February Meeting Recap!
this is just a test for now.
November Recap
Despite the rainy Monday, we had a nice turnout of 18 people, all PWS, and two awesome first-timers, welcome Jade and Kyme. Marc kicked things off, as we went around introducing ourselves, saying why we were here for the night. We split into two, and the smaller groups resulted in a more intimate discussion. Below we explain it all.
opening up at home
As always, we discussed advertising. We talked about opening up to loved ones, and how difficult this can be for some of us, especially in some cultures where stuttering is a taboo topic. One member expressed the challenge she faces when trying to open up to her family about her stuttering. The vibe she experiences is drastically different at home than what it is like at group. It seems true, sometimes advocating for yourself with the people that love you the most can be one of the most challenging things to do.
why we come
But we all want or need some thing from the group, that’s why we are here. One member expressed, “I retain the thoughts and the stories of people from the NSA group and use them to comfort myself in situations of struggle.” All of us can attest to this. And depending on where we are on our journey, for some of us, we may even need something even more, based on our goals…and perhaps 1.5 hours a month is just the beginning of it all..
being specific about making change
For some of us we are here to figure out a game plan of how to move forward, how to climb up our ladder of challenging situations. We talked about how to work on speech by setting specific goals, rather than just saying “I want to be mindful,” or “I want to be more fluent,” or “I want to stutter in a more forward moving way.” We agreed, this takes planning and having a strategy.
Stutter Buddies
One idea that comes up meeting after meeting, and seeing our large turnouts, both with the Brooklyn and the Midtown Chapters, we are reminded of the large and growing stuttering community here in NYC. But the truth is, it is really up to each one us to take initiatives, and get together with one another outside of group. We have the best resources here in New York City, and that is each other. Our chapter leaders are here to help facilitate this, and we’re open to suggestions of how we can help. Let us know.
personal experience
I was in a shitty place a couple years ago. I had many goals, but often found myself paralyzed with fear. Attending the Brooklyn Chapter at the time was helpful, but it wasn’t enough. Fast-forward a couples years. My involvement in the community and the relationships I have cultivated here with some of the most amazing people I know I will ever meet, has giving me, and continues to give me, strength I never knew I had. I encourage you to do the same, get involved in your own way.
-Stavro
take the initiative!
On that note, there are many opportunities for leadership roles within our organization, and opportunities to foster relationships with other amazing people in our community. It’s up to you and only you to take that initiative. Reach out to us, suggest a meet up, suggest how you want to get involved, make a stutter buddy, or whatever term you like to use.
Holiday Party: Saturday December 13th
One great way to meet up with people from the community is coming up. Save the date, mark your calendars for the NSA NYC Holiday Party on Saturday December 13th. It will start at 8:15pm at a venue in the Midtown area. Bring anyone you want. We’ll be sending out details within a couple weeks regarding the specific location.
Goodbye and Congratulations to Marc Winski
Lastly, Marc Winski will be leaving us this month for an awesome singing gig he just got from Disney! He will be cruising around the Caribbean for the next 8+ months, entertaining guests onboard cruise liners, bringing in some cash money for himself, and spreading some stuttering awareness for all of us. We’ll miss you at group Marc, but we are proud that you will be doing something awesome that you love.
Remember everyone, together we are strong.
University of Hawaii: Research Study
Stuttering, across all severity, is a multi-dimensional disorder that affects people of all ages. There have been much research into the physical and psycho-emotional impact of stuttering on children but relatively few on adults. For adults who stutter (AWS), the disorder may impact their cognitive, affective, and social well-being. The overt (i.e., sound and word repetition) and covert (i.e., fear of speaking situations) features of stuttering impact and may influence a person’s personality development. The purpose of the current study is to observe the relationship between self-reported rating of severity and personality type in adults who stutter. It is hypothesized that AWS will score Introversion more frequently than Extroversion. It is also hypothesized that there will be a higher percentage of AWS who self-reported severe stuttering and scored Introversion compared to hose who reported moderate and mild stuttering severity. The results of the study will lend toward better advocacy and education for adults who stutter and how their personality can be implemented to improve the efficacy of fluency therapy. Participants will complete a short survey to assess their severity and complete the Majors Personality Type Elements (PTE) to determine their personality type. All correspondence is completed online. If you are interested in participating in the study, please contact Hoang Truong at htruong@ucera.org. Hoang Truong is a graduate study at the University of Hawaii in the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department. He is an adult who stutters and hopes to specialize in fluency research and intervention.
Try Your Hand at Playing with Puppets!
Are you available for a free two-hour group workshop on puppeteering located on Manhattan’s Upper West Side?
If so, you may be eligible to participate in a study for an undergraduate Experimental Psych class, examining the effects of stuttering with the use of hand puppets. This will be at a home studio, and uses a tech set-up similar to that of Sesame Street and other puppet shows. It will utilize pre-recorded audio as well as synchronized speech. We will cultivate a fun & safe space to ease you out of your comfort zone. Refreshments will be served.
If you are a person who stutters and would like more information, please contact Jake Friedman:
JAKE@JakeFriedman.net subject: PUPPETRY
Jake Friedman is a psychology student at Hunter College, a person who stutters, and a professionally-trained puppeteer.
October Recap
Yesterday we had a great October meeting with 24 people in attendance and 6 awesome first-timers – welcome Zalman, Adlai, Jake, Char, Uri and Yoora. There was so much positive and supportive energy in the room, and we are thankful for everyone was there, especially you first-timers.
As usual, we split into two groups and began to open up. And as usual, the fascinating idea of advertising came up, and why people do it. One member was concerned that advertising would make him appear weak, and he wasn’t so convinced this portrayal of himself is preferred, over appearing, say hesitant. And maybe he is right, that advertising can sometimes make us seem weak. But maybe a more accurate word is genuine, or vulnerable. Is this really a bad thing? We all know that everyone has some sort of challenge that they face. Some of us expressed that this vulnerability may establish a meaningful connection that otherwise wouldn’t happen, maybe both personally and professionally. Here is an important Ted Talk that you should check out on vulnerability.
We continued the conversation about advertising, and how daunting of a feat that could seem. Some people went around talking about the positive feedback they have had gotten while opening up their stuttering. One member mentioned a book Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway, which can certainly pertain to stuttering and advertising. But for those of us who haven’t advertised, but think it could possible help them one day, the good news is that New York City is actually a great place to do just that. There are millions of people to harass here, there are many resources for support and we have the largest stuttering community, probably in the world now, who has your back!
One member asked, “how do I stay confident and not give a shit about stuttering while presenting?” That’s a fair question, and is something many of us have dealt with at the workplace at some point. Getting on stage with all the confidence in the world can be a powerful tool, and can even help some of us maintain fluency. But perhaps an even more powerful tool is the confidence that stays with us while we are stuttering and/or right afterwards. Maintaining your composure, keeping eye contact, staying focused, being eloquent and expressing the content that needs to be expressed, all while stuttering. We can help each other figure out how to get there.
The topic of interviewing came up, and one member shared the quote, “If you’re able to disengage and let go from the outcome and focus on the joy and the journey,” and how beneficial it can be to remind ourselves of that. Everyone has their own journey. We all know that things can be difficult, but we also all know how beautiful life can also be. Some of these challenges we face can seem daunting, and no one said this is an easy journey. But we do live in a place and a time where we, people who stutter, are not alone, and we have each other to build strength.
On that last note regarding our meeting, there will be a scavenger hunt tomorrow night that you should definitely come to if you’d like to meet more people who stutter and maybe even step a little bit outside your comfort zone, or not..you can definitely observe and that’s totally fine as well. There is also an exciting play of performers who stutter this upcoming Monday that you should check out. Several of us will be there, and our own Marc Winski will be introducing the show beforehand, so get your tix asap before the show gets sold out. Lastly, our friend Jake Friedman is doing a cool research project and he is looking for some participants to volunteer. You can go here for some info on that.
And as most of us know, tomorrow is International Stuttering Awareness Day, ISAD. This is another opportunity for us to step outside our comfort zone, even if that means looking at yourself in the mirror, stuttering, and reminding yourself that you are beautiful.
Until next time.