Redefining Stammering

So excited that the Stuttering Commons handbook is now out in the world - an informative, dynamic online resource introducing Dysfluency Studies & exploring #stammeringpride, fluency privilege & transformative belonging. You can check it out via: www.stutteringcommons.org/handbook Enjoy! 🌊🌊🌊

We’re off! A joy to co-facilitate today’s @stammeringchildren.org mentor & mentee training sessions with Ria Bernard & introduce all the committed mentors to a fantastic group of young people who stammer. The openness, enthusiasm & level of engagement has been heartwarming #stammeringgain #ISAD2025

When you stammer with someone At Stammering Pride, dysfluency creates connection

Very much enjoyed reading writer & filmmaker @celestinefraser.bsky.social’s insightful write up of the picnic & #stammeringpride march in Victoria Park, London this August - a thoughtful tribute to community & #stammeringgain: substack.com/home/post/p-... 🌊🌊🌊

Bias shows up not only in the actual content of what's said or written out loud. It threads its way through the very choices made. Choices of when to say something, of what not to say and why, of who to feature most prominently, and of how and where this stuff is shared.

Central to stammering-affirming shared world building is the liberatory power of cultivating both a ‘fierce no’ to fluency & a ‘fabulous yes’ to dysfluency & what dysfluency disrupts that is desirable for us all #transformativebelonging 🌊🌊🌊

Josh St. Pierre’s writing on the spoken & unspoken political goals that co-exist within the stammering community & proposal of three modes of belonging as a bridge is a game changer in terms of a foundational theory for stammering-affirming approaches: www.redefiningstammering.co.uk/dysfluency-i...

Photograph of the tables laid out for dinner on the Gala Evening at the Kellariteatteri Saivo, Rovaniemi, Finland

A photograph of three glasses of Jaloviina, a Finish cut brandy. Such a fun discovery! Thank you to Naheem Bashir for the introduction.

Heartfelt thanks to all the organisers, speakers, workshop facilitators & participants for making the 15th ISA World Congress such a positive experience. The warmth, inclusiveness & dynamism within the stammering community is truly lifegiving #stammeringgain

Photograph of Naheem Bashir (left) and Patrick Campbell (right) during their Together Louder workshop. The #MakingWaves Stammering Pride flag is draped across the table in between them

And the inimitable Patrick Campbell who together with Naheem Bashir explored what we understand by activism in their workshop ‘Together Louder’. I enjoyed creating a collective & personal stammering activism timeline & reflecting on past achievements, current projects & future possibilities

Photograph of Gina Waggott’s closing slide inviting the audience to consider an advocacy-related action they would like to take going forward. The slide shows a photo of Scatman John featured on a German magazine with the title ‘Ich stottere - na and?’ which translated into English means ‘I stutter - so what?’

As well as Gina Waggott for her ‘From Mockery to Millions - The Scatman John Media Masterclass’ showcasing real footage & highlighting what a progressive & powerful advocate for open stammering Scatman John was. Loved the invitation to continue his work on stammering-affirming media representation

Photograph of Willemjn Bolk’s final keynote slide summarising her key learnings: #1 Suppression or control of what is difficult is not the answer #2 Be kind to yourself unconditionally

Photograph of a self portrait created following the prompt to use as much space on the white A4 page as possible. Image in purple crayon

Finally I would like to acknowledge the brilliant Willemijn Bolks @JustStutter for her powerful keynote & thought-provoking drawing workshop - I loved the opportunity to let go of perfectionism, take space & celebrate the creative possibilities generated by making mistakes!

Photograph of the landing page of the Reflect app. A blue wave-like graphic created with four intersecting lines is featured on the left. The text on the right reads: Reflect offers you a creative way to explore & visualise your relationship with stuttering over time. This novel perspective supports a more detailed understanding of your personal experience & the different factors that shape how you story stuttering in your life. Through colour & form, your own unique image will reveal what stuttering can teach you about yourself and the world. It is hoped that this will act as a springboard to envisaging future possibilities & new understandings.

Also very much enjoyed demoing the ‘Reflect’ app for the first time having collaborated with Conor Foran & Bart Rzeznik @dysfluent on this for the past 3 years. Grateful to #StutteringCommons for funding the project & to the overwhelmingly positive feedback & development ideas received

Photograph of Sam Simpson (left) & Patrick Campbell (right) standing in front of two screens projecting the opening slide for their ‘Stuttering Commons: Deconstructing, unsettling & bending fluency privilege’ workshop. Sam, a white woman in her 50’s, is wearing a dark blue denim dress and Patrick, a white man in his 30’s, is wearing blue jeans and a striped blue & white short-sleeved shirt

Conference highlights included collaborating with Patrick Campbell on two workshops showcasing the groundbreaking work of #StutteringCommons. Exciting to share the fruits of two years of labour & to receive such enthusiastic feedback on the Manifesto and Library. Thank you to everyone who attended

Photograph of the 15th ISA World Congress for people who stutter programme positioned on top of the conference drawstring bag adjacent to my conference lanyard. All three are white & feature a marine blue reindeer head around which the words ‘Stuttering unfolds in the artic’ are written

Photograph of several of Willemijn Bolks @JustStutter cards positioned on a black tote bag featuring different shaped speech bubbles in white & the writing ‘Difference is beautiful’

Back home after a whirlwind 4 days of connection, collaboration & conversation at the 15th ISA World Congress in Finland. Wonderful to see the global stammering community flourishing - & to have stocked up on some amazing @juststutter merch! Feeling grateful, nourished & uplifted

Photograph of the 15th ISA World Congress for People who Stutter programme showcasing this year’s theme ‘stuttering unfolds in the artic’

Excited to be in Rovaniemi, Finland for the 15th ISA World Congress for People Who Stutter. Nelly Penttillä’s thought provoking Congress opening speech calling out ableism within speech & language therapy has set the stage for honest dialogue across international communities

Photograph of Patrick Campbell addressing participants ahead of the march. Patrick is wearing a grey T-shirt and blue jeans. He is pictured holding a red notebook & standing next to the #makingwaves stammering pride flag

Photograph of Sam Simpson, Kristel Kubart & Patrick Campbell (left to right) standing arm-in-arm in Victoria Park. Kristel has a #makingwaves #stammeringpride flag draped over her shoulders

Lovely to be back in Victoria Park with the #makingwaves #stammeringprideflag team today for another #stammeringpride march - great turn out, enthusiasm & conversations with old friends & new (very much helped by Scatman’s Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)! Happy pride all!

Thought provoking NEW blog post by Jack Henderson on his groundbreaking ‘Shakespeare & Stuttering’ group programme challenging stigma & celebrating the deeper connection to the text & authenticity of performance making space for #stammering can bring: www.redefiningstammering.co.uk/shakespeare-...

Inviting a person to explore something vulnerable needs great care & respect. It's not something to 'get right', you can do your best to listen, to give undivided attention, & to make space for someone to speak in their own way. It's muddling through together.

Thoughtful NEW blog post by Mark Noonan reflecting on how #stammeringpride, Buddhism & mediation have shaped his stammering narrative: www.redefiningstammering.co.uk/stammering-a...
& inviting readers to consider their own narrative(s) & what stammering teaches them about themselves & the world

Absolutely delighted to see #StammeringPrideandPrejudice translated into German & to extend its readership. TY @JandRPress for making this a reality #makingwaves 🌊🌊🌊

“I used to want to get rid of my stammer. Now, I don’t.” 💬

Lauren Burton shares how the ASC Mentoring Scheme helped her embrace her voice & stammer with pride.

📖 Read her story: buff.ly/XNk0BkA
📝 Apply to be a mentee: buff.ly/4CPIEBP

#StammeringAwareness

Excited to lead the second #StutteringCommons ‘Bridging Dysfluency Theory & Clinical Practice’ workshop today exploring the foundations & possible pathways of stammering-affirming shared world building. Very much enjoyed the reflective group discussions & enthusiasm regarding future directions

Photograph taken as everyone was arriving of the holding PowerPoint slide entitled ‘Towards a world that stammers’ with three empty seats laid out for the panelists in the foreground

Photograph of Sam Simpson giving the opening introductions. Sam, a white woman in her fifties with grey, bobbed hair, is standing at the lectern & holding a microphone in her right hand. The holding PowerPoint slide is pictured behind her & the heads of members of the audience can be seen in the foreground

Photograph of Joshua St Pierre, a young white man, standing at the lectern & presenting. The title PowerPoint slide is pictured to the right of him behind three chairs prepared for a later panel discussion

Panellists (from left to right) Joshua St Pierre, Sam Simpson and Patrick Campbell are sat in chairs around a small circular table with three bottles of water on it. Behind them is the title PowerPoint slide: “Towards a World that Stammers” - white letters on a pink background

What a life-giving evening @citylit.bsky.social in conversation with Josh St Pierre! Wonderful to see such a great turn out & level of interest. Very much enjoyed the thought-provoking Q&A questions, buzz in the gallery over drinks & welcoming new faces to the community #transformativebelonging

We’re off! Thought-provoking first ‘Bridging Dysfluency Theory & Clinical Practice’ workshop today led by Josh St Pierre bringing stammering into critical focus & exploring the ambition & practice of stammering therapy through the lens of curative, inclusive & transformative belonging

Are you an experienced stammering therapist interested in exploring how critical disability studies could inform your practice? Only 3 more days to sign up to the second iteration of ‘Bridging Dysfluency Theory & Clinical Practice’ starting on 28/04/25: app.groupize.com/e/bridging-d...

HURRY! 1 more week to buy your ticket to hear Joshua St Pierre critique the terms of belonging as a bridge to connecting diverse political agendas within the stammering community. Don’t miss one of the most exciting & visionary voices in stammering today #StutteringCommons @citylit.bsky.social

If you stammer, are over 18 & would like to learn more about self-compassion & how this can help re-story your relationship with stammering, then check out Ben Farmer’s blog about his current research project including links to contact him directly for more information &/or to sign up & take part

Powerful NEW blog by Geneviève Lamoureux reflecting on her experience of the 1st ‘Bridging Dysfluency Theory & Clinical Practice’ workshop series: www.redefiningstammering.co.uk/bridging-wor... If you’d like to join the next iteration starting on 28/04/25 check out: app.groupize.com/e/bridging-d...

Final planning session with Josh St Pierre & Chris Constantino this week ahead of our first ‘Bridging Dysfluency Theory & Clinical Practice’ workshop on 28/04/25 - looking forward to bringing together an international group of stammering therapists for some lively discussions & shared learning

Breaking news! Thrilled to announce ‘In conversation with Joshua St Pierre: Towards a world that stammers more’. Join us @citylit.bsky.social on 02/05/25 from 6.00pm to 7.30pm BST for a transformative discussion followed by a glass of wine: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/in-convers... Plse spread the word!

Looking forward to collaborating with Josh St Pierre & Chris Constantino on the 4-part advanced workshop series ‘Bridging Dysfluency Theory & Clinical Practice’ starting on 28/04/25:
app.groupize.com/e/bridging-d... HURRY! The 11/04/25 early bird deadline ends today!