 About the Author:
Larry Stein stuttered for 50 years, then at age 55 he embarked on a two-year journey to improve his speech. After countless failed attempts to become a more confident speaker, this effort led to results that were far beyond his expectations. Basically, he relearned to speak by mimicking broadcasters, addressed the psychological impacts of his stuttering and worked through one speaking situation after another in small steps until he reached his goal, which was to say his name and become a confident speaker. Today, Larry runs the business of his dreams, does public speaking and mentors people who stutter all over the world at no charge. In mid-October, he expects to release a book that chronicles his journey entitled: Free to Speak. Larry is married, with two children and two grandchildren (so far). His videos on stuttering can be found on his website, Instagram and YouTube at SteinOnStuttering. |
Summary:
This video is by Larry Stein about his stuttering journey and three things he learned along the way that may benefit other people who stutter:
1) Don’t let stuttering hold you back;
2) There is always a way forward; and
3) You may not think you’re ready to improve your speech, but start now anyway, because in the process, you will change and you will grow.
Hello Larry
You have obviously found the size that fits you. Well done.
I wonder why no-one else has replied to you. What do you think?
I did find myself reacting adversely to you. I never like being told to work harder!
Copying fluent broadcasters seemed too simplistic. However ‘not letting your stammer hold you back’ is good advice – but too simplistic for a lot of people. It can come over as a platitude?
Off the top of my head here are some other possible reasons why people have not replied.
You appear to be ‘cured’
They think you still stammer and are just ‘covering up’
People are jealous of your level of fluency that they have strived for and not attained.
You do not stammer with pride.
You perpetuate the stigma that stammering is bad.
Like me they do not like being told the simplistic answer of just to work hard and not let stammering hold you back.
Being told just to copy fluent speakers seems very simplistic and would not be recommended by any speech and language therapist.
Most people in the stammering community adopt a holistic approach and are wary of claims of a
successful fluency approach.
Do you think any of these might be true?
Best Wishes
Tim
Thanks Tim for your very thoughtful note. I have no idea why I have not had any comments. There was nothing simple to my effort, nor am I cured — once in a great while I may have a mild stutter, though it might be difficult for others to detect, though I know it’s there. And yes, I worked really hard to get where I am, and frankly, I am now living a life well beyond any dream I could have. I wrote about it extensively in my new book, Free to Speak, which will be on Amazon on October 18th. Then you can see the pain I endured and how what I did was anything but simplistic. Mimicking broadcasters was just one step of my journey. I don’t understand why there is a backlash, please explain it to me. If you want to meet on Zoom, that would be great, let me know.
Hi Larry
Thanks for your reply. I did not mean to imply there had been a backlash! I was just curious why more people had not replied to you. It may not be for any of the possible reasons I suggested.
I realise you have worked very hard, do not consider you are cured and that it has not been simple for you. I am pleased that after all those’bad’years you have reached a good place.
Tim
Thanks Tim. We’re all trying to help in our own ways.
Hi Larry,
Thank you for your interesting take on managing stuttering. To be sure, you are the first I have ever heard to say that you managed to stop stuttering by mimicking broadcasters. That is certainly different from most people’s experiences.
Pam
Thanks Pam, great to hear from you. I haven’t stopped stuttering, I still have my moments now and then, though others may not notice — I do. There is no cure. Mimicking broadcasters was just one of the many steps I took, you’ll see that in my book, Free to Speak — I hope you liked it. This two-year period of working through my speech was certainly different from my first 50 years of stuttering and failing to improve my speech, so yes, it is different from my other experiences, but it was different for very specific reasons which I outline in my book. I hope my book inspires others who want to improve their speech, that they can improve, though it’s a very difficult road. For me, that road was very worth it and changed my life. Let’s talk soon, I would like to hear more of your thoughts. Want to meet on Zoom?
Hi Larry! Thanks for sharing your experience. I am a speech-language pathologist grad student in Ohio. I am currently taking a course on stuttering and have had a great experience learning so much about stuttering and the stuttering community. I thought the strategy you used of imitating broadcasters was very interesting! I have never heard of that before and I’m glad it worked for you! I also loved that you addressed the psychological aspects of stuttering, as I have learned how much this plays a role. I think that the three things you learned along the way are things that everyone, not just people who stutter, can benefit from! I know that I am going to try to implement them into therapy sessions with all different types speech and language clients.
Thanks so much for your thoughtful comments, I truly appreciate it. It’s great to hear you are entering the field, there’s such a need for great speech therapists. I would be happy to meet with you on Zoom, share my experiences and discuss stuttering. All the best to you, Larry
Hi Larry,
I really enjoyed your story and listening to you speak. It is very obvious that you have a spark and passion for what you do, which is so empowering to see! I am studying to be a Speech Language Pathologist and am curious if your book is specific to those who live with a stutter or could it also be beneficial to those of us that do not have stutter but seek to gain a greater perspective? Also, you often mention that you took many steps to become more fluent in your speaking habits, did you ever consider seeing a Speech Therapist?
Thanks so much for your kind comments, I really appreciate it. It’s great to hear you are studying to be an SLP, we need you! I wrote the book for people who stutter and the therapists who serve them, so yes, the book will have broader appeal. Some people who have read an advance copy said it was helpful to them in terms of building confidence and other mental challenges, even though they don’t stutter. As for becoming an SLP, I am now 67, so I’m not up for more schooling — I just want to help people by sharing my story. Let’s connect soon, Larry
Hi Larry! I really enjoyed listening to your video. It was very interesting to listen to your personal experience. I was wondering, what kinds of things did you try in addition to mimicking broadcasters? Did you have a mentor in the past just as you mentor others today?
Hi Caroline, thanks so much for your note. I did a ton of work over a 2-year period. Mimicking broadcasters was just the start. I completely relearned to speak, then addressed the psychological aspects of my stuttering, and then worked through a wide range of speaking situations, one by one, in small steps until I reached my goal. The last step was to say my name, which I was finally able to do at the age of 57. I wish I had a mentor, but I didn’t — this was all on my own, with a lot of trial and error, and wrong turns. It was hard in the beginning, but after I began to make progress, it became exhilarating, the ride of my life.
Hi Larry!
Thank you for sharing your story, I found it very interesting. My question is at what age did you realize your stutter was an issue and at what age did you decide to get help?
Thanks for your kind words. I started stuttering at age 4 and I’m sure I realized it at some point soon after that, I don’t really remember. I went to two top university programs, one in elementary school and another in high school — neither had any positive impact on me. I struggled with stuttering for 50 years. I got other help with my speech for years after that too, but no impact. Then at age 55, with my business in trouble, I went on a two-year journey to improve my speech on my own and I reached my goals. I am happy to discuss this with you on Zoom if you want to learn more, just let me know, Larry
Dear Larry,
Thank you for sharing your story! You have had a very interesting experience! Super cool hearing about how you used the technique of mimicking broadcasters. I have never heard of this! I am so glad you found a technique that worked for you. I loved your emphasis on being who you want to be and not letting stuttering hold you back from living your dreams. Thanks again!
Thank you, Kendall, for your kind words. If you want to learn more, I encourage you to see my videos and articles at SteinOnStuttering.com and on YouTube and Instagram, as well as my new book, Free to Speak, which is now on Amazon. Thanks again, Larry
Hi Larry,
I really appreciate you sharing your perspective. I’m Jazmon, an SLP graduate student in Texas and the child of a person who stutters. My father was the person who started my interest in the field of speech-language pathology. Hearing your story brought so much joy to my heart, and I am excited about your book. I wanted to ask you, does your book share the perspective of the role that your family and loved ones played in your journey with stuttering? My father and I never really talk about his stutter. It’s just understood that he stutters, and his daughter is an SLP-A soon-to-be SLP, so he leans on me a lot in uncomfortable business-related speaking situations. The expectation started when I was a child. I’d love to have this conversation with him about it and help him help himself, but I do know where to start. Would your book possibly have some clues for that?
Again, thank you so much for sharing your experiences and your tips here.
Kind Regards,
Jazmon
Yes, Jazmon, that’s a big part of my book, my struggles and how I worked through my stuttering. While I never really discussed my stuttering with my family, the book shows how each member had a positive impact on my improvement. You’re right, it’s so hard to discuss it with family members, and I never really wanted to do so. On the other hand, maybe it would have been valuable for me — only my parents talked about it with me. I am happy to speak with you or your father if you want. Let me know if you would like to discuss further. Thanks for your note, Larry
Hi, Larry! Thank you for sharing your experience with stuttering. Your story and the message you’re sending are so inspiring. Your positive outlook on your speech journey and the things you have learned along the way have given me lots to think about as an SLP grad student. Mimicking broadcasters is such a creative & unique approach I had not considered before!
Claire, thanks so much for your kind words. Mimicking broadcasters was just the beginning, there was so much more. If you want to learn more about what I did, I encourage you to read my book, Free to Speak, which is now on Amazon. Or watch my videos on YouTube and Instagram. Also, I am happy to meet you on Zoom. All the best to you and your career, we need you!
Larry, Thank you for the video on your experience of stuttering. I am currently in my second year of graduate school to be a speech language pathologist. I know you mentioned you would mimic broadcasting until you felt comfortable and now you are able to introduce yourself, and communicate with everyone. Is introducing yourself what caused the most disfluencies in conversation or were there other things as well? Did you ever receive speech therapy and if so how did it affect you? I love that you did not let your stutter affect your and your life. It is a true inspiration and to advocating for people who stutter. Thanks!
Thanks Alexis for your thoughtful note. Yes, I had a ton of speech therapy, starting from elementary school through high school and into my 20s. Nothing helped. I ended up working through my stuttering on my own in my mid-50s. I would love to say that you’re right about the impact of stuttering on my life, but actually, stuttering dominated my life and I let it compromise my career and many aspects of my life. My stuttering was very heavy through most of my life, though my speech improved as I was forced to talk more as I progressed in my career. Finally, I worked through it during an intense 2-year period in my mid-50s. If you want to discuss further, I am happy to meet you on Zoom and answer whatever questions you have. Or you can read my book. All the best to you, Larry
It’s been amazing to be present at your book launch, Larry, and hear you talk about the backgrounds of the book, and hear friends and others who you have mentored. Thanks for telling your incredible journey and for all you do for others.
Happy ISAD and keep them talking
Anita
Thanks so much, Anita, I was honored to see you at my book launch. If there’s an opportunity to do so, I would love to collaborate with you on a project to help more people who stutter. Hope to connect with you soon, Larry