Finally, the second week of May 1988 became the first National Stuttering Awareness Week in the United States. But for the more than three million Americans who stutter, speech is associated with struggle. Rapid-fire repetitions of sounds, prolonged vowels, and verbal blocks disrupt the smooth and easy flow of speech and limit the spontaneous exchange of ideas and feelings. Many stutterers suffer frustration and embarrassment that can lead to harmful emotion stress. Stuttering has a tendency to be inherited, and it affects four times as many males as females.
Children usually outgrow stuttering before reaching adulthood.
When the disorder continues or begins in adults, it is considered chronic and very difficult to control. Research supported by private voluntary health agencies adds to the growing pool of knowledge. These private organizations also provide invaluable counseling and other services to stutterers and their families. There were approximately 100 copies made of this historic document. It has a blue border with a Gold embossed Presidential seal at the top and President Reagan's signature at the bottom.