Episode #274: Ever wish there was a manual for stuttering? There is one now! Stuttering is Beautiful is a free online manual for young people who stutter created by people who stutter (PWS) from all over Europe, in particular Italy, Estonia, The Netherlands, Iceland, and Finland, and professionals working with PWS. The manual provides evidence-based information about stuttering and explores the many ways to manage it with a neutral point of view from speech therapy to acceptance and exploring stigma, self-advocacy, and the medical and social models of disability.

There is also a free Stuttering is Beautiful manual for people who work with youth who stutter, such as social workers, teachers, and parents (and adult educators, too!). This manual offers youth workers who want to learn more about working with and provide support to young people who stutter.

While there are already many handbooks on youth work, this may very well be the first time a handbook specifically covered the topic of stuttering.

On this episode, I cross time zones and continents (well, virtually) and chat with the creators of these manuals, a collaboration between stuttering associations across Europe.

Links mentioned on this episode:

• Manual for Young People Who Stutter
• Manual for Youth Workers
• The above two manuals available in many languages
• Stamily
• Just Stutter
• Franky Banky
• Málbjörg (Icelandic Stuttering Association)
• Finlands Stammarförening (Association of the Finnish Stutterers)
• Eesti Kogelejate Ühing (The Estonian Association of People Who Stutter)
• Associazione Italiana Balbuzie e Comunicazione APS (Italian Stuttering Association)
• Demosthenes (Dutch Stuttering Association)

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Episode #273: Ski-ba-bop-ba-dop-bop! You know that song! And I’m sure it’s now playing in your head and no doubt putting a smile to your face.

On this episode, I chat with Gina Waggot, personal friend of Scatman John, also known as John Paul Larkin, who shot to fame in the mid-1990s with huge hits – and much welcomed earworms for me – such as Scatman, Everybody Jam!, and Scatman’s World.

Scatman also stuttered and talked about it in his debut single, Scatman. This touched fellow PWS, Gina Wag, who was in high school school at the time and dealing with her speech difference. One day, Gina gave contacting Scatman a try and to her surprise, the busy international superstar did! Gina is currently writing on Scatman’s official biography.

Listen as Gina shares a bit about Scatman’s life, the resurgence of interest in his music, and her friendship with this man who set out to create uplifting music for everyone.

Links mentioned on this episode:

• Scatman John website
• Scatman John official Instagram account
• Scatman John YouTube channel
• Scatman John’s Facebook page
• Listen to Scatman John on Spotify
• Who’s The Scatman? German graphic novel by Jeff Chi

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Episode #272: Stuttering is one of the most important things you can do – because fluency is a trap.

A friend recently shared with me that she believes acceptance must come first in order to get rid of the fear of stuttering. Only after that can you work on your speech, if you want to. Or work on your self-esteem caused by a lifetime of society’s stigma towards your speech. Or work on your social skills, public speaking, etc. I share my friend’s perspective. Working on eliminating your fear of stuttering first means you will no longer be afraid stuttering and evolve any way you want or just be who you are.

There is no one way. Just… my way that works for me.

In other words, fluency is a trap because it will make you avoid speaking so you can avoid stuttering. You’re going to switch words, avoid talking, and create one avoidance behaviour after another. Thus, one of the first steps you need to take is to be willing to stutter. That is the advice given on this episode by my guest, Larry Stein, author of the book, Free To Speak, which chronicles his stuttering memoirs.

All it takes is one small step out of your comfort zone every time. You cannot become a bodybuilder if you don’t lift a weight. And when you start lifting weights, you don’t start lifting 700 pounds from day one. You have to build it up slowly from a weight you can handle even if it’s 1 pound.

As I’ve said numerous times on my show, “no victory too small!” and “you can still be an effective communicator regardless of stuttering”. And don’t compare yourself to anybody else no matter how fluent they are.

Links mentioned on this episode:

• Stein on Stuttering
• The Fluency Trap (part 1) – Stuttering is Cool epsiode #271
• 2023 International Stuttering Awareness Day online conference. The theme this year was One Size Does NOT Fit All.

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Episode #271: Being told how to speak just won’t go away will it? I chat with Danra Kazenski, a speech-language pathologist… or is that speech therapist? Well, she helps clients who stutter to manage their stuttering and communicate the way they want to.

We start our conversation about narrative therapy and how Danra uses comics in her speech therapy practice then she interviews me about my stuttering journey and Franky Banky’s origin story. This inevitably leads us to the neverending fluency vs. acceptance debate that seems to have become really explosive lately along with the term “speech-language pathologist”.

Links mentioned on this episode:

• Vermont Stuttering Therapy – the Normalize Stuttering Shop!
• Curiosity Filled The Cat – the Franky Banky comic book you help draw!
• Stuttering is Cool shop – Franky Banky books and stuttering awareness pins on Etsy
• Franky Banky books on Amazon
• Franky Branky SLP Guides on Teachers Pay Teachers
• ASHA Conference from a PWS perspective: the education gap – Stuttering is Cool podcast episode #270

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Episode #270: I attended my first American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Conference! Join me as I chat with a few friends I met at the incredibly gigantic ASHA Conference 2023 which took place in the beautiful city of Boston.

I helped out at the withVR booth run by owner and friend, Gareth Walkom, who also happens to be a previous guest on my podcast, attended an NSA Boston Chapter meet up, then the first Stamily meet up in North America, and I ate lots of lobster and clam chowder.

Though I had a lot of fun seeing the booths, the incredible technology in the field, and meeting new friends, I also share two stories of experiencing first-hand the education gap when it comes to stuttering treatment that I’ve always heard about.

Links mentioned on this episode:

• TranscendingX
• Details about Stuttering Therapy: A Conversation on What We Do and Why We Do It one-hour seminar presented by Christopher Constantino and Sara MacIntyre

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Episode #269: Choose your own speaking adventure! Join me at the Canadian Stuttering Association Annual Conference which took place in Ottawa this year. I chat with old and new friends about a variety of topics including trying new things outside of your comfort zone, forming a stuttering community across rural areas, my cartooning workshops, and more.
But first, some grocery shopping!

Links mentioned on this episode:

• Canadian Stuttering Association
• HeyFrankyBanky on Instagram
• Franky Banky and Stuttering is Cool Facebook page

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Episode #268: Painting in front of a studio audience… and the entire country! I chat with portrait artist, Paul Aston, who recently participated in Portrait Artist of the Year, a television competition with portrait artists from all around the United Kingdom, as a way to step out of his comfort zone and spread stuttering awareness. Paul then stepped out of his comfort zone again and was interviewed live on the radio.

Join us as we talk about Paul’s art, his Portraits of People Stammering series, his experiences being on TV and radio, and his questions about… my art!

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Paul’s website
• paulastonpainter on Instagram
• Franky Banky Teachers Pay Teachers Shop

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Episode #267: Hello, my name is… point to the name tag. That was a scenario someone had recently proposed in a stuttering forum. The poster was worried about stuttering on his name when meeting new colleagues. He pondered the use of a name tag. Responses to his question varied from agreement to enabling avoidance.

As the creator of a podcast named “Stuttering is Cool”, you can accurately guess which side of the argument I sit on

Join me on a walk as I share my thoughts on this tactic along with the consequences of all our decisions, both positive and negative.

Transcript available upon request.

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Episode #266: The most adorable reviews ever! Hear from two children, one who stutters and one who doesn’t, and their review of my new book, Tales of Mischief, Mayhem and Mirth. We also hear from their parents. What do the four think of my book? Listen in and find out!

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Episode #265: Introducing Franky Banky’s new book, Tales of Mischief, Mayhem and Mirth. And an audio review!

Links mentioned on this episode:

• Details about the new book
• Buy the book on Amazon
• Buy the book on Etsy
• Epic book launch post on Instagram
• STAMMA contest
• Every Friday the 13th is Stuttering is Cool Day comic
• The Great Name Search comic
• Subscribe to the Stuttering is Cool monthly newsletter.

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Episode #263: Listen to highlights from the Canadian Stuttering Association two-day conference – first time in person since the pandemic began! Join me as I hike through Niagara Gorge (and almost get lost), run into people as I check into my hotel room, meet some new friends at the Hard Rock Club, and join everyone for a group photo as the falls are lit up in sea foam green for International Stuttering Awareness Day – and we bewilder passersby!

I took this photo during my hike. This reminded me a lot of a famous painting by the Group of Seven. Niagara Falls by day. Niagara Falls lit up in stuttering awareness colours by night on October 23, 2022. Poutine in a fancy glass Franky Banky poking his head from behind the book table. Look, it’s Nina G beside him signing autographs! I sculpted a Franky Banky out of Play Dough for the popsicle stick swing set during my workshop for children. One of the children drew Franky Banky with drip painting!

We were also treated to a performance by fellow PWS, Francy Goudreault, of Hello Kelly during the Saturday night banquet. His song, “The Communication Breakdown” which is an excellent reflection on the stuttering experience.

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