The interview subject(s) of the following narrative have granted permission for this content to be shared as long as their identities are protected; all individuals referenced have been assigned pseudonyms.
In St Louis, clouds cover the November sky. It’s 2016, and Danny McDonald has just gotten out of bed. He walks to the mirror in the bathroom and asks himself a question: will today be a good day or a bad day? To Danny, a good day at Parkway West High School comprises of staying near his circle of friends, keeping under the radar at the Veterans Day assembly, and avoiding a dreaded callout to read in AP Euro. For many, speaking in front of the class is uncomfortable, but doable. For Danny, it could result in a public ridicule due to his speech impediment. As he acknowledges this, he hears a call from his mom, saying that his dad is ready to leave. Danny gets in his father’s car, ready to start the day.
Stuttering is something most do not have to deal with. Although brought into prominence through President Joe Biden, who has a speech impediment himself, the conversation surrounding people who stutter is minimal at best. Often, people who stutter have severe anxiety surrounding public speaking, which leads them to avoid speaking out and giving more visibility to their condition (Iverach 70). It’s easy to understand why despite the prevalence of people who stutter, their voice in society is far quieter than would be expected.
Danny’s anxiety with his stutter is shared among many others with speech impediments. Research has shown that people who stutter have lower levels on average of hope, quality of life, and are more likely to experience depression (Boyle 1517). It is difficult for people to understand this, because most people who stutter are less confident in speaking about their problems. This creates a Catch-22 situation, where people have a worse quality of life because they stutter, but they cannot speak out about it because their voice is undervalued with the stutter.
Statistics on people who stutter are important, but it is important to get a more personable view to better understand how allies can help those who stutter. For my investigation, I asked the question “How has living with a speech impediment affected Danny’s life, and what lessons can be learned for potential allies of people who stutter?”. Through my research, the underlying conclusion is that allies need to work behind the scenes with people who stutter, giving them a voice while letting others know their words are meaningful.
Danny is cognizant of the misconceptions of others who notice his stutter. One of his first descriptions of others’ opinions is, “I’m taken as unintelligent and not confident”. However, from the first five minutes of conversation, it becomes clear that Danny isn’t less intelligent than others. In fact, it’s the complete opposite. Danny has represented the United States in robotics competitions, was admitted into the prestigious Brown University, and just got a position in a highly selective lab studying Artificial Intelligence and linguistics. However, in a more public setting, onlookers may be deceived by the stutter before having a longer conversation with him.
During early high school, Danny stayed under the radar and did not look to find new friends. The only people he would talk to were a group of students in the Mosaics Academy, a group of roughly ten students who took advanced classes with him since third grade. He felt more comfortable around these people mostly because they had known him before he contextualized his stutter socially. With his “bubble” at Parkway West, he rarely thought about others who stuttered. This changed when he attended Camp Shout Out, a camp for youth with speech impediments, in his sophomore summer of high school. Here, Danny met dozens of lifelong friends who helped him contextualize and destigmatize his stutter. Although it wasn’t completely instantaneous, he was able to become more confident in himself, and learn to love himself for who he was. Reflecting, he said “I wouldn’t say I have overcome my stutter. It’s a lifelong condition. However, meeting and talking with other people my age who also have stutters has helped me become more confident in my communication abilities”. As Danny got more exposure to others with his condition, he began to realize it wasn’t the deficit he always thought it was.
One of the biggest hurdles for Danny was dealing with those who thought they were helping him, but instead were patronizing and rude. He elaborated, saying “There are a lot of people who have savior complexes, and think they are helping people who stutter by communicating for them. This even happens with parents of people who stutter”. Danny knows that people who stutter may be slower at getting their message across, but that does not mean their thoughts are any less valid. It is sometimes tempting to finish a sentence for someone stuttering but doing so is incredibly hurtful to those who stutter.
When moving from St Louis to Providence for college, Danny quickly realized that regardless of location, the treatment was similar. He elaborated, saying “I don’t think there are any regional differences in views of people who stutter. Stuttering is very under-understood everywhere I have been”. One would think that in a more liberal state like Rhode Island relative to Missouri, people would be better at respecting stutters. However, it remains clear that most of the public does not have much experience communicating with people who stutter. Going forward, giving more voices to people who stutter is a clear path to more inclusivity for those with a speech impediment.
When asked about how to become a better ally individually, Danny said “The best thing someone can do is not acknowledge it. Let me say what I am trying to say without speaking for me”. It was clear that as he talked more, his impediment became less noticeable, and he became more confident. Danny is confident in his ideas and his ability to convey them. To best support people who stutter, allies need to let those with the condition do the talking.
One of the most important lessons Danny has learned is to be outspoken in his ability to effectively communicate. When asked about what he has learned, he said “As I got older and met more people who stutter, I realized I have the prerogative to say exactly what I want. If anyone tries to stop me from doing that, I am confident enough now to call them out for it”. Danny was able to do this recently, showing his growth. At a recent Taekwondo competition, one of his teammates tried to help him get checked in at the registration booth, which included them finishing sentences for him. Danny told his teammate he could handle it, and later pulled them aside to discuss how hurtful finishing his sentences was to him This is important, as it shows Danny has grown into his own skin and is comfortable with his stutter. Most who are disrespectful to those who stutter often think they are helping, so Danny’s clarification is sure to make those disrespectful better at being allies.
Although Danny’s condition will never go away, he has become more confident in himself and his abilities. Despite misconceptions about intelligence, Danny is much more than the critics, and is eager to help more people become understanding of people who stutter. Still undecided on his concentration, Danny aspires to work a lucrative job in tech from Brown’s vast network of connections, then hopes to use that income to assist those with speech impediments. Soon to be an Ivy League graduate, Danny will soon make impacts on the world which the doubters could never dream of.
Danny’s story is one of many of those who stutter. Although his experiences are unique, he shares many common problems with others who stutter every day. Many who stutter still fear to use their voice, even though their voice can contribute in countless ways to the world. Rarely, those who stutter are given any sort of platform, which leads to those with speech impediments not realizing the prevalence of others like them. If we can give people who stutter a voice, they will enrich the world with their unique, creative, and brilliant contributions. We must give them a voice.
Works Cited
Boyle, Michael P. “Assessment of Stigma Associated With Stuttering: Development and Evaluation of the Self-Stigma of Stuttering Scale (4S).” Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, vol. 56, no. 5, Oct. 2013, pp. 1517–1529., https://doi.org/10.1044/1092-4388.
Iverach, Lisa, and Ronald M Rapee. “Social Anxiety Disorder and Stuttering: Current Status and Future Directions.” Journal of Fluency Disorders, vol. 40, no. 20 Aug. 2013, pp. 69–82., https://doi.org/10.1016.
MacDonald, Danny [pseudonym]. Telephone interview with the author, 9. Apr. 2022.
Featured Image Source:
“Teacher Giving Presentation to High School Class in Front of Screen.” Digital photograph. Alamy Stock Photo, 2018, https://www.alamy.com/teacher-giving-presentation-to-high-school-class-in-front-of-screen-image220286125.