We were 9 people at this meeting, including two students from the Undergraduate program.

We watched the short movie “Stutterer” which was recently awarded with the Best Short Action Film Oscar.  The movie was only 13 minutes long but we spent the rest of the meeting talking about different topics that we could relate to from the movie such as:

  • Missed opportunities: things we don’t say or activities in which we don’t participate because we are afraid of stuttering
  • Relying on others: sometimes we ask others to make phone calls for us, tell a joke we know we can’t deliver, or just say the things we find difficult to say.  Although these are things that even non-PWS people would ask others to do for them occasionally, for us it creates feelings of shame and inadequacy.
  • Self-deprecation: we are our worst enemy.  We put ourselves down thinking that everybody else is better just because they are fluent and can communicate better than us
  • Online communication: Technology and social media have made it a lot easier for stutterers to communicate with others.  However, it also makes it easier for us to avoid disclosing to others and face our own fears about what others think.
  • Disclosure:  Why don’t we disclose when we know it would be easier in the long run?  Do we think we can get away with it?  It is easier for some but very difficult for others.  Where do you stand on disclosure?

Looking forward to another spirited meeting.  Come join us next time!