Do you stutter? Cool! Each person who stutters is unique and chooses to embody this characteristic in many ways. Chances are, you’ve probably taken personality quizzes such as “what Harry Potter character are you?” or “Which Office character are you?”. Wondering “which kind of stutterer” you are? Keep reading to see which one fits with your lifestyle.
Side Note *** In reality, everyone has a little of all these qualities. Nothing is better than the other. We are all on our own personal journeys as people who stutter. ***
The Loud and Proud:
You’ll work on your speech and build an empire – regardless of the way you talk! You embody the mantra “If you have a problem with my stutter, that’s your problem”. Chances are you are confident with who you are and will speak your mind no matter what. This means raising your hand in class if you know the answer…. or even if you don’t. As long as your opinion is being heard, you’re happy! You’re also proud to “advertise”, no need to hide who you are!
The Quiet One
Does anyone know you stutter? No? Then this is you. You’re a pro at hiding and compensating for your stutter. So much so that if/when you have told someone you have a stutter, they literally don’t believe you. Some common “techniques” you use include “calls losing service”, “zoom isn’t working”, etc. You also have no plans in becoming a “foodie”, as half the time you order whatever food at the restaurant is easiest to say. You’re literally a human thesaurus with synonyms.
The Therapist
Are you a speech-language pathologist or planning to become one? Then this is you. You enjoy and have the ambition to help others, which is great! You’re constantly staying up to date with the stuttering researches, scouring the internet for information through journals, podcasts, and even Instagram. If anyone is making fun of your stutter, you have the coping mechanisms to handle it, but if anyone is making fun of a friend who stutters, you become their biggest advocate! Here and there you even toss in a voluntary stutter, just because you can!
The Social One
FRIENDS. SAY. NSA. Sound familiar? Yep, you’re the social one. You’ve built a community of supportive people around you and you can’t wait to join any and all events. A camp for people who stutter? Sign me up please. You love to stay in touch with your NSA friends, and look forward to the annual NSA conferences like a kid on Christmas morning. Oh, and the monthly meetings too of course! Drew Lynch’s YouTube videos? Oh yeah, you’ve seen every single one. Stutter Social events are marked in your calendar at all times.
The Zen One
Acceptance is your mantra. You accept your stutter; you know it’s not the best thing about you and not the worst. Your approach to your speech and to your life is Holistic, being at peace with who you are and your identity. Your stutter is not your whole identity though – there are so many other great qualities within you! “Mindfulness” of speech is your practice. You have intentionality around your speech and how you approach your words. Meditation is important to you, priming your awareness of what’s happening in the body and mind in the moment of stuttering. Namaste.
So... which “kind of stutterer” are you? Maybe you fall within two of the categories? Or maybe all four? Whatever it may be, we’re all able to offer unique ways of approaching stuttering, and that is the beauty of it.
How to Stay Connected While Social DistancingIn the age of social distancing, we are all trying to virtually stay connected and keep ourselves on track.
We’re quarantined at our own homes but staying in touch with others and ourselves is more important than ever. If you’re looking for a little inspiration on how to “stay on track,” with your goals and daily routines, check out our tips.
Video Chat:
-Don’t forget that video calls are not restricted to your daily work meetings. Schedule time out for a facetime with friends or family. It can be easy as picking one day each week that you all “get together”.
-There are friends, family, work…and don’t forget about speech therapy! Most speech therapists are using this time to either begin or continue to use teletherapy. Speechagain has partnered with Meetfox to provide free video services for SLPs for the next two months. Simply use code “speechagain2020” when signing up!
-Speechagain! Hi, it’s us! Don’t forget that our users can schedule one-on-one calls with our speech therapists, providing free speech services as you exercise with our program.
Stay Active:
-As you facetime your friends and family, you don’t have to just sit and talk! Get moving! Some ideas include playing games with each other through video calls, having a family member lead a cooking class of their favorite recipe, or even weekly happy hours!
-Keep practicing. If you were practicing your speech skills during social situations before, why stop? Continue to chat on the phone with others. Continue to call restaurants to order take out (support local!). Have your friends/family host “mock” social scenarios for you to practice, such as job interviews. Play trivia! Get creative!
-Again, we’re here for you! Reach out to us! Our speech therapists are happy to help and run through any exercise situations you may find helpful.
Get Outside:
-Of course, while staying 6 feet away from others, the outdoors is a great way to get up and moving. Not only does some Vitamin D boost your mood and energy, but even a wave from a stranger walking across the street is a great way to show kindness!
-Exercises outside. Take walks, go for a jog, or even practice yoga on your porch.
-Train your speech outside! Speech therapy does not have to only take place inside! The outdoors are fairly quiet at the moment, so use this to your advantage. Whether you’re video chatting with a therapist or using the Speechagain program, this could all be done while sitting in the sun.
Set Goals:
-If you set daily or weekly goals for yourself before, why stop now? Some examples could be walking 3 miles a day, drinking 3 liters of water, or meditating for five minutes each morning.
-Hold each other accountable. Setting challenges with friends or family is always motivating. Decide on a daily challenge to do and send pictures/updates throughout the day to hold yourself accountable and keep others motivated. These can be speech related, or really anything!
-Don’t overwork. This is important. With more time inside, it’s amazing that people are becoming more productive! Be careful not to overstimulate yourself though. Remember, it’s still okay to have “rest days”.
The SLP Guide to SpeechagainPlanning therapy sessions during your breaks?
We’ve got you covered! Speechagain takes the guessing and planning out of your day when treating clients who stutter. Let this be your go-to guide for all things Speechagain. We’ve broken it down into steps to make it more manageable so you can focus on what’s really important here: empowering your client!
STEP 1: CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT
After visiting our website, www.speechagain.com, click the “speech therapist” tab on the top right-hand corner of the homepage. This will direct you to a page specifically for SLPs wanting to learn more about Speechagain and create their accounts.
Simply click “join today” when ready! Unsure? No worries. Speechagain is completely FREE for SLPs! Your account will not cost you a dime!
STEP 2: COMPLETE ONBOARDING
After you click to join the SLP Speechagain community, you’ll be immeidately prompted to attend an onboarding session with one of our team members.
Schedule your onboarding session during a time that works for you, as our team is flexible!
This onboarding provides you with account information and demonstration on how Speechagain works and how to use it during therapy with clients who stutter.
STEP 3: INVITE YOUR CLIENTS
First go to your homepage. On the right-hand side of your screen under “overview” you will see a gray arrow icon.
Click this icon to invite your client to connect with your personal therapist code, something you will receive after your account is active.
After their email is given, they will then be prompted to register and activate their own account, which will be connected to yours. You can then access theirs, but they can never see yours.
STEP 4: ENJOY!
Rest easy knowing the stuttering therapy you provide is effective, evidence-based, and efficient!
Assign training exercises for your client to complete at home, enhancing carry-over of skills.
Keep track of your client’s data to see where exactly the breakdowns are occurring, and listen to recordings with him/her to work through this together.
Want to become a Speechagain SLP? Feel free to join through our website or reach out to us personally at: info@speechagain.com
We can’t wait to hear from you!
Speechagain AcademySpeechagain Academy is a place for people who stutter and professionals in the speech and language field to collaborate, discuss, and have fun! Here you’ll find information about events, podcasts, and other topics that bring our community together.
Welcome to the Academy, you’re officially enrolled!
Collaboration is a key factor to our success here at Speechagain. Our community is full of bright minds who love to teach, learn, and share! Speechagain Academy encompasses the positive fostering of curiosity in order to amplify voices of those who stutter. Our academy’s goal is to work together to destigmatize stuttering therapy. Looking to join us? Keep reading to find details on all the ways you can get involved!
SLP’s
Are you a licensed SLP? Great, we’d love to have you here at Speechagain. Together we partner with SLP’s all over the country to bring Speechagain to anyone and everyone. Whether you specialize in fluency, or need a refresher on the basics, we’ve got you covered. In addition to joining the team, you’ll have access to all of our roundtable discussions, newsletters, blog posts, and more. Send us an email, we’d love to connect and get you set up with Speechagain!
PWS
If you stutter, then Speechagain is the tool for you! Our program is accessible, affordable, and effective. Stuttering may feel like a bump in the road to your success, but Speechagain can help you achieve your goals! Our personalized plan offers the flexibility to complete the program on your own time, allowing you the freedom to succeed. Sign up for your free trial to see if Speechagain is right for you. We can’t wait for your unique voice to join our community. So… what are you waiting for?!
SLP Student
Studying to become an SLP? That’s awesome, you’ve got an exciting and rewarding career ahead of you. Speechagain offers the chance for aspiring SLPs to learn about stuttering therapy. Our blog posts, interactive discussions, and mini training tools give students the opportunity to become educated and involved in the stuttering community. “Communication sciences” can be broad and intimidating, so we’ve designed our discussions to be accessible and educational for everyone. We hope you’ll join us for our next session…let’s learn together!
Advocate
Do you know someone who stutters? Then you’re in the right place! Anyone is welcome in our community, regardless of whether or not you personally have a communication disorder. One of the easiest ways to support stuttering in your community starts with education! Keeping up with our blog posts and newsletters is a simple way to learn about stuttering both inside and outside your community. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date. We’re so glad you’re here!