Don't FEAR Your Stutter, be PROUD, You're Still Standing!
Channel: Philip Garber
Date: 2010-10-23

*New video up! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvOnmSmzZy4*

A video made for ISAD (International Stuttering Awareness Day) Oct. 22nd, 2010. If you're a person who stutters, comment and say so! You are all my brothers and sisters, surviving and THRIVING through this crazy disability.  This was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life. Obviously, sitting in front a big camera w/teleprompter aggravated my stutter. I do not USUALLY stutter that badly in everyday conversation, but it does happen. I hope I've helped you grow in some way, touched your life in some way. I understand there will be those of you that will find it hilarious to make videos mocking the way I talk. I cannot stop you, but just consider what your doing first. Would you mock the man in the wheelchair? No different. Below I'll copy and paste some stuttering information from the NSA website (http://westutter.org/). A great organization dedicated to helping people who stutter. Thanks for watching and reading, be well :-).

Philip Garber Jr., 15 years old, NJ

"What Is Stuttering?

Stuttering is a communication disorder involving disruptions, or "disfluencies," in a person's speech. The word "stuttering" can be used to refer either to the specific speech disfluencies that are commonly seen in people who stutter or to the overall communication difficulty that people who stutter may experience.

In addition to producing disfluencies, people who stutter often experience physical tension and struggle in their speech muscles, as well as embarrassment, anxiety, and fear about speaking. Together, these symptoms can make it very difficult for people who stutter to say what they want to say, and to communicate effectively with others. There are perhaps as many different patterns of stuttering as there are people who stutter. And there are many different degrees of stuttering, from mild to severe."