Molly Grochowski learned how to avoid stuttering in front of her peers
during elementary and middle school.

So she decided to tell her story.

“I started to use cover-ups in late elementary school,” the
Temperance graduate student said. “It was better than stuttering.”

Grochowski served as a guest panelist Wednesday for the discussion
“Experts on Stuttering,” which took place in the Charles V. Park
Library Auditorium.

The forum was part of International Stuttering Awareness Week, which
ends Sunday.

More than 25 people attended the forum, which was led by seven
panelists, ranging from high school students to college graduates who
all have been affected by stuttering.

“I thought the panel gave a very representative presentation,” said
Suzanne Woods, communication disorders professor who specializes in
stuttering. “They were very honest and forthcoming. They didn’t get the
services kids today receive.”

Stuttering affects 1 percent of the adult population, but no single
method has been proven to treat it. Most children who have stuttering
problems, which is about 5 percent, later recover.

West Branch junior Samantha Tabayoyong walked away from the
presentation more aware of who can have a stuttering problem.

“Lots of people have it,” she said. “I wouldn’t have noticed it
before.”

It stuck out to her when the panelists said they always were
dreading reading out loud in class.

“(It interested me) when they said they were forced to read,”
Tabayoyong said. “Reading aloud shouldn’t be required (of them).” 

Even young voices were represented in the panel, including Andy
Faber, a Mount Pleasant High School junior, who talked about how he got
started in speech therapy. Two years ago during Faber’s first day in
class, his teacher made all of the students recite their names aloud.

“I couldn’t get my name out.  I didn’t know what to do,” he
said. “That night, (the teacher) called my house and talked to my mom.”

Woods encourages those who have stuttering problems to take
advantage of CMU’s speech therapy services, which are free.

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