Stuttering and Awareness
June 11, 2018
A person's awareness is the most precious thing they possess in this life. Through awareness of their weaknesses and strengths, they can draw a clear map of their life and prepare a courageous plan to move forward in achieving their dreams.
Those who lack clarity and courage, or the determination to pursue their own dreams, often live in a state of helplessness. But when a person recognizes their true nature as God created them and creates their successes despite the obstacles facing them, they will become a source of inspiration for others to change as well. How many great people were brave in overcoming immense obstacles to become icons in their fields!
Stuttering, or stammering, is one of these obstacles that stand in the way of many people who stutter, who believe it is difficult to achieve their dreams and ambitions because of it, but the truth is the exact opposite.
Stuttering is a type of hesitation, disruption, and interruption in the fluency of speech, where the person who stutters involuntarily repeats a phonetic sound or syllable, unable to move past it to the next syllable. A disturbance in the processes of inhalation and exhalation during speech, such as breath-holding, is also observed in a person who stutters. Stuttering is often accompanied by feelings of shame and low self-confidence.
A person who stutters often finds great embarrassment and difficulty in oral exams and presentations due to a high level of fear of confrontation, and the listener's lack of awareness in such situations increases the burden of psychological pain for the person who stutters because of the bullying and ridicule they face from others.
As for the aware person who stutters, they do not play the role of the victim; rather, they face situations with courage and assertiveness. They help educate others about stuttering and how to interact with a person who stutters.
Despite scientific advances, the causes of stuttering remain unknown, and because of this, there is no definitive cure for it. However, experience has proven that the best way to control stuttering is to change the behavior and speaking manner of the person who stutters, as well as changing their reactions after stuttering occurs. This is precisely what the Starfish Project program for stuttering control provides.
It offers 3-day courses containing numerous different workshops that help the person who stutters change their way of speaking and thinking toward stuttering so that it does not become an obstacle for them. All Starfish training is conducted by former stammerers, who teach the costal breathing technique—a method that has proven effective in controlling stuttering—as well as techniques for not avoiding confrontation and developing a balanced manner of speech.
Stuttering is like any obstacle in life; it requires confrontation and accepting failure in overcoming it many times, just as it requires patience and a long-term action plan.
To every person who stutters: You are distinguished and creative, and stuttering is a blessing from Almighty God, not a curse. Do not be ashamed of it; instead, face the world with all courage and strive to achieve your dreams. Never let stuttering be an obstacle for you; rather, seek solutions for it and persist in applying them. This is the message of the Starfish Project program for stuttering control: Be the change you wish to see in this world through your awareness and ongoing confrontation.
Dr. Shaihana Al-Matrouk - Proud Stutterer
Co-founder of the Arabic Starfish Project
Originally published in Arabic. This English version was produced with AI-assisted translation; the Arabic original remains the reference.
