January Meeting Recap

by Stavros Ladeas | Jan 21, 2018 | Recaps

Thank you to all who joined us last Monday, on a cold Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We had two first-timers, welcome to you both, about 25 participants in total, and all of us where PWS (people who stutter). We weren’t sure if we had enough attendees to split up into three groups, but as people kept on coming in during our introductions, we decided three groups would be just fine. Here is some, but not all, of what the groups discussed:

Stuttering and our identity
One conversation that came up had to do with a few different aspects of what stuttering means to us. For those of us heavily involved in the stuttering world professionally outside of the meetings, how do we (or can we?) draw lines around our “stuttering selves” and our “true selves”? Is part of our personality and identity tied to stuttering, while other parts of our personality and identity remain completely separate? Or is every part of ourselves united with every other part somehow? This then led to a conversation of how stuttering has shaped us. For example, some of us proposed that stuttering has built our character or made us better people. Others expressed their belief that our character is probably independent of stuttering.

Knowing when we’re going to stutter
And we talked about how our attitudes about our stuttering can affect us.  Disfluency often triggers negative emotions in ourselves so quickly that we don’t recognize in the moment that they are really separate things. When stuttering leads immediately and automatically to self-criticism, stuttering is really painful. The emotions are so painful that we often avoid speaking situations altogether, but that avoidance often fuels our negative emotions. One of our first-timers brought up the question whether we can predict our own stuttering? She wishes she had less awareness so that she could speak more spontaneously because when she does feel a stuttering coming on, she finds it difficult to continue talking and saying what she wants since she knows she’s going to stutter. We then shared about how helpful advertising can be in this situation. However, whether we want to advertise or not is up to us and how it makes us feel.

When we have some distance from our emotions, and can separate our stuttering from our reaction to it, and can have some compassion for ourselves, stuttering is not as painful. On the other hand, it’s also important not to push ourselves too hard and too fast. Sometimes it might be ok to avoid a difficult situation if we don’t have the emotional energy to deal with it at the moment.

Excluding ourselves as barrier from achieving a goal
Another member brought up how he was contemplating on whether he should pursue a potential professional opportunity, which would involve quite a bit of speaking. But it seemed, at least to him, that there were one or two reasons as to why things wouldn’t pan out, as he was discussing this with the group. Many of us people who stutter have also found ourselves in this position, coming up with reasons (maybe even excuses), since the road we’ll take on pursuing a goal may be painful one at times, and maybe it is just that it is easier to stay in our comfort zone, at least for now. Another member expressed how she has similarly been in somewhat of an idle state with pursuing a different job, but recently she’s had a shift of mentalities. She expressed, if someone will prevent her from achieving a goal, it will no longer be her, but instead it will have to be someone else. There are already too many obstacles we all face in life, why act as one yourself?

Thank you again for all those who made it out. Many of us then made it out to our usual hangout spot, Juniper, right after for a drink and some catching up. Until next time.

Announcements:

Exciting Research Project
Do you want to help people who stutter and participate in science, and get paid for it? Participants will be compensated $40 for Experiment 1 and up to $100 for Experiment 2. Additionally, subjects will be reimbursed for train travel to/from Yale University, if applicable. You can participate in one or both experiments. Please view details here, and reach out Dr. Eric S. Jackson at eric.s.jackson@nyu.edu for any questions.

Next Brooklyn meeting
The next Brooklyn meeting will be at their regular time and place. That’s always a great group, so if you’re looking for some more support, or if you’d like to meet some new people in our community, definitely join them. More info can be found here.

February Women’s Meeting
Thursday, February 8, from 7-9pm, at our Manhattan location. Stay tuned for more details!

Next Manhattan meeting
Next meeting will not be on our regular 3rd Monday of the Month, because of President’s Day, but instead, it will be on the 3rd Wednesday, February 21. Also, for anyone who may not have noticed, as soon as you get out of the elevator door, there is a big whiteboard with info of the room that we’ll be in.

Staying in touch
If you’re interested in staying in touch with events happening in the NYC stuttering community, check out our Facebook Page here, and our Facebook Group here. We’ll have a February outing, and Facebook is the place to find out about that.

December Meeting Recap

by NSA Manhattan | Jan 10, 2018 | Recaps

December Recap

To round out the dynamic year, we had our last meeting of 2017 on Monday December 18th. With over 30 attendees and a handful of new comers, the night was filled with the spirit of resilience.

We reflected on the highs and lows of our stuttering year. Self-compassion seemed to be a common theme. Many of us shared how important it was and always will be to remind ourselves to be more self-forgiving when things don’t go as we hope. As for some New Year’s resolutions, a few members expressed that they would like to practice more patience and be more proactive in recognizing small successes in order to achieve a bigger goal.

As we brace for wintry weather, another group discussed the age-old stuttering superstition of whether we stutter more as the weather gets colder. Whether we believe that we do stutter more or we don’t stutter more, one member flipped the perspective and shared how the colder weather is simply a memento to remind us that with seasons come change. This inspired us to think about what was stagnant in our lives. Whether it is to take a step closer to attaining the dream job or being more positive in mornings, we ended the meeting feeling more connected to one another.

January Meeting Reminder – Monday, January 15

We will be meeting on the 3rd Monday of this month on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Please join us to welcome the new year and decompress with all things stuttering!

• Date – Monday, January 15
• Time – 7:30-9pm
• Location & Details – 520 Eighth Ave (between 36th and 37th Streets)
  • A.R.T./New York
  • Third Floor
  • Please arrive a couple minutes earlier with photo ID

Social Outing This Weekend, Saturday, January 13 – Bowling!

One member of our chapter (shout out to Marvin) has graciously planned a stuttering social get together for THIS WEEKEND! Feel free to reach out with questions and stay tuned for details on our Facebook page.

• Date – Saturday, January 13
• Time – 8-11pm
• Location & Details – Gutter Bar LIC
  • 10-22 46th Ave, Long Island City, NY 11101
  • $45 to rent a lane and $3 shoe rentals

We hope you had the happiest of holidays and we can’t wait to experience 2018 with you! As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions.

Hope to see you all soon!

Warmest regards,

Manhattan Chapter Leaders

Fall 2017 Recap

by Chaya Goldstein | Dec 15, 2017 | Recaps

These past few months were filled with exciting new initiatives and fun events! We welcomed in fall with some serious stuttering style starting with our ISAD day of awareness, followed by our SAP mock interview and networking event, and our annual speech-language pathologist education meeting. Check out our whirlwind of goodness below.

October Recap

We had over 30 individual present at our meeting. It was night filled with curiosity, positivity and support. Our conversational topics ranged from what kept us going as children, to the ways we currently give back to our community, to the ‘stages of change’ (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1983) we experience as we travel on our stuttering journey. It was a great night that ended with us heading to Juniper bar for some shared drinks and more socialization.

ISAD 2017- International Stuttering Awareness Day

Twenty of us headed to Astoria Park on October 22^nd 2017 for a day of awareness and education. We had posters, pamphlets, banners, and lots of spirit and spunk! We got to meet people who never heard about stuttering, others who had friends or family who stuttered, and people who stuttered themselves. We dispelled myths, shared knowledge, and handed out lots of resources. Our highlight was when a teacher shared that he was a person who stuttered and was eager to share stuttering resources with his students when he went to work the next day.

SAP Mock Interview and Networking Event

Our second-ever mock interviewing and networking event was a real hit! Here’s Stavro’s recap of the night:
“Our Manhattan chapter had a stuttering awareness and mock interview event at SAP, one of the largest tech companies in the world, in Lower Manhattan. The group of NSA chapter members and SAP employees started the evening by mingling a bit, and we learned about SAP as a company. Two of us co-leader then facilitated a conversation about communication (along with the COO of the company) and then did some stuttering Q&A and talked about the mission of the NSA.

For the second portion of the evening, we split off for some mock interviews, with mutual feedback exchanged between SAP participants and people who stutter. NSA chapter members who attended enjoyed educating people about stuttering in a professional space (several of the SAP employees expressed knowing very little about stuttering) and SAP employees shared some helpful interviewing tips. It was a constructive night for all participants. We look forward to more similar events in the coming months.”

November SLP Meeting Recap

We continued our tradition we started last year of having a meeting specifically designed for Speech Language-Pathologists (SLP’s) and graduate students who are interested in learning more about stuttering. It was an engaging night of learning and sharing with questions and insights from SLP’s, graduate students and people who stutter. Different perspectives were given on the understanding and experience of voluntary stuttering, the role stuttering support groups play in the lives of people who stutter, and what people who stutter want current and future SLP’s to know. Many SLP’s expressed a desire to better understand stuttering and were so grateful to our chapter for providing the opportunity to learn and grow. A special thank you to Chani Markel who helped co-facilitate the night and kept things running smoothly.

November (regular) Recap

With so much happening in the weeks leading to this meeting, our regular meeting was a breath of fresh air! It was good to unite with our cohesive group and reconnect in our natural setting. The one theme that stood out from the night was the theme of belonging. When one of our chapter leaders shared how she loves being part of our ‘tribe’ the word stuck like glue. We all agreed that there is something so special about our community, our family, or ‘stamily’, and now stuttering tribe! If you are reading this and haven’t joined us yet, this is a personal invitation to come see what it’s all about. Hard to put in words but so easily understood in person-come and join us! You won’t be disappointed.

Holiday Party

It’s that time of year again! Join us this Saturday night for our annual holiday celebration. Bring you loved ones and friends. The more the merrier! We’ll be meeting at Juniper Bar 237 W 35th St, New York, NY 10001 at 8:00 pm.

Next Meeting

We’ll be meeting on Monday, December 18^th at 7:30 pm at our usual time and place
• 7:30pm–9:00pm
• Please arrive a couple min earlier with photo ID
• 520 Eighth Ave (between 36th and 37th Streets)
• A.R.T./New York
• Third Floor, Studio B

Do you want to help people who stutter and participate in science?

Researchers at NYU and Yale are conducting a joint research project which examines the brains of people who stutter during social interaction. We are seeking adults who stutter for two experiments. Both experiments use functional near-infrared spectroscopy to monitor changes in brain activity during a series of simple tasks (e.g., reading aloud, talking to the researcher). The experiments are safe and non-invasive, and involve wearing a stretchy cap with light emitters and sensors. Experiment 1 will take place at NYU and Experiment 2 will take place at Yale. Both experiments will last approximately 60 minutes.

Participants will be compensated $40 for Experiment 1 and up to $100 for Experiment 2. Additionally, subjects will be reimbursed for train travel to/from Yale University, if applicable. You can participate in one or both experiments.

If you are interested in participating in either study, please contact Dr. Eric S. Jackson at eric.s.jackson@nyu.edu .

Thank you for your consideration!

November Recap

by Stavros Ladeas | Nov 21, 2017 | Recaps

August Meeting Recap

by NSA Manhattan | Sep 18, 2017 | Recaps

We had an wonderful turnout on Monday night, with 28 people in attendance, including 3 newcomers and many old-timers. We warmed up quickly and got talking about stuttering, the thing most near and dear to our hearts. Thank you Tom Pascal for capturing the highlights of the night and writing this recap. We value your insights, understanding and talent that you bring to our community.

When asked if there was anything on their minds, it didn’t take long for one group’s pensive silence to melt away into a thoughtful, emotive discussion on the nuances of the meanings and effects of self-acceptance in those situations where it might matter, or cost, the most.

One member shared that he was happier and more emotionally free than he could remember, even after suffering the ultimate consequence of prejudice toward PWS in the workplace. Being let go, he has chosen to fight back, and took the opportunity to advertise and educate fearlessly. In doing so, he found a bigger life, and that that he had more friends, both within his former workplace and the larger community, than he’d ever imagined.

Another member spoke eloquently about how his own journey as a PWS will have ultimately made him the best possible father for his son, who is also beginning to stutter.

This was encouraging to another person who had just begun to take stock of the costs of being covert and wondered what moving forward as a proud member of the community will mean for not only his children and marriage, but for his own understanding of who he was. He had always described himself as an introvert, but was this his truth or a story he’d been telling himself? The discussion became peppered with stories of how some found an ebullient personality and visceral, satisfying happiness, brought about by the shared vulnerability we’re all gifted with as people who stutter.

Another group focused on that constant, sometimes deafening static that trickles, and then inundates our headspace as we anticipate a communicative interaction, often drowning out any sense of self-assurance. The conversation quickly pivoted to the professional setting, where this anticipatory anxiety can sometimes manifest itself in a forced vulnerability that many see as the antithesis of competent professionalism.  One member, drawing from their experience as an SLP who stutters, wondered what this might look like in a classroom setting where if, when coming to pick up a child for therapy, the SLP stutters in their exchange with the teacher and is met with that oft-parroted, ever-frustrating line “ Did you forget your name?” Some members felt that it would be prudent to address such a lack of professionalism on the part of the teacher after class, so as to spare all involved possible embarrassment and a disruption of the learning process.

Others argued that in fact, there was no more important lesson, both for the teacher, should they wish to think of themselves as a compassionate and learned member of society, and for her young brood, than to know that such comments are in poor taste and that you can, in fact, stand your ground as a professional advocate and a competent adult, stutter or not. Most importantly, this would leave a lasting impression on the child in therapy, at an age where so many impressionable minds look to adults to define the boundaries of what’s possible.

It’s always important to advocate in ways you’re comfortable with. But by addressing such comments then and there, in an educational and assertive manner, you’re able to demonstrate how to win a battle that most children who stutter will find themselves party to countless times in life, the prize being a truly boundless, curious and confident sense of self- not something you could ever hope to recreate in a therapy room. It is by our courage that we will ensure the next generation truly knows no limits.

July Meeting Recap

by Stavros Ladeas | Aug 1, 2017 | Recaps

Thirty of us came out to our July meeting – 25 people who stutter, one committed SLP, and 4 awesome SLP students from Chaya’s class who came to observe. Chaya teaches the stuttering course at LIU by the way. And I hear she’s a pro at it. Also, a warm welcome to our good friend Eric Jackson who is back in NYC. Eric co-founded the NSA Brooklyn Chapter, and is a pioneer in the NYC stuttering community.

We started with intros, we then split into 3 smaller groups, and here is some of what we covered:

The phone can really suck at times, especially for interviews because you may be stripped away from the opportunity to make a positive impression with anything other than your speech. This lead the conversation to the benefits of advertising up front, during an interview, over the phone. Usually, people seem to respect you for it, as it builds a human connection. Not advertising during an interview may force you to continue to hide it. It might feel uncomfortable and even ‘unprofessional’ but many members expressed that the outcome is almost always a positive one.

Two stutterers on television: George Springer, a particularly good player on the Houston Astros, who was set up with a live mic while he was playing in the recent Major League Baseball All-Star game. He gave live commentary which was interesting, and stuttered openly. He has been open about stuttering and has received positive feedback both professionally and in the stuttering community about his stuttering. Also Jeff Zeleny, Senior White House Correspondent for CNN, who has discussed his stuttering in the public eye and stutters subtly while on air.

A few of us discussed that we felt that recently on the internet and in the media, we seem to be finding more examples of stuttering being spoken about as something negative, as an indication of dishonesty or stupidity. Some of us mentioned that we worry that people will think we’re stupid when we stutter.

We talked about whether we advertise or make jokes about stuttering at work. Does joking about stuttering, like advertising, help to put people at ease? Does it put us at ease? Someone questioned to what extent advertising really puts other people at ease, saying that he wouldn’t want other people to open up to him and disclose all their personal issues right away.

When people say, “Oh, I used to stutter, but now I don’t”, do those people really understand what stuttering is?

We talked about the high of advertising when first starting a job, and how we may be able to maintain these positive vibes. But what do we do when some of this novelty wears off? This lead to a conversation on why we advertise, and a couple members expressed that the goal for them was simply to better connect with your listener, nothing more nothing less.

Many of us went out for a drink, per usual, at our nearby hang out bar, Juniper. Come join us next time around if you weren’t able to be there. And now, three quick…

Announcements

Mock Interview Event at Goldman Sachs
We are excited to tell you about the upcoming mock interview event at Goldman Sachs which some of you have heard a little about. George Daquila, a passionate member of the New York City stuttering community, works at Goldman Sachs and is leading their initiative to hire more stutterers. Event is on Friday, August 11, 1:00pm–5:30pm, and you can click here for more details

Yankee Game
Get your tickets today and join us as we take Stuttering out to the Yankee Game. On Sunday, August 13th at 8:05 pm. An email will be sent out shortly about tailgating for this event. See you then! – Nina
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/take-stuttering-out-to-the-ballgame-tickets-36193000238

August meetings
Brooklyn and Manhattan meetings are at their regular meeting times this month. Click here for more info for Brooklyn meeting. They’re a good group. One of the best, actually. We love them. Every one of them.