Stuttering can be complicated and easily misunderstood, especially by people who do not stutter. Stuttering awareness is one of the main ways to tackle stereotypes and confusion. The next time you encounter someone who stutters, consider trying to understand what they are saying, and not how they say it. These are eight out of the many things people who stutter are usually tired of hearing.
1. “Calm down, take a deep breath, and slow down”
Before thinking about giving someone who stutters advice, try to understand what they are trying to say and be patient.
2. “Did you forget your own name?” No, we usually don’t forget our names. It just takes us a little longer to say what we have to say.
3. “You don’t stutter. I’ve never heard you stutter before”
This is one of the most frustrating things to hear as a person who stutters. Our challenges are real. Try to find out better ways to understand a person who stutters, instead of questioning them about it.
4. “Don’t worry, you’ll grow out of it”
Many people who stutter usually grow out of stuttering during their childhood. If someone continues to stutter throughout their teenage years, they are mostly likely to stutter in the future. The best thing to do is to accept the person’s stutter.
5. “Think about what you’re gong to say before you say it”
Instead of trying to give advice on how to help someone to not stutter, allow them to speak in a way that they feel comfortable doing so. Again, be patient.
6. “I stutter sometimes too”
There are a lot of myths that come with stuttering, such as connecting a stutter with being nervous or scared. Look into what stuttering is before making assumptions.
7. “Are you okay? Is there something wrong with you?”
No, we as people who stutter just have different ways of expressing ourselves when communicating.
8. When people finish our sentences I find it frustrating when people try to complete my sentences. I know what I am trying to say, it just takes me a little longer to get the words out. Be patient and let the person who stutters finish what they are trying to say.