Do you have an idea for a workshop? Our November conference will be a chance to meet and socialize and learn together once again. Due to the success of our one-day conferences that we have been holding for the past six years, 2020 will be a big year as we expand the event and move the conference venue to beautiful Niagara Falls!
Our annual CSA conference last month was a huge success! We had record-breaking attendance, including many families, speech-language pathologists and students, and of course - people who stutter of all ages.
Early in July, I attended the 4 day 36th annual National Stuttering Association (NSA) Conference which was held at the beautiful Marriott Harbor Beach Resort and Spa in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. There were over 800 people there and about 100 newcomers. As announced at a general session, we were participating in the largest gathering of people who stutter (PWS) in the world and it was EXCITING and DYNAMIC and MOVING, to say the least!
On November 2, I had the pleasure of attending the very first conference of the Newfoundland and Labrador Stuttering Association (NLSA), in Mount Pearl, near the city of St-John’s, Newfoundland. The NLSA is a new stuttering association, founded in 2018.
Many attempts have been made to change public attitudes about stuttering. Such attempts have included talks, media interviews, and videos which seek to inform the public about stuttering. With regard to all such information-sharing efforts, a question naturally comes to mind: how would we know whether a given attempt to change public attitudes about stuttering, or any other condition, actually works?
Kim during a radio interview.
I have been reflecting lately on my journey that started twenty years ago. Twenty years ago I was covert and I did absolutely everything in my power to hide my stuttering. It took my time in university for me to really practice being comfortable in my own skin and practice being open about my stuttering. Here is a poem that reflects some of that journey.