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8:39 a.m. April 2, 2014
Support group started for Knoxville people who stutter
By Tricia Hedinger
Approximately 1% of the population presents with a stuttering disorder. With the population of Knoxville being approximately 182,000 people, we estimate that there are over 1800 people in the city who stutter. Yet, so many of these people feel as if they are battling their speech alone.
On March 27th, we were pleased to announce the return of the Knoxville area support group for people who stutter. As a new chapter of the National Stuttering Association (NSA), the group welcomes all adults and mature teens to attend the meetings and share their story. People who stutter (PWS) may take this opportunity to express their frustrations, reveal successes, or just listen to the stories of others in a safe environment. “Nobody will ask you to ‘spit it out’ or ‘slow down.’ No one will finish your sentences,” says Tricia Hedinger, Knoxville NSA Chapter Leader and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Audiology & Speech Pathology, “The support group is an environment where you are free to be yourself. We encourage all the members to talk or listen as much as they like. Everyone is free to speak at their own pace.” The support group will be held on the last Thursday of every month in the UT Hearing and Speech Clinic at 5:30 pm. Friends and family of people who stutter are also welcome to attend. The next meeting is scheduled for April 24, 2014.
While the support group does not cater to children, we know that kids also need an outlet to freely express their thoughts and opinions about stuttering, speaking struggles and therapy techniques. This fall, Ms. Hedinger started the “Stutter Buddies” program to help make connections among children who stutter. “Stutter Buddies” is an in-house pen-pal program in which children ages 6-16 write letters to each other about friends, family, sports, pets and other interests, along with sharing their experiences related to stuttering. A local high school student with a history of stuttering helped kick-off the Stutter Buddies program by sharing her own stories in letters to the kids attending the UT treatment program for stuttering. “The program was an instant success! Kids often asked ‘Did I get a letter today?” reported Ms. Hedinger. Speech-language pathologists are encouraged to look for ways to make connections among children who stutter within their own practice.
Kids will have the opportunity to attend UT’s Summer Camp for Children Who Stutter from May 28-June 6th, 2014. The camp is a half-day camp that provides intensive fluency treatment to children ages 5-14. It is $250. The fee includes a 90 minute evaluation, 5 days of intensive treatment in individual and group settings, a home program and 2 follow up sessions after 6 months.
“Our aim is to help adults and children who stutter achieve feelings of solidarity and commonality through personal exchanges with others who share their struggle in speaking,” Ms. Hedinger states. “While family and friends may offer kind words of support, nothing beats having a friend who can relate to your experiences.”
For more information about the Knoxville Chapter Support Group or the UT Summer Camp for Children who Stutter, please contact Tricia Hedinger, MS, CCC-SLP at (865) 974-4641 or via email at thedinge@uthsc.edu.
Published April 2, 2014
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