Belen

Stuttering is a frustrating and embarrassing problem for millions of people, but it can be especially tough on elementary school-age youngsters.

Now some new help is available for parents, teachers and speech-language pathologists at the Belen Public Library in the form of a videotape designed specifically to help school-age children who stutter.

“It’s meant to give speech-language pathologists the tools they need to deal with stuttering in this age group, but it also offers good ideas for parents and teachers,” said Professor Peter Ramig of the University of Colorado at Boulder in a news release.

Ramig is one of five nationally recognized experts appearing in the video, which is produced by the nonprofit Stuttering Foundation of America.

The video features students from first through sixth grades, some of whom talk about their experiences with stuttering. They talk openly about the teasing they face from classmates and how their stuttering sometimes makes them feel about themselves.

“We focus on demonstrating a variety of therapy strategies that are appropriate in working with children who stutter,” adds Ramig.

These five experts answer questions about stuttering, refute myths and misconceptions and present examples of therapy sessions showing how stuttering can be reduced.

“More than 3 million Americans stutter, yet stuttering remains misunderstood by most people,” said Jane Fraser, president of the Stuttering Founda-tion. “Myths such as believing people who stutter are less intelligent or suffer from psychological problems still persist, despite research refuting these erroneous beliefs.”

The 38-minute video, entitled “Therapy in Action: The School-Age Child Who Stutters,” is being distributed free of charge to public libraries nationwide. For more information about obtaining your own copy, call toll-free at 1-800-992-9392.

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Valencia County News-Bulletin
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The Valencia County News-Bulletin is a locally owned and operated community newspaper, dedicated to serving Valencia County since 1910 through the highest journalistic and professional business standards. The VCNB is published weekly on Thursdays, including holidays both in print and online.