When my mom told me that I was going to the Canadian Stuttering Association (CSA) conference, I wasn’t excited at all. I thought it would be one of those stereotypical conventions - just talking and boring games, but it wasn’t.
I have been a person who stutters my whole life. Many people who know me will probably be surprised to learn about this. This is because I use my speech targets when I speak and come across as speaking fluently.
I have gone through a few stages in my life. At first I was covert about my stuttering and would change words and avoid people. In the next stage I received therapy, joined a speech group and focused on applying my targets and learned to deal with my speech in different situations. Now, I have accepted myself and wish to help those who are in need of support.
Mary Wood, Toronto 1995
When I think back on my 23 years involved with the the Canadian Stuttering Association, the words that come to mind are Support, Laughter, Love, and a large amount of acceptance for whoever I was and whatever I was experiencing. Accepting myself as a person who stutters sure has taken me down a lot of roads that I had no idea were even there.
Graduation season is just around the corner and while graduating is a time of great enjoyment, accomplishment and celebration, it also marks a time a great change. This is the time when recent grads will put down their books, join the workforce and of course start paying back those student loans!
My name is Nathan Roscoe and I stutter. From my time as a teenager, through university and well into my career, stuttering has always had an impact on my life and I am happy to share my experiences.
First dates, butterflies and wondering when your crush will text you back are enough to make anyone’s head spin. But for someone who stutters, there’s an added layer of personal anxiety.