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1. = What Problems Does Your Organization Confront?

Chronic Stuttering is = one of the most misunderstood speech disability. And media

st= ories about stuttering port= ray it as an easily cured disability. And portray stutterers<= /span> as

me= ntally disturbed criminals o= r easy targets for ridicule and bullying.

It's a complex set of behaviors that interfere with normal, fluent speech. People who stutter

ma= y repeat syllables or "block" when they're trying to get a word out. Interrupted speech= may

be= accompanied by eye ro= lling, blinking, head jerks or other associated behaviors. There are as=

ma= ny different patterns of behavior as there are people who stutter.

Incidence of stuttering:

Nearly 3 million adult= s in the U.S. stutter. Stuttering runs in s= ome families and affects more

me= n than women. People who stutter are a cross-section of society. Some are successful

(l= ike country singer Mel Tillis), others have been handicapped by their inability to speak

no= rmally.

What causes stuttering:

There's no single caus= e. Stuttering is influenced by psychological factors but is NOT an emotional

pr= oblem or nervous disorder. = It's not the direct fault of the parents or the child, and it's not a=

di= sorder that the stutterer can constantly control. Current research su= ggests a connection

be= tween stuttering and neurol= ogical coordination of the speech mechanism.

Stuttering in children:

About 1 out of 30 chil= dren stutter, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

About 75% of kids who stutter outgrow it. Today, there is much evidence that early therapeutic

in= tervention is effective. At pre-= school age, there is every hope that a child will recover

fr= om stuttering with early intervention and guidance. On the other hand, stuttering in

sc= hool-age children can be more resistant to change. Some teachers, counselors and

pe= diatricians still advise parents = to defer speech therapy and ignore the child's stuttering

in= the expectation that = it will go away. At one time, this was thought to be good advice. We now<= /o:p>

kn= ow that this is very bad advice.

2. = Who is are the victims of this type of a hate crime or act of discrimination?=

Children who stutter a= re more likely to teased and bullied by their playmates such could lead to

li= fe altering behavior suc= h as being withdrawn or shy.

3.&n= bsp; = ; How does it impact your members?

Some stutterers have low expectation about their

li= ves and careers. Some have withdrawn from the mainstream and have taken jobs that are beneath

th= eir capabilities.

4. = What can society do to help your cause?

Society can take the t= ime and patience to listen to a person who stutters. And they give the

stutterer a chance to prove wha= t they can do. It sometimes is quite surprising to learn about the

wi= de range of careers that= stutterers have been successful in.=

5. = Case Example:

Who would have thought= that a person known for his stuttering on a nationally syndicated radio

sh= ow would be given a chan= ce to see if he could be the announcer for the popular late night

NBC-TV Tonight Show wi= th Jay Leno.

John Melendez' (aka Stuttering John) story is one of persistence. In = an amazing turn of events

af= ter 15 years on Howard St= ern's radio show, John Melendez, joined NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay

Leno." in March 2= 004. Melendez as the show's nightly announcer and is involved in comedy

sk= etches and correspondent pie= ces.

John said, "Growi= ng up, I was always a big fan of 'The Tonight Show' and its amazing history. Now

to= actually be part of i= t is beyond my wildest dreams! I t= hank Howard Stern, the most talented

ra= dio personality, for givi= ng me my start, for without him, The Tonight Show would never even

kn= ow me." =

John is a persistent r= isk taker. For Melendez, whose real-life stuttering provided Stern with

co= medic material on a nearly = daily basis, thelate-night TV announcer's job is the = latest

ch= apter in an surprising rise= to stardom. Melendez' credits al= so included appearing in

fi= lms and TV programs "Private Parts," "Wings," "Airheads," "D= ude Where's My Car," "Osmosis

Jo= nes," and the Sci-Fi channel animated series, "Tipping the Rift."

John was a disk jockey= at New York City rad= io station WXRK (92.3 FM). John also had= a rock and

ro= ll band which put out two CDs. But it was a stint on AB= C's reality series "Help, I'm a

Celebrity, Get Me Out = of Here." That gave him an opportunity to show his real personality on

ne= twork TV. This led to a gue= st appearance on the Tonight Show which opened the door to his present

hi= gh paying announcer's jo= b.