daily mind over matter challenges.
Michael is also Co founder of the Nuclear Stammering Network, which aims to make the Nuclear industry an inclusive place to work for those who stammer, by sign posting, raising awareness on the subject as well as supporting those within the Nuclear industry who stammer.
Interview avec / Interview with Geneviève Lamoureux
Elle-même une personne qui bégaie, Geneviève Lamoureux s’implique dans la communauté bègue depuis plusieurs années. Depuis 2020, aux côtés de l’orthophoniste Judith Labonté, elle est notamment co-productrice et co-animatrice de « Je je je suis un podcast », le balado de l’Association bégaiement communication (ABC), un organisme basé au Québec offrant des services et ressources aux adultes qui bégaient.
Geneviève est également candidate au doctorat en sciences de l’orthophonie de l’Université de Montréal, où elle mène des recherches sur l’(auto-)stigmatisation des personnes qui bégaient. Détentrice d’une maîtrise professionnelle en orthophonie, elle est aussi diplômée en traduction et littératures d’expression anglaise et française.
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As a person who stutters, Geneviève Lamoureux has been involved in the stuttering community for several years. Since 2020, alongside speech therapist Judith Labonté, she has been co-producing and co-hosting of "Je je je suis un podcast" (This this this is a podcast), the podcast of the Association bégaiement communication (ABC), a Quebec-based organization offering services and resources to adults who stutter.
Geneviève is also a doctoral candidate in speech-language pathology at the Université de Montréal, where she is conducting research on the (self-)stigmatization of people who stutter. She holds a professional master's degree in speech-language pathology and a degree in English and French translation and literature.
Transcription / Translation available here.
Interview with Brian Woo
Brian Woo is a Social Service Worker student, studying part-time at Durham College. He has worked with people with developmental disabilities for 12 years, and has worked in a congregate care setting for over 7 years. He has a passion for raising awareness about Mental Health and is an advocate for the Stuttering community, the Disabled community, the Neurodivergent community, and the Chronic Illness community (which includes immunocompromised people). Brian identifies as a member of each of these communities and he increases awareness through his Twitter account @StutterLoudly and his Instagram @StutteringLoudly. Brian has volunteered at the Abilities Church, DramaWay, and was a Planning Committee Member of the "Simply People" Disability Pride Celebration and the "A Million Things I Need to Say" Walk for Stuttering Awareness. Brian's early volunteer work taught him that identifying as a Disabled or Neurodivergent person is not something to be ashamed of. We all have our own gifts & talents and we all want a world that is inclusive & accessible.
Some Stutter, Luh! is working on providing transcripts of all of our episodes. We are currently working on Brian's episode and while we have some work to do, we wanted to share it with our listeners. To read along, click here.
Interview with Cody Joy
Cody is always seeking after that next new experience. An avid traveler, hiker, and coffee aficionado, Cody works for various non-profits, including the John Howard Society, where he offers employment services to formerly incarcerated individuals. He holds a BA in sociology and anthropology from Memorial University, and recently finished a graduate program in human resource management at McGill University. Cody is also immensely interested in politics and intends on running his own political campaign one day, where you might just hear him stutter.
Interview with Ashlie Khaladkar
Around the 15 month mark, Ashlie noticed her son wasn't as verbally communicative as his sister at the same age. At 18 months, he wasn't meeting speech milestones and so they found a private SLP to work with them once a month. Then came the diagnosis.
Tune in this week as Ashlie shares her family's story which she hopes can help others on their own journey.
This episode aired Sunday, October 9, at 9am Newfoundland Time.
You can watch it on our Youtube page or listen to it on our Anchor page. Check out every past episode in our archives at somestutterluh.ca, and catch the latest updates via Instagram.
Where ever you end up, do us a favour and subscribe!
Interview with Steven Hiscock
In SSL! episode (S3:E17) Greg speaks with Steven Hiscock. Steven works with the Burgeo Broadcasting Station. Growing up in Burgeo, NL he never imagined he would become an on-camera personality. As a child Steven stuttered; so interviewing people was not a career path he envisioned at all. He was bullied and made fun of a lot. Over time Steven has learned a few tricks to help manage his stutter. Steven says that it’s all about your breathing when you talk and along with a few more tricks.
There is a great article about Steven published in SALTWIRE NL by Rosalyn Roy Posted: May 7, 2019.
Steven's community, Burgeo, was affected by last month's Hurricane Fiona. For more info, check out "Steve Hiscock from the Burgeo Broadcasting System... report[s] on the wreckage of Fiona on the ground in Burgeo." from The St. John's Morning Show from CBC Radio Nfld. and Labrador (Highlights).
Interview with Dr. Valerie Freeman
Dr. Freeman is an assistant professor in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program at Oklahoma State University. Greg speaks to Valerie about her Deaf Experience, Deaf Expression (DXDX) Project and how listeners can take more responsibility for ensuring smoother communication with people who communicate differently.
Click here for more information about the Deaf Experience, Deaf expression Project.
Interview with Caroline Bredeson and Julie Rodrigue
Caroline Bredeson recently retired from her private practice in stuttering therapy in Ottawa, Ontario and has passed the torch on to Julie Rodrigue, her former student who is herself a person who clutters. Join Greg as he speaks with Caroline and Julie about being a speech-language pathology student (and teaching them!), developing a deep understanding of stuttering and its impacts, and working as an S-LP with a fluency disorder.
Interview with Kim Block
In this episode Greg speaks with Kim Block, a full-time student at Simon Fraser University completing a degree in Criminology with a certificate in Social Justice. Kim is a person who stutters and has been involved in the stuttering community for over twenty years. She runs the website Speaking Up and is author of the children’s book series Adventures of a Stuttering Superhero.
Interview with Robert O'Brien
After years of struggling with bullying, depression, suicide, loneliness, and anxiety, Robert was inspired to write his memoir, Just One More Drive: The true story of a stuttering homosexual and his race car.
Help is available for suicide crisis and prevention.
Get support from a local crisis centre. There is also Talk Suicide Canada (1-833-456-4566), Kids Help Phone, the Hope for Wellness Help Line, and 1 866 APPELLE (277-3553) (Quebec residents), that all offer 24/7 support.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call 9-1-1.
Interview with Tom Scharstein
In this episode, Greg speaks with Tom Scharstein, a person who stutters and an entrepreneur from South Florida, USA. Taking full advantage of the changing times with the new dependence on virtual connection, he and a team of innovators created the World Stuttering Network (WSN) in 2020. The mission of the WSN is to create a discussion among the world's stuttering support leaders to share helpful information & best practices to provide the best help for people who stutter globally. The WSN hosts the annual 'StutterFEST!', a 24-hour celebration of the world stuttering community. Guests and organizations from around the world present on multiple virtual stages throughout the day, allowing attendees from every time zone to attend.
Tom's life journey with stuttering has included over 25 years in stuttering support, mostly as a support group leader. 3 out of his 4 household family members stutter, which makes the family dynamic very interesting, as each person stutters & deals with their stutter differently.
Lisa & Tom are avid outdoor enthusiasts, and are often found paddling around Florida on the weekends.
Interview with Susan Khaladkar
Interview with Susan Khaladkar
Interview with Nikhil Bilkha
Interview with Nikhil Bilkha
Interview with Mary Wood
After a short summer hiatus, we are back with Mary Wood, who, after her first interview with Greg, published her first book Beyond the Fear of Stuttering: My Journey to Self-Acceptance and Freedom.
Join Greg and Mary as they talk about the wonderful life lessons Mary shares in the book, including the powerful role of thought in controlling behaviour as well as what it takes to overcome fear and rejection. Mary challenges us to change our perspectives on how we approach stuttering (she sees it as a GIFT) and discusses her belief that it's not up to others to determine who we are. As a pastor in the Unity Church, Mary reflects on the role of spirituality in stuttering support - forgiveness and gratitude - and how there is so much more to people who stutter than simply stuttering.
Since 1993, Mary has inspired people at conferences in Canada, the United States, parts of Europe, and Great Britain. Currently Mary resides in Lee’s Summit Missouri, USA.
Interview with Jenny McGuire
Episode Description
Jenny was recent Guest on SSL! where she was joined by two of her colleagues from the Stuttering Scholarship Alliance, now renamed My Speech, to discus the great work that this amazing organization is doing. My Speech is a non profit organization dedicated to providing a bridge to access for people who stutter—otherwise facing barriers of access—to achieve their fullest potential and receive effective speech therapy. During this conversation, Greg managed to get a glimpse of Jenny's lived experience as a PWS. So, to find out more about Jenny's story Greg thought a SSL! Guest revisit was in order. Greg was touched by the commitment and work that Jenny has placed on her self care journey to accept and embrace her stutter
About
Jenny McGuire is a person who stutters and a vociferous advocate for the stuttering community. Jenny’s journey as a stutterer has been marked by many different speech therapy experiences. Most of these therapies taught her behaviors intended to mask her stutter–spoiler, these tricks never worked when she needed them most–but did little to address the spate of adverse cognitive and affective effects of stuttering. ARTs (avoidance reduction therapy for stuttering) with Vivian Sisskin changed the trajectory of Jenny’s life. Through ARTs group therapy Jenny learned that a distinction can be drawn between the problem of stuttering and the act of stuttering. Having some dysfluencies when she spoke was not ruining her life, but her avoidance of stuttering along with constant negative thoughts and feelings about stuttering sure were. Through hard work, doing the things she didn’t want to do, and leveraging the loving support of a wonderful group therapy community, Jenny climbed out of the darkness that is the problem of stuttering.
As Executive Director My Speech, Jenny can’t think of anything she feels more passionately about than removing barriers so that others–particularly individuals from underserved communities– may find a way out of the darkness and live full, joyful lives, stuttering and all. My Speech touches the part of her that knows that everything is more tolerable and manageable within the context of a supportive community, and she looks forward to connecting stutterers with “their people” so that they may continue to thrive in the long term.
Stuttering, Mental Health, and Self Care
Stuttering, Mental Health, and Self Care
Interview with Dr. Samantha Shune and Michele Vandehey
Dr. Samantha Shune is an associate professor and the director of the Communication Disorders and Sciences Program at the University of Oregon. Prior to returning to school for her PhD and throughout her doctoral program, she worked as a speech-language pathologist across a number of healthcare settings. Her primary area of interest is dysphagia, particularly in terms of exploring the impact of disruptions to the eating and swallowing process on the individual and their family system.
Michele Vandehey, MS, CCC-SLP, is a clinical supervisor for graduate student clinicians at the University of Oregon in the Brain Injury and Concussion Clinic. Michele also continues to work in the medical setting, specifically acute care, and inpatient rehabilitation as a medical speech-language pathologist. She completed her coursework and thesis in dysphagia at Idaho State University. She is also the daughter of a stroke survivor who experienced severe dysphagia, and cognitive- communication deficits who she provided support to within the home and community for nearly 20 years. Her clinical and research interests primarily center on identifying dysphagia and its impact on individuals and their families, including how to foster improved functional outcomes.
My Speech App (formerly Stuttering Scholarship Alliance)
In this week's episode, Greg talks to Nathan Mallipeddi, Jenny McGuire, and Nikhil Bilkha from MySpeechApp.org (previously known as the Stuttering Scholarship Alliance)! They have built a digital resource platform enabling people who stutter to access affordable speech therapy and community support. Their work has been celebrated by US President Joe Biden.
Interview with Jessica Deluce
Interview with Dr. Jesse Harris
Dr. Jesse Harris is an associate professor at UCLA in the Department of Linguistics, and advises the UCLA Language Processing Lab. He investigates how the brain figures out meaning when engaged in communication. As a person who stutters, he’s proud to serve on the Board of Directors of My Speech, a non-profit dedicated to facilitating access to high-quality, client-centered speech therapy to people in underserved communities, as well as providing resources on disability rights for students who stutter and education for speech-language pathologists in training.
Interview with Dr. Janet Tilstra
In this episode Greg has an exciting and informative conversation with Dr. Janet Tilstra, PhD CCC-SLP. During their conversation, they discuss Dr. Tilstra's article, From Speech Helper to Ally. This article recognizes the need for developing a greater understanding of the psychological effects and emotions associated with communication disorders in order to encourage professionals in the field to incorporate counselling strategies in their clinical interactions. This article identifies a stuttering paradigm shift from a clinical focus to ally: a clinician changes her own perceptions of speech fluency and encourages others to re-examine theirs.
Dr. Tilstra is a speech-language pathologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Disorders at St Cloud State University, St Cloud, Minnesota (USA). She completed her undergraduate and Master’s degree in speech-language pathology at the University of Iowa and PhD in educational psychology at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Tilstra teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on stuttering, language development/disorders and research methods. She is an active clinical supervisor and passionate ally dedicated to amplifying the voices of people living with communication differences and disorders. She enjoys mentoring students, consulting with non-profit agencies, and designing innovative training models.
Enjoy their conversation.
Interview with Casey Dumaresq
In the first episode of season 3, Greg speaks to Casey Dumaresq about his most fluent and severe phases of stuttering, the exact moment when he felt that he had a speaking challenge for the first time, and why he was not diagnosed with a fluency disorder. He also discusses careers that a person who stutters might pursue. All this and much more!
About Casey: Casey Dumaresq is a gay person who stutters and a Speech-Language Pathologist. Casey grew up in rural New Brunswick, and went to graduate school in Halifax. He now lives in Toronto with his husband. Casey leads a stuttering support group in downtown Toronto (currently on pause due to the Covid-19 pandemic), and previously served on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Stuttering Association. These days, Casey finds himself in a mostly-fluent phase of life, and looks forward to discussing his current place in the stuttering community.
Season 2 Finale
Hard to believe it but we've reached our final episode of Season 2! Join the production team as they discuss new the many new projects scheduled for The Communication Collaborative. We also celebrate the 1st Anniversary of SSL!
Interview with Penny Welch-West
Today, Greg and Katelyn are chatting with Penny Welch-West!
Penny Welch-West is a medical Speech-Language Pathologist working at Parkwood Institute, St. Joseph's Healthcare in London, Ontario. She holds a Lecturer position with the University of Western Ontario and an Adjunct Clinical Professor position with McMaster University. Penny practices as a medical SLP in a hospital setting working in Complex and Continuing Care as well as Acquired Brain Injury, working with an adult population including young adults.She has a special interest in concussion care and specifically return to learn in the secondary and post-secondary school populations. Throughout her clinical practice, she can most often be found advocating for cognitive-communication services. As the first medical S-LP on the show, Greg and Katelyn ask Penny broad questions about what exactly her clinical work consists of and the types of people she sees on her caseload. Penny shares her experiences as an S-LP and talks about what drew her to the medical field. Penny also explains Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and it's place in her clinical practice. All three discuss the importance of advocacy and awareness for individuals with communication differences, whether that be a person who stutters, or an individual with an acquired language disorder or traumatic brain injury.
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Katelyn Mayo, Greg O'Grady, Dr. Paul De Decker, Melanie Crane, Luca Dinu, Emily Murphy
Interview with Andrea Power
She continues to be inspired by work of the Board and is impressed at how far the NLSA has come in the past 3 years. She is proud to be a part of this growing not for profit organization and embraces the opportunity to expand her knowledge about stuttering so that she can assist in raising awareness and acceptance of PWS!
Interview with Saran Croos
On today's episode, Greg and Katelyn are speaking with Saran Croos!
Saran is the Engineering and Computer Science Librarian at the University of New Brunswick (UNB), Fredericton. He holds an honours BA from the University of Windsor, an MPA from Queen’s University and an MLIS from Western University. Saran also has a Mechanical Engineering Technology diploma from Algonquin College and worked as a Computer Numerical Control Machinist before his career as a librarian. Saran was born in Sri Lanka, and his family immigrated to Canada in 1991. He grew up in Ottawa, Ontario and lived in many cities in Ontario before relocating to New Brunswick, where he resides currently. In addition to English, Saran also speaks Sinhalese and a bit of Tamil. Saran is a person who stutters, and he has been stuttering most of his life. Throughout the episode, Saran shares personal stories and experiences about growing up as a person who stutters. He talks about how his stuttering has changed over the years, and explains how he views stuttering in relation to his identity.
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Katelyn Mayo, Luca Dinu, Melanie Crane, Emily Murphy, Dr. Paul De Decker, Greg O'Grady
Interview with Carolina and Sang (A Valentine's Day special!)
For our special Valentine's day episode, we are welcoming back Carolina Ayala, who is joined by her partner Sang!
Carolina and Sang are a long distance couple from two different cultures, living in different North American cities. Carolina, an extrovert who lives in Toronto and working as a Community Support Worker supporting people with disabilities. Sang, an introvert who works as an IT Tech living in New York City. They are both foodies at heart that share common interests such as being curious and enthusiastic to explore the world together and challenge each other along the way. They are sometimes opposites who attract. But they are definitely 2 stuttering peas in a pod! Sang and Carolina share with us what dating is like as a person who stutters. They chat about stuttering brought them together, and the best parts about being in a relationship with another PWS!
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Katelyn Mayo, Melanie Crane, Emily Murphy, Luca Dinu, Dr. Paul De Decker, Greg O'Grady
Interview with Dr. David Luterman
Today, Greg and Katelyn are chatting with Dr. David Luterman!
Dr. Luterman is an audiologist who has made incredible contributions to the fields of both audiology and speech-language pathology with his research and publications about counselling for people with communication disorders. Dr. Luterman has a long list of achievements, some of which he discussed with us throughout the podcast. During the interview, Dr. Luterman explains a little about his primary area of interest, counselling for families of hearing impaired children, but also talks about his work with stuttering and communication disorders more broadly. The three discuss the emotional components of communication disorders, and the need for this to be better addressed. David and Katelyn chat about why the field is lacking when it comes to counselling, and why it would be beneficial for students and clinicians to receive more counselling training. David gives advice for communicating difficult information to clients and their families, while especially emphasizing the role of the parents in these situations. David also talks about his work with support groups, and he and Greg discuss the importance of support groups for people with communication disorders, as well as for their families and loved ones.
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Katelyn Mayo, Luca Dinu, Dr. Paul De Decker, Melanie Crane, Emily Murphy, Greg O'Grady
Interview with Martha Horrocks
On today's episode, Greg and Katelyn are speaking with Martha Horrocks!
Martha, also known as @martha_speech on instagram, is a Maine-based S-LP. She is the owner of Martha Speech & Stuttering Therapy, a private practice providing speech/language teletherapy for school-age children. Martha is passionate about stuttering, and shares the latest research, treatment ideas, and resources with people who stutter, speech-language pathologists, educators, and parents on her Instagram page! Martha also specializes in teletherapy and creates interactive, digital activities to support therapy sessions. Prior to becoming a SLP, Martha received two other MEds (in Elementary Education and Special Education), and worked as a special educator. Throughout this interview, Martha shares her journey towards Speech-Language Pathology and speaks about her interest in stuttering. Martha gave us an interesting look into treating young people and children who stutter. We discussed the emotional component of stuttering and the importance of addressing this in therapy. Katelyn and Martha discussed why they think some S-LPs shy away from stuttering.
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Dr. Paul De Decker, Katelyn Mayo, Greg O'Grady, Luca Dinu, Melanie Crane, Emily Murphy
Interview with Paige Smith
Today, Greg and Katelyn are speaking with Paige Smith!
Paige is a person who stutters and has spent her adult years focusing on accepting her stutter and turning it into something more positive! Paige started the "The Happy Stutterer Mindset" coaching program, which she says guides you through the emotional healing process, allowing you to gain speaking confidence from the inside-out. Throughout the interview, Paige tells us about how this program started and what it entails. She explains the success she's seen from this program, and how important gaining confidence can be for everyone. Paige shares some of her own struggles that led her to this point, and shares some of the things that helped her most along the way, including a poignant story about why she decided to change her name. All three discuss the heavy emotions that accompany stuttering and the need to address those emotions and learn to live and be happy and confident, despite your stutter.
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Melanie Crane, Emily Murphy, Luca Dinu, Katelyn Mayo, Greg O'Grady, Dr. Paul De Decker
Interview with Dr. Rachel Goldenberg
Today Greg and Katelyn are chatting with Dr. Rachel Goldenberg, one of Katelyn's classmates!
Dr. Rachel Goldenberg is a leading authority in singing and lung disease. Dr. Goldenberg’s doctoral dissertation focused on the use of singing lessons as an adjunctive airway clearance technique for cystic fibrosis and her article, “Singing for Respiratory Health: A Literature Review” was published in 2018 in the peer-reviewed Journal of Voice. As an active and trained singing voice specialist, she frequently assists injured singers, actors and other voice users referred to her from medical professionals and the voice community. Dr. Goldenberg received her Doctor of Musical Arts in vocal pedagogy from Shenandoah University and also holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in voice performance and pedagogy from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey. She previously taught voice, speech and pedagogy at Ambrose University and maintained a private voice studio in her native Calgary. Recently she has focused her work on helping people with lung disease to better coordinate their breath with the voice through individual lessons and the “Breathe, Sing, Move!” program created at Breathe Well Physio in Calgary.
During our interview, Rachel told us about the “Breathe, Speak, Pace” voice skills program for people experiencing long-COVID. Rachel talked a lot about how she teaches breath training and breathing skills, and her and Greg discuss the importance of breath in stuttering management. Rachel explains why she was drawn to Speech-Language Pathology and what inspired her to continue to pursue her education. Throughout the interview, all three discuss the importance of music, and how singing can be beneficial in many ways, including in stuttering treatment. Rachel also talks about acceptance when living with a chronic condition, and explains the parallel she has seen between those with chronic lung disease and the experience of stuttering. Finally, Rachel gives some words of wisdom to Katelyn, her classmates, and any other students listening to the podcast!
Music: Luca Dinu
Production Team: Katelyn Mayo, Luca Dinu, Melanie Crane, Emily Murphy, Greg O'Grady, Dr. Paul De Decker