| Stuttering is a form of speech impediment that is | | | | As a person who has previously had a stutter I |
| known to affect around one percent of the adult | | | | can confirm that at times the world can seem like |
| population of the western world. It is mainly | | | | one hell of a lonely place. This is certainly the way |
| prevalent in males with estimates that | | | | that I felt as I was growing up. I did not know of |
| approximately only twenty-five percent of people | | | | any other person that had this type of speech |
| who have a stutter being female. Treatments | | | | impediment and all of the so called "experts" |
| vary greatly from the more basic and much | | | | seemed to have a real lack of comprehension of |
| maligned speech and language therapy to the | | | | what life was like for me. |
| more specialized stuttering courses. | | | | With the internet comes a sort of community; |
| Since the birth of the internet, gaining access to | | | | other people sharing their own similar experiences |
| the latest stuttering treatments has only been | | | | and frustrations. With it comes hope and |
| literally "a click away". Where as previous to this | | | | inspiration as you read the ways in which these |
| people had to rely on word of mouth or visits to | | | | people managed to overcome their difficulties. It is |
| their local library (both of which were only ever | | | | like a whole new, alternative form of speech |
| likely to provide a limited amount of information) | | | | coaching, coaching from people who have been |
| the net has brought about a new found | | | | there and seen it - specialist stuttering coaching |
| enthusiasm and hope for people who stutter. | | | | some might say. |