By Adam Black
The world can be an intimidating place to live for people who stutter, and can often leave them feeling isolated and alone. Stuttering is a hidden disability that affects 3 percent of adults and up to 9 percent of children. With numbers like these it is likely most teachers will at some point encounter a student with this speech impediment in their classroom.
Renowned speech pathologist Joseph Sheehan talks about stuttering as an iceberg. Only 10 percent of the behaviours associated with stuttering are visible (blocking, freezing, sound repetitions) and the other 90 percent lie beneath the surface (shame, embarrassment, lack of confidence, sadness). The invisible symptoms often present the greatest challenges for people who stutter.
Adam Black is a principal teacher of additional support needs at a busy high school in Glasgow, Scotland. He is also a person who stutters and uses his hidden disability to publicize to his students that differences are what make us special.
