Alcohol does not necessarily affect all people who stutter in the same way. A search through the PubMed database reveals that this question has not been researched extensively, but some clients of the clinic have anecdotally reported that their speech becomes more fluent after having a few drinks. 

Self-medicating for a stutter with alcohol, marijuana, or any other drug is not recommended. Although people who stutter are no more likely than the population at large to have substance abuse disorders, people who experience anxiety about their stutter may be more at risk of substance abuse disorders. This is because people with anxiety disorders are at an elevated risk for substance use disorders. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20643799/

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The child in the video demonstrates some characteristics of stuttering, including blocks and phrase repetitions. On the other hand, it could be that the child was forgetting the line that he had previously memorized, and trying to recall it exactly through his many attempts.

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Interviews can be a nerve-wracking experience, as there is much at stake. Job applicants may feel that every word they say has to be well chosen and produced perfectly to create and maintain a positive first impression. With this increased pressure, anyone can stumble! The main reason stuttering occurs most often in interviews is that the speaker’s attention is divided. The attention is not only on the message to be said, but also on how it’s said and how it may be perceived; there is also much attention on the non-verbal information that is being received, and also a lot on actively interpreting them. Sometimes the stress can encourage focus on the content of the message, but in many cases, it only takes away from it. This leads the speaker to appear uncertain about their message and gives away the speakers’ nervousness.

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Here is a questionnaire to assess stuttering:

• http://tklspeechandlanguageservices.com/media/Fluency$20Questionare.pdf

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There is a growing community of people who have become disability advocates for themselves as stutterers (or people with stutters) and others who stutter. Much in the same way that using a wheelchair limits people only to the extent that society constructs inaccessible infrastructure, many argue that stuttering limits speakers only as much as they are judged for stuttering. They draw parallels between the ways that society (and the medical field, including speech-language pathologists) treats and discusses people who stutter and the way that people with other disabilities are treated and discussed.

Some people who stutter identify with the disability label, while others do not. In the end, it is up to the person who stutters to determine whether they identify with the label. 

To read more about stuttering and disability, you can begin here:

• https://www.didistutter.org/blog/stuttering-and-disability-is-one-of-these-things-not-like-the-other

• https://abovethelaw.com/2017/03/is-stuttering-a-reason-not-to-hire-someone/

• https://www.stutteringhelp.org/my-disability-lesson

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An individual’s eligibility for the Disability Tax Credit is determined not by the individual, or their medical professionals, but by the Canada Revenue Agency. You may ask your speech-language pathologist to complete the documentation required to apply for the DTC, but if you are seeking private services (as is often the case for teens or adults who stutter) then you may be charged for your clinician’s time to complete it. 

Of the functions of daily living that the DTC covers, speaking is the only one that applies to people who stutter. To demonstrate a speaking impairment, the CRA will require information about your speech from a medical doctor, a nurse, or a speech-language pathologist. 

These are the criteria to be eligible for the DTC for a Speaking disability (taken from the CRA website): “A person is considered markedly restricted in speaking if, even with appropriate therapy, medication, and devices, they meet both of the following criteria:

1. They are unable or take an inordinate amount of time to speak so as to be understood by another person familiar with the patient, in a quiet setting.

2. This is the case all or substantially all the time (at least 90% of the time).”

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Here are a few inspiration quotes about stuttering:

• The one thing I’ve learned is that stuttering in public is never as bad as I fear it will be (John Stossel)

• You don’t have a choice as to whether you stutter but you do have a choice as to how you stutter (Joseph G. Sheehan)

• Stuttering is no simple speech impediment. It is a complicated disorder which has both physical and emotional aspects (Malcolm Fraser)

• If there were some way to distract your mind from thoughts of fear so that you didn’t think about your stuttering, you would probably have no trouble (Malcom Fraser)

• Keep in mind that… the less you avoid words and situations, the less you will stutter in the long run (J.D. Williams)

• Stuttering is ok because what I have to say is worth repeating (Anonymous). 

• https://www.pinterest.ca/stutteringfdn/inspirational-quotes-for-people-who-stutter/

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While we have seen that genetics plays a role in stuttering, a specific gene contributing to stuttering characteristics have not been found. We know generally that stuttering tends to run in families, and that a child who stutters is more likely to have a family member that stutters, than a child who does not.

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If you find your stuttering is getting worse, check in with your environment. Do you find there are additional environmental stressors? These could include changes in school, job, or a social circle. These stressors could also be in the form of additional responsibilities on you, due to an increase in workload. Overall, when you find that the demands of your life exceed what you understand to be your capacity, it may be difficult to keep up. In addition to environmental stressors, check in with your speaking pace. Do you find that your mouth speaks too fast for your brain to keep up? Each sound that we produce is a result of airflow that has been shaped by our tongue, teeth and or lips. Perhaps slowing down and thinking about each sound that you are saying will allow you to improve your fluency.

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A few good stuttering GIFs can be found on this website: https://giphy.com/explore/stuttering

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