 About the Author:
My name is Faith Leung Hiu Lam. I am a registered SLP and a specialist in stuttering treatment in the Chinese language. Currently, I serve as the Vice President of Professional Clinical Education at the Taiwan Stuttering Association. With over a decade of experience, more than 90% of my clients are people who stutter, including adults, adolescents and children. I also supervise University of Melbourne students during their clinical placements in my stuttering-focused clinic. What I find most rewarding is working closely with clients to explore their stuttering and helping them realize their ability to communicate with confidence and freedom. Witnessing this transformation inspires me to continue serving and advocating for this remarkable community. |
Video Summary: The video is titled “A quick chat with a young man: Owning My Voice – Kyle’s Stuttering Journey”. In this video, a high school student, Kyle, shares his journey with stuttering. He demonstrates resilience and courage in the face of challenges. Through his openness, we hope to inspire confidence, raise awareness, and celebrate the unique strengths that every person who stutters brings to the world.
“Confidence doesn’t come from sounding perfect, it comes from choosing to speak.” – HUGE!
So true! Confidence is all about taking the leap, not getting every word perfect.
Thank you for sharing this perspective. As a future SLP I want to remember several of these important points, especially that stuttering should be viewed as part of the person as opposed to something that needs to be fixed and that every voice has value.
I’m sure that understanding this makes us better clinicians! 💙 It’s such an important perspective to carry forward. The uniqueness of each person’s voice is truly our signature.
Kyle’s experience is relatable, as in most people around me, no matter teachers, relatives, and friends, tend to react positively when we are fluent. It could be a major obstacle in our stuttering acceptance. Comparing with traditional “Chinese” school, international school might be more open up?
Dear Meow, this is Kyle’s reply:
Hi, I’m Kyle. Thank you so much for sharing that. I completely agree with what you said about how people’s reactions can really shape how we see our own speech. That pressure to be fluent all the time can make it harder to accept stuttering as just another way of speaking. I’ve also noticed differences in how open or understanding different school environments can be, and I think you’re right that international schools might sometimes make it easier to talk about things like this. I really appreciate your insight!
I appreciate that Kyle expressed “You don’t need to wait until you’re fluent to make an impact…” Thank you Faith and Kyle for sharing your video. – Ana Paula Mumy
Thank you, Ana Paula! We’re happy the message resonated. Every voice matters, and we love seeing people step forward and make a difference. 😊
Hello,
From a diverse standpoint, how would you classify or factor in the biggest differences when it comes to working with patients that range in different languages, cultures, and backgrounds? I feel like it can vary a lot, but with your scope in working with Kyle, how has that varied within all the clients you work with?