Fluency Friday workshop empowers children who stutter

Families attended the 25th annual Fluency Friday workshop on Nov. 14 on the University of Cincinnati's medical campus, where speech pathologists emphasized to children and their parents that "it's okay to stutter." 

The annual event is now called Cincinnati STRIDE, which stands for Stuttering, Thriving, Resilient, Inclusive, Determined and Empowered.

The workshop also emphasized that stuttering is not the child's fault. "Stuttering is not that child’s fault. It’s just part of how they’re made," Staci Maddox, a speech-language pathologist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and one of the event organizers, told Local 12/WKRC-TV on the day of the event.

Maddox highlighted the importance of encouraging conversation.

"We want to teach kids at an early age that stuttering is okay, and it's not something to be ashamed of," said Maddox.

Jessica Witmer, a mother, described the workshop as life-changing for her 14-year-old son, Daniel.

"Before we came to Fluency Friday, he had never met anyone who stuttered," she said. "One of the biggest things is that if you stutter — it’s just a thing that people do sometimes."

Daniel noted his increased confidence.

"I talk to a lot more people now. I’m not scared to talk to people," he said.

Also in attendance for Fluency Friday/Cincinnati STRIDE was 9-year-old Marquis Brown, known as M.J., who has been in therapy to improve his speech. He was recently featured in a Local 12 WKRC-TV news story about the workshop.

"He was aware of his stuttering and it was bothering him," said Katrina Purcell, his speech-language pathologist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and one of the event organizers. 

M.J.'s mother, Myesha Jewell, shared her hopes for her son: "I don't ever want him to be teased for it."

She encouraged parents to accept their child's reality, saying, "I think it's important for parents to understand, just let this be your child's reality."

The workshop provides a unique opportunity for children who stutter to meet others like them. "Many children have never met another child who stutters, so to be able to come together and be part of a group of people is really empowering," said April Domet, also a speech-language pathologist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital.

M.J. expressed what he wants others to know about stuttering: "That it's not something I can spread; it's only like a thing about you." 

The workshop is hosted by UC, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Pathways Forward Center for Stuttering and Hamilton County Educational Service Center. Pathways Forward founder Robert Reichhardt appeared on WLWT-TV leading up to the event, along with local radio personality Rockin' Ron Schumacher, who served as one of the adult panelists for the day. Both Reichhardt and Schumacher live with stuttering.

Featured image at top: Local 12 WKRC-TV reporter Liz Bonis interviewing Cincinnati Children's speech-language pathologist Katrina Purcell. Photo/Megan Burgasser.