New DVD helps children cope with stuttering

The Stuttering Foundation has put together a special DVD entitled, “Stuttering: For Kids By Kids,” to help children who stutter overcome their varying challenges in life.
The DVD is now available at several Santa Clara County Public Libraries, including three facilities in San Jose.
“All those interested in helping kids learn more about stuttering will want to see this tape,” said language pathologist Bill Murphy of Purdue University. “The children featured are a perfect example of how to openly and honestly handle stuttering.”
Stuttering is considered to be a communication disorder in which the flow of speech is broken by repetitions, prolongations, or abnormal stoppages of sounds and syllables, according to the Stuttering Foundation website, www.stutteringhelp.org. There are four factors most likely to contribute to development of stuttering: genetics, child development; neurophysiology; and family dynamics. More than 68 million people worldwide stutter, including more than three million Americans, according to the Stuttering Foundation.
The DVD stars numerous children ranging from first-graders to high schoolers who stutter. They recount how they handle challenges such as teasing, speaking out in class and teaching others about stuttering.
The narrator, named Swish, is a lively and engaging animated basketball character designed by students at Purdue University.
“This is an important tool for families and teachers of kids who stutter,” said Jane Fraser, president of the nonprofit Stuttering Foundation.
Other professionals and specialists who took part in the production include Kristin A. Chmela of Northwestern University; Joe Donaher of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Lisa Scott of Florida State University; and Lee Caggiano of the support group for children called Friends.
The Stuttering Foundation has produced several books and DVDs that are made available to public libraries.