The Feeling of Stuttering
In Monday’s Washington Post they featured an article that gave a first hand look into the life of someone that stuttered. Journalist Dan Slater shared of his journey with stuttering, the daily feelings both physically and emotionally that he encountered, and his perspective on how others preceive him. Here is a wonderful exerpt from the…
The Art of Voice
Have you ever wondered how professional signers are trained? Last night Clinic Director Ruth Norwood and myself attended the NW Voice Foundation’s meeting that uncovered the mysteries of a master voice session. Dr. Kari Ragan, a voice instructor and professor at the University of Washington’s School of Music, demonstrated the techniques and skills of habilitative voice sessions. She…
The King’s Speech
The speech world, and our office, is excited for the new movie, “The King’s Speech” that came out this past week in limited release to movie theaters around the country. The story is of the man who became King George VI (father of Queen Elizabeth II) after reluctantly assuming the thrown. The story tells of…
Everyone Has Accents
Unlearning to ‘tawk’ like a New Yorker was the topic of discussion in today’s NY Region section of the New York Times. The article brings up an important element — that accents can be seen anywhere. The writer speaks to many different clients that decided to take part in an accent modification program. They speak…
International Stuttering Awareness Day
Did you know that 68 million people stutter? Today we celebrate the millions of people who stutter, and help raise awareness of the challenges of stuttering during International Stuttering Awareness Day (ISAD). ISAD occurs every October and was created to raise awareness of the issues surrounding stuttering. It is a joint endeavor by persons who…
Accent’s Causing Doubt?
New research by University of Chicago psychologists Shiri Lev-Ari and Boaz Keysar shows that non-native accents make speech more difficult for native speakers to break down, thereby reduces “cognitive fluency” (the ease with which the brain processes stimuli). The study found that this slowed down processing causes native speakers to doubt the accuracy of what is being said…
Stuttering Awareness
International Stuttering Awareness Day is soon approaching (October 22nd)! Join us in raising awareness and celebrating those who stutter during our monthly stuttering support group meeting on October 20th! We’ll highlight new papers and information that are being added daily during the online conference hosted by Minnesota State University, Mankato.
SSG Annual Hike
The Eastside Stuttering Support Group took their September meeting outdoors on the third annual fall hike! The group trekked to Talapus and Olallie Lakes, a 4 mile (round trip) scenic adventure. We are so proud of our always growing group, and are excited for many more adventures together.
Dish Up Literacy 2010
Are you wondering what you’re going to have for dinner tonight? Instead of heading home to cook, head out to “Dish Up Literacy” and dine out for a good cause! Restaurants throughout Seattle and the Eastside are opening their doors to support literacy. By eating at any of the participating restaurants, at least 20% of…
“Chunking”
A New York Times Magazine Article came out earlier this week discussing the study of language acquisition and instruction theories. Research has been implemented on “chunking” – children learning or memorizing language in larger lexical chunks, over a word-by-word basis. NY Times describes “chunking” as, “fixed idioms or conventional speech routines,” they go on to explain…