Beyond Stuttering is a companion book for the McGuire Program, an intensive course and maintenance program for people who stutter. Thousands of people have attended the program since its launch in 1994, with many of them becoming McGuire coaches and instructors.
Talking about personal branding makes many people cringe. This isn't helped by the fact that a lot of the hype behind personal branding can sound shallow and a little bit phony.
All that aside, having a personal brand is important. It shows the world who we are and what makes us unique.
Research has shown that a child who stutters can be issue-free in all other areas of child development, such as IQ, overall cognitive skills, reading comprehension, and literacy. But it can also be the case that stuttering exists alongside other speech disorders. There is particular concern among some parents who have observed the onset of stuttering in their child during or after treatment for other disorders.
At this year's NSA Conference in Dallas, Texas, I met Cilla Ramia, a conference First Timer who is both a nurse and a person who stutters. I spent quite a bit of time with her at the conference asking her questions, which she was happy to answer! Shortly after getting into Nursing School at Nipissing University in May, I began doubting myself and my capabilities of eventually becoming a nurse.
It's good to be a good listener, so that you know what the other person is thinking and feeling. On the other hand, sometimes we can encounter a form of self-talk that is not worth listening to at all. That sums up the key points in the article that follows.
People who stutter tend to be more aware of their speech than anyone else. We tend to have an awareness of when speech is difficult for us and when we can speak with ease. Some of us may also have strong feelings attached to our stutters, whether they be positive or negative.