Stuttering is Cool

Episode #231: Laughter is the best medicine. On this episode, I chat with Agathe Tupula Kabola , speech language pathologist and author who lives in Montréal, about her use of humour in therapy sessions. Agathe recently published her third book, Je bégaie… laissez-moi parler ! Bien vivre avec le bégaiement (which roughly translates to I stutter… let me speak. Living well with stutterin...

Episode #230: And a role model for stuttering awareness! Space Jam 2 will be coming out in theatres next summer and it’s time we see Porky Pig in a positive light (if Hollywood doesn’t screw up and use his stuttering for cheap laughs). On this episode, I chat with my friends and fellow stutterers, Lynne Mackie, Tom Scharstein, and Jeff Fett, about their thoughts on Porky Pig as a carto...

Episode #229: Stuttering conference junkies! Join me as I chat with two good friends of mine, Árni Birgisson and Doug Scott about our first time meeting each other at the 2016 Nordic Stuttering Seminar in Hämeenlinna, Finland, and reuniting at the 2018 National Stuttering Association Conference in Chicago, USA. As co-organizer, Árni will also tell us what’s in store for the 2019 Internationa...

Episode #228: The perfect book for children who stutter! On this episode, I chat with co-authors, Saadiq Wicks and his mother, Kimberly Garvin, about their charming and very encouraging book for children who stutter, When Oliver Speaks . We also chat about Saadiq’s founding of Llet Me Finish and the SAY summer camps , which Saadiq has been attending for 9 years and got the idea of creating t...

Episode #227: I chat with John Gomez, filmmaker of the multi-award winning documentary, When I Stutter . We discuss the making of his film, worldwide reception, translations, and – SPOILER ALERT! – the unexpected surprises that blew my mind. When I Stutter presents the raw emotions people who stutter feel and develop from growing up and dealing with their speech impediment and the negative reactio...

Episode #226: “This is a journey about knowing who I am, it’s not about stuttering. The only person who has to love me when I stutter is me.” Those very wise words came from Mary Wood’s encouraging and uplifting keynote given at this year’s Canadian Stuttering Association annual conference which took place in Toronto on October 20, 2018. Mary shares her words of wisdo...

Episode 225: The stuttering experience depicted in sequential art. Just in time for International Stuttering Awareness Day! We hear from the creators of two new comic books, Gareth Cowlin and Joe Stone, who drew and wrote Floor is Lava and Stutter respectively. Both books were drawn directly from each of their experiences of growing up stuttering, and in the case of Gareth’s, dealing with th...

Episode #224: Building bridges with all communication disorders. I chat with movers and shakers in the worldwide stuttering community, Annie Bradberry and Mitch Trichon, CCC-SLP, about the keynote they gave at the recent One World Many Voices Joint World Congress in Hiroshima, Japan. We each have something we can do! This episode is brought to you by my book, Stuttering is Cool: A Guide to Stutter...

Episode #223: Join me on a summer morning walk as I review the latest in stuttering current events. Links mentioned in this episode: A Tribute to Dr. Alan Rabinowitz – The Boy and His Jaguars Stutter Social Free group video chats for people who stutter worldwide. Currently in it’s 7th year. Full disclosure: I’m a co-founder. International Stuttering Awareness Day (ISAD) Online Conferen...

Episode #222: We don’t overcome stuttering. We navigate it. Those are the wise words spoken by Annie Bradberry who gave a very motivating keynote speech at the National Stuttering Association 35th annual conference held in Chicago in July 2018. You will hear Annie’s keynote in its entirety on this episode which includes Annie’s life experiences and valuable learnings from being a...

  Episode #221: Learn about cluttering along with me as I chat with Sister Carol Mary Nolan, Carmelite Sister for the Aged and Infirm and person who clutters, and Dr. Charley Adams , Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of South Carolina in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and Coordinator of the International Cluttering Association . This episode was created in...

Episode #220: Get on stage and stutter! On this episode, I speak with Dale Williams and Jaik Campbell, co-authors of the textbook, Shining a Light on Stuttering: How One Man Used Comedy to Turn His Impairment Into Applause . Their textbook explains stuttering with academic, diagnostic, and therapeutic perspectives along with Jaik’s journey of becoming a stand up comedian after a lifetime of...

​ Episode #219: I chat with three of my friends who have experienced stuttering discrimination that put an abrupt, unwanted change in their life plans. All because of one or two people who don’t understand stuttering. This episode brought to you by my book, Stuttering is Cool: A Guide to Stuttering in a Fast-Talking World . Packed with tips, stories, encouragement and comics for stuttering r...

Episode #218: Have you ever written a letter to your stuttering? Or to the phone? Or the letters you stutter on? My guest, James Hayden did! And he wrote a book collecting all the letters he wrote about his stuttering. The book is called Dear World, I Stutter: A Series of Open Letters From A Person Who Stutters and James joins me in discussing his experiences with stuttering, his work on The Might...

Episode #217: We’re not the only ones who get “the look”! On this episode, learn all about Deaf culture, their similar experiences as ours, and what it’s like to be a sign language interpreter. Transcript [Please note that in the spirit of awareness, some of the stuttering was kept in the transcript. Repeated syllables were not included for the interest in time (oh the iron...

Episode #216: Happy Anniversary! Ten years ago today, I launched my podcast hoping to meet and encourage fellow stutterers to enjoy the benefits of stuttering openly and without fear. I never imagined my little show would last beyond four episodes let alone 10 years! A lot has happened since 2007. Particularly the lightning quick technological advances that had a tremendous impact on culture and c...

​Episode #215: Hello from the Canadian Stuttering Association 2017 conference! On this episode, I talk to conference speakers and organizers to find out how improv can help people who stutter, how to tell a joke despite your stuttering, and what it is like to organize a stuttering conference. Then I talk a bit about my experiences with Inktober and my future plans for Stuttering is Cool. Links men...

Episode #214: Hello from La Belle Province! On this episode, I take you along with me to the ABC stuttering conference in Montreal . I chat with clinical professor, Vivian Sisskin , about avoidance therapy, inviting shame, and a little bit about the famous Joseph Sheehan who she studied under. I also chat with PhD student, Robert van de Vorst, of the Speech Motor Control Lab at McGill University ,...

Episode 213: Audio from Norway! On this episode, we hear from the recent Nordic Stuttering Seminar which took place in Norway earlier this month. I also chat a little bit about facing speaking fears and using humour when spreading stuttering awareness. The post News from Norway appeared first on Stuttering is Cool .

Episode #212: Join me on another walk to the park as I respond to listener questions about secondaries and their affect on fluency, my own fluency strategies, and the stress in trying to speak fluently. Links mentioned on this episode: Journée-rencontre à Montreal par l’Association des bègues du Canada Canadian Stuttering Association one day confernece The Stuttering is Cool podcast is broug...

Episode #211: On this episode, me and my friends chat about upcoming stuttering conferences in Norway and India. I also talk a bit about upcoming stuttering conferences in Canada and what I missed at this year’s National Stuttering Association conference in the U.S. Links mentioned in this episode: Nordic Stuttering Seminar in Lillehammer, Norway from September 1 to 3, 2017 The Indian Stamme...

Episode #210: Taking stuttering into your hands. On this episode I chat with Andrew Castaneda who recently started a YouTube channel all about his stuttering. Andrew shares his stuttering journey, how at the age of 15 he decided no more speech therapy, and how changing his perception towards his stuttering helped him. The post Changing your stuttering perception appeared first on Stuttering is Coo...

Episode #209: Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for people who stutter! On this episode, I chat with Nottingham Trent University Masters student, Gareth Walkom, who is currently developing software using virtual reality to help people who stutter reduce speaking anxiety and improve eye contact . Joining our conversation is Gareth’s advisor and previous Stuttering is Cool guest, Grant Meredith...

Episode 208: Becoming a mighty strong person who stutters! Join me on a hike in Presqu’Ile Provincial Park as I explain how I applied ascetic and stoic philosophy to stuttering. Overcoming adversity such as the type stuttering gives us transforms us into better and more awesome people! The post Stuttering, asceticism, and stoicism appeared first on Stuttering is Cool .

Episode #207: Keep calm and carry on. While being nervous doesn’t cause stuttering, it does fuel it. So it’s no wonder that one of the top situations where people who stutter would definitely not prefer to stutter would be when they are nervous. Even when we aren’t nervous, people tend to think we are scared, or lying, or trying to hide something. So what do we do when those situ...