November Newsletter 2009 (Page 1)

Stammer Awareness Newsletter

November 2009

Feature of November!

*Stammer Awareness mentioned in Speechmark newsletter*

I want to give a big thank you to Tracy who has given Stammer Awareness a mention in the latest Speechmark newsletter to promote their new book Practical Interventions for Early Childhood Stammering. Speechmarm publishing are a company who specialise in resources for special needs and one of the being dysnfluency such as stammer/ stutter. As the newsletter goes out to a large community and to specialised professionals this will give Stammer Awareness a larger exposure and hopefully more support. If you want to view the newsletter, it can be found in the latest news section.

Latest News

Starfish Project still has spaces

Starfish Project is a project based in

South East London which aims to help

people who stammer to gain control and

build confidence with their stammer.

They have had wide publicity having a documentry on the project itself on channel 5 and also

being in a couple of newspapers. Kristina, a former student of the Starfish Project contacted me in August about this project and she said "Whilst my stammer was not nearly as severe as some, Starfish has completely changed my life. After learning a basic costal breathing technique together with some confidence building" and "it is an incredibly rewarding experience and a brilliant way to meet others. Not only she attended the course, she has gone back to support other existing students who have enrolled.

For further more information please visit the Starfish Project website.

Comprehensive Therapy for Children and Teenagers

If you have children and teenagers who stammer then this is the book for you. It is written by Philips Roberts who use to stammer in the past. The book was produced using her own experience and what had worked for her. Now she has created a therapy to help others to cope with their stammer in everyday situations. This book has been purchased by customers in 102 countries and has said to be the most "comprehensive" and "touches on all the aspects".

This book can be purchased on the Comprehensive Stammer/ Stutter Therapy website and it is also available to downloaded. Please visit the website for more information.

Fluency Devices available in the UK

For a long time people have been contacting me about fluency devices and if they are available in the UK. I can now comfortably say that fluency devices are available in the UK. Voiceamp and SpeechEasy are two of the companies that provide them. You are also able to loan devices from these companies through the British Stammering Association which you will need to pay a deposit towards it. Some companies also provide these devices on the NHS.

For more information on devices being avialble in the UK and on the NHS please visit the British Stammering Assocation website.

Stammer Awareness DO NOT provide these devices, you will need to visit the companies that provide them.

Stammer Awareness on Social Network websites

As many people are connecting through social networking websites such as facebook, Stammer Awareness groups can now be

found on the three major social websites, Facebook,

myspace and bebo. This has been successful on facebook with over 300 members and majority of them being those who stammer. This has given the stammer community to connect with one another to meet people who stammer. This has also given Stammer Awareness a wider exposure as many people come from far and wide around the globe.

The British Stammer Association has also given Stammer Awareness a mention on their social networking section with links to my Facebook and Myspace groups.

I am now in the process of contacting the BSA to have SA added to their list of Stammering links.

Self help sheets for children and teachers

I am in the process of gathering information to create self help sheets for children and teachers to add to the current self help sheets I have. I was contacted my a training teaching assistant on how to deal with situations with children who stammer when they are reading. As I do not have resources to support children this has prompt me to create something that will advise children and teachers.

To develop resources following the existing self help sheets developed by experiences and those who do and do not stammer, I would like your help and input. If you are or have been incontact with a child that stammers then I would like to hear from you on your advise on how to deal with different situations. Contact me at dwong@stammerawareness.co.uk and I will be asking for feedback during the development of these sheets.

Current Project/ Studies

7 people needed for a project

Between now and December I am conducting an experment (in the University of Edinburgh, Psychology department, 7 George Square) researching the nature of stammering. For the experiment, I need to find 32 adults who stammer whose first language is English, who would be willing to take part.

The experiment, which involves... being recorded while reciting tonguetwisters, takes about 90 minutes, and participants will be paid a minimum £12 for taking part (more if it takes longer).

If you would like to take part, or would like more details, please contact me: Paul Brocklehurst, either by email, phone or text.
contact details available at: www.ppls.ed.ac.uk/psychology/people/paul-brocklehurst

Are you currently or going to be carrying out a project or study?

Why not contact me at dwong@stammerawareness.co.uk and I will help advertise your project on my website, groups and future newsletters.

*NEW*

Be the first to know about Stammer Awareness online newsletters

With 50 people already sign up to this service why not join them. The newly named Stammer Awareness newsletter notifier will allow you to be one of the first people to be notified of any new newsletters published onto the website. It will contain the main news on Stammer Awareness and keeps you upto date of anything new. With only 3 newsletters a year in January, May and September it will not clog up your inbox.

It is free of charge and quick. All you need to do is click on the newsletters notified tab and fill out the form.

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