For the parents of kids who stutter, managing the communication disorder alone may be stressful and isolating. At Saint Louis University’s Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic, one mother discovered a team to assist her daughter communicate more confidently at college and residential. 

Now, Jaimie Saunders, the mother of a baby who stutters, is on a mission to make certain others know there are resources that can assist. 

I don’t think the African American community, specifically, is aware of the services on the market for folks and caregivers of kids who stutter.”

Jaimie Saunders

Last yr, Saunders met Christine Rose, a clinical instructor specializing in stuttering at SLU’s Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic. The clinic operates as a no-fee clinic and serves a clientele who may otherwise not have the resources to afford assessment or treatment. 

Rose serves as a school-based speech-language pathologist and supervises SLU graduate students three days every week at City Garden Montessori, where Saunders’s 13-year-old daughter, Octavia, attends school.

Saunders is quick to notice that her daughter’s stutter doesn’t define her nor cap her potential. With that in mind, she also knows that skills to speak more effectively will help Octavia as she moves through life.

Rose worked with Saunders to customize speech therapy services to fulfill Octavia’s specific needs.

“The only purpose of speech therapy isn’t to make the person fluent because that sets an unrealistic expectation for some people,” said Rose, who was recently  awarded Spero Stuttering, Inc.’s Ally of Stuttering Speech-Language Pathologist designation for her advocacy efforts. “We concentrate on helping people communicate more effectively.”

Saunders says the largest misconception about stuttering is that it’s developmental and it’s going to go away.

“Once I looked up at nine or 10, and he or she was still stuttering, I believed ‘this may not be going away like they told me,’” Saunders recalled. “Nobody ever said to me that she could also be a one that stutters for the remaining of her life.”  

Disruptions in Speech

Stuttering is a communication disorder involving disruptions, or “dysfluencies,” in an individual’s speech. The severity of stuttering varies widely. It’s estimated that about one percent of the adult population stutters. This could amount to almost three million individuals who stutter in the US alone. Based on the National Stuttering Association (NSA), there is no such thing as a reliable, research-backed “cure” that works consistently and over time for all individuals who stutter.

Rose says stuttering likely has many possible contributing aspects, though the precise causes are unknown. She adds that for a lot of, there’s a genetic component and there could also be differences in white matter situated within the communication zones of the brain. She says stuttering is individualistic with a novel pattern and rhythm.

“We will have a look at stuttering as a verbal diversity since it’s a part of who the person is,” Rose said. “That’s a part of their genetic makeup and neurology.”

Rose says there’s still a lingering concept that, “We shouldn’t speak about stuttering because it’s going to make it worse.”

Support for folks

Before Saunders connected with Rose and SLU’s Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic, she struggled to search out resources for her daughter.

“I needed a comfortable couch to put on due to the guilt I felt because I couldn’t fix it,” Saunders said. “I felt isolated and alone. I felt like there was nobody I could seek advice from who would understand.”

Knowing others likely shared her experience, Saunders teamed up with Rose to offer a few of the support she says was missing for folks and caregivers like her.

Saunders and Rose approached the NSA about starting a parent group. Realizing a necessity, the NSA launched the local family chapter and elected SLU as its sponsor and Rose because the regional adult chapter coordinator.

The local family chapter is a free virtual support group for folks and caregivers to share the challenges and successes of raising a baby that stutters. Saunders received the Parent of the 12 months Award for her advocacy on the NSA’s annual conference in California. The parent group she co-founded also won Family Chapter of the 12 months.

“This has opened my mind to the emotionality of raising someone who stutters and the good importance of teamwork throughout the method,” Rose said.