 About the Author:
Kunal Mahajan is a life-long person who stutters based in New York City and has spent the majority of his career in the financial services profession before recently moving into the Corporate Social Responsibility space. He has been involved with various stuttering and disability non-profits and support groups and has been a champion of helping create more awareness and opportunities for people who stutter and those with other disabilities with career opportunities. His previous ISAD papers can be found in the ISAD online conferences 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. |
As I thought about this year’s theme of “Being Seen, Being Heard – Representation and Normalization of Stuttering in the Mainstream”, it made me think of the song I wrote for Camp Words Unspoken’s camp that was held from August 19th – 24th, 2022. Camp Words Unspoken is New England’s first overnight camp for youths and teens who stutter and I was lucky enough to serve as a camp counselor this year for the first official year of the launch of the camp that held 35 children and teens who stutter from ages 8-17. The camp was founded by another person who stutters who has become my close friend, Brandon Towle, and his wonderful family who helped bring this camp together.
This song really embodies everything I think the camp stands for, but also of what I believe we as a stuttering community need to come together to embrace – “Stuttering Loudly and Stuttering Proudly”. Through doing so, society and the mainstream will begin to normalize stuttering and what better narrative would we want to create than people who stutter do so, loudly and proudly?
These brave campers sang this song on the last day up on the stage to all of the parents and other guests who attended the closing ceremony. As you read through these lyrics, ask yourselves, what is preventing you from stuttering loudly and proudly and how can you power through whatever is holding you back from doing so? It is a deep question, but one that is worth asking if we truly want to be seen and heard by others. Let us come together as one cohesive unit, as one ensemble, and stutter loudly AND proudly!
Camp Words Unspoken Camp Song
We all love Camp Words Unspoken
Summer is over and our hearts are Broken
Ooh ooh ee ee aah aah aah
Ooh ooh ee ee aah aah aah
We stutter loudly, we stutter proudly!
We stutter loudly, we stutter proudly!
Sports and games we love to play
We swim in pools and lakes every day
Ooh ooh ee ee aah aah aah
Ooh ooh ee ee aah aah aah
We stutter loudly, we stutter proudly!
We stutter loudly, we stutter proudly!
We get teased about our stutters at school
But if you don’t stutter here, you sound like a fool
Ooh ooh ee ee aah aah aah
Ooh ooh ee ee aah aah aah
We stutter loudly, we stutter proudly!
We stutter loudly, we stutter proudly!
We are smart and brave and fun
But most of all we accept everyone
Ooh ooh ee ee aah aah aah
Ooh ooh ee ee aah aah aah
We stutter loudly, we stutter proudly!
We stutter loudly, we stutter proudly!
We have a voice, every boy, every girl
That deserves to be heard and contribute to the world
Ooh ooh ee ee aah aah aah
Ooh ooh ee ee aah aah aah
We stutter loudly, we stutter proudly!
We stutter loudly, we stutter proudly!
(LOUDER)
Ooh ooh ee ee aah aah aah
Ooh ooh ee ee aah aah aah
We stutter loudly, we stutter proudly!
We stutter loudly, we stutter proudly!
(SCREAM)
Ooh ooh ee ee aah aah aah
Ooh ooh ee ee aah aah aah
We stutter loudly, we stutter proudly!
We stutter loudly, we stutter proudly!
Kunal, not only was it a pleasure to meet and work with you at Camp Words Unspoken, it was an uplifting experience as an ally of PWS. The song you put together for the campers, and your strong and enthusiastic model as an openly and proudly stuttering adult, made a profound impact on everyone who heard. Given the loud, proud voices of the campers, I think the world heard! I think parents heard, I think the staff heard, and most of all, I think the kids heard each other and themselves. Lives are forever changed when people come together and lead efforts like Camp Words Unspoken, and like ISAD. Especially when we can reach kids who stutter, not with teaching and therapy and facts, but through experiences of community, solidarity and pride. — Deborah Bennett, MS CCC-SLP
Thanks so much for the kind comments Debbie and the words of encouragement. I sometimes forget how much collective impact we can have by making ourselves vulnerable and taking a strong stance.
It is such a great point that there are so many stakeholders watching us that we can really control the narrative we want the world to see and perceive Stuttering by the actions we take.
It was wonderful meeting you at camp!
How uplifting Kunal. I feel your great energy through your words and the song you have posted. Great work empowering others.
warmly, Nikki
Thank you Nikki! I really believe music and songs can have such a powerful impact on people that I hope people can remember these lyrics in those moments of weakness and self doubt they are having to pick them back up and enhance their mental state about their stuttering
Wow! I have always wanted to go to a Summer camp as a kid because of how fun movies made them seem! I could only imagine the unique experiences you’ve created for the kids who came to Camp Words Unspoken! I wanted to ask if you’ve always felt optimistic about being a PWS! If not, when was the moment you felt proud?
I’m currently studying to be a speech pathologist; we live trying to find fun and interactive ways to increase positive speaking experiences. Do you have any suggestions about fun games in therapy we could do that keeps talking fun and decreases negative feelings regarding stuttering?
I have been studying improv for the past 4 years taking classes, helping to teach improv, and performing improv. I highly recommend you do some reading about improv and bring in various improv games into therapy.
Communication and speaking can be fun if you change the objective and circumstances and improv is such a great way to get people out of their heads, outside their comfort zones, release fears of judgement, and help them remember all the various things that go into communicating effectively. Plus it brings a ton of laughter, joy, and exhilaration!
Kunal,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I love how this song embodies the principles of the camp! I am a current speech Language pathologist student and find that activities like this resonate with my clients for a long time! This is an amazing camp, great work!
Thanks so much for the comments Ashley! Yes this camp helped change lives and it’s so important we create these kind of cultures when we can influence them to create this kind of narrative.
Keep up the good work!
Thank you for sharing Kunal! I found myself smiling and trying to sing the song out loud myself! This song was uplifting, encouraging and fun. What a great way to encourage oneself through the camp experience and I hope this song sticks with them.
I’m so glad you were smiling and found this song uplifting! My hope was to write something that they would never forget to help them remember this camp and all the great lessons and principles from it.
Appreciate the feedback!
Kaunal,
I love this song and the story behind it! I am currently a graduate student studying to be an SLP doing my off-site at an elementary school. I see one kiddo who is very embarrassed about stuttering and I would like to do something special to make him feel more comfortable with his stutter! I wondered if there were any experiences/activities that younger kids at camp participated in that would be good to implement into everyday therapy for someone who is very quiet due to his stuttering. Thank you again for sharing your experience
Bethany thanks for this question as honestly the majority of campers started this way.
What I’ve found is some of the most simplest improv games is the best way to get people talking, outside their comfort zone, and out of their own head.
Ons of the first activities we did was a name game where everyone would have to do a physical action while saying their name and we went around a circle.
Keep playing these different improv games every day and the progress they will make is significant
Ahhh! I love this. As I read your words, I can hear the passion for empowering others and making your voices heard. It is so inspiring when people pour into the next generation. I am a speech pathology graduate student and I am wondering what adults and mentors can do differently or specifically to facilitate confidence in children and young adults who stutter?
Thank you so much for your comments and yes part of my life’s mission is to give back to the next generation.
I think it all starts with us each being vulnerable ourselves and getting outside our own comfort zones. Kids often don’t think we can relate so we have to prove to them that we have certain insecurities ourselves and things we are working through to show commonality.
I think we also have to use our influence and power to create these activities around confidence building into their lives. I have been able to roll out a improv program at my workplace for example for this very reason — using this program to help people build their confidence and get over fears of judgement. There is no reason why we can’t be implementing improv games and improv ctivities into therapy, schools, our homes etc to help build this confidence in a fun way
Thank you for sharing, Kunal! I like the point you made about helping society to normalize stuttering by doing so loudly and proudly. I also think it’s great for youth to have support through this camp. What an amazing opportunity for these individuals to have mentors like you to help build confidence and acceptance. The lyrics to this song are uplifting and empowering.
Thanks for the comments!! Yes I think unless we let our voice be heard with this kind of narrative, the narrative society will believe will not be a positive one.
I’m so glad you found the song so powerful and yes I believe so much of the key to happiness and joy in life overall comes from having confidence and acceptance
Thank you for sharing your experience working with the community of PWS. I am sure you have created a lasting impact on peoples’ lives, as they have the ability to relate to you on a personal level. I am an undergraduate student studying SLP. To better understand how to help PWS, I would like to ask, what are effective ways clinicians can encourage PWS to build their confidence when communicating. I am sure this camp will aid in that process of empowerment and awareness.
Thank you for sharing!
– Gabriela Tarula
Thank you Gabriela for the kind comments and feedback! I think by doing improv exercises with them is one of the best ways to increase their confidence. It allows you both to put yourselves in a vulnerable state but in a fun way that promotes authenticity and honesty and it is something that can be sustainable over a long period of time. Improv has had a life changing experience on helping me develop my overall confidence and communication skills
Hi Kunal!
I love that you were able to show others that you aren’t ashamed of your stutter by putting it into a song! As a fellow camp counselor, I just know that by teaching those children your song, you created an impact on their lives, and they’ll look back and remember that moment forever. By teaching them the song, you were teaching them to also be proud of their stutter and that it is nothing to be ashamed of. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Thanks for the kind words!! Yes I know if we can get through to them this message it will have life changing impact and music is such a powerful form
Wow! I have always wanted to go to a Summer camp as a kid because of how fun movies made them seem! I could only imagine the unique experiences you’ve created for the kids who came to Camp Words Unspoken! I wanted to ask if you’ve always felt optimistic about being a PWS! If not, when was the moment you felt proud?
Thank you for the kind words! I definitely did not feel optimistic being a person who stutters until I turned 33 (3 years ago).
I founded the Disabilities Employee Resource Group at my firm after arranging a mock interview event for the Stuttering community and when I founded that group it was the first time I felt like I had a purpose in this world with my stutter and a community that was with me.
Prior to that though I always felt my stutter was a bad thing that I wish I didn’t have. After founding this Disabilities group though I truly felt grateful and lucky to have been blessed with having a stutter
Hi Kunal,
I am going to school to be a SLP, I know many people are very insecure about their stutter, and are more incline to avoid social situations than use their voice. Can you please give me a piece of information I can pass on to them that you notice helps students you work with to use their voice more openly. Thank you in advanced, your advice will be deeply appreciated.
Not everyone is going to accept you, but the majority of people are supportive, compassionate, and understanding so don’t waste time on people who don’t.
People care about what you have to offer to this world so if you have good ideas, wisdom, perspective, and can create value then people will hear that whether you stutter or not.
Focus your time on building your skill set and expertise and confidence and overall communication skills as opposed to obsessing over your speech.
This is why I’ve done a lot of improv to help build these skills
Hi Kunal,
Thank you for sharing your experience. The camp song is such a wonderful message to sing to young children who stutter and are experiencing hardships. I’ve gone to summer camps before when I was younger and those camps were memories that I always looked back at and reminisce about till this day now that I am older. I hope these children in the summer camps also take these memories on with them throughout their life to remind them to be bold and fearless. It is important to raise awareness that PWS should be proud and empowered early in age, so they can grow up with the same mindset and not be scared or ashamed when going through any obstacles. Thank you for sharing and doing your part to spread this message to PWS.
Cristen
Thank you for the kind words! Yes this is what inspired me to make this song as I wanted this to be a part of their memory of this special experience and influence the narrative in their heads
Hello Kunal,
This is a beautiful song that you wrote during your time at summer camp. I was wondering how was your transition going from being at camp where you have a huge support group that you spend so much time with and going back to reality? Did you ever struggle with the transition? Also, did you ever have an issue with getting bullied at school because of your stutter or did you feel like you had a safe and supportive environment at school?
Thank you so much for sharing your story! I cannot wait to hear back from you!
Sincerely,
Aryn Arzu
For the campers, it was a big transition going from so much support to being alone in the world which was hard for them.
I felt that too even as a counselor, but for me it’s all about the experiences and memories. These are special moments that we learn from and cherish and I know my experiences there will shape. Me for the rest of my life.
Growing up at school yeah people would make fun of my stutter, but most people didn’t because I was an athlete, student body President, and just very friendly with everyone. I’ve found when you can add value it’s hard for people to mess with you so I’ve always been a hard worker.
Hi Kunal,
This song is beautiful and must have been so impactful for the campers and their families. I am a future SLP. Can you share some of the types of activities or games that were played during camp that the campers enjoyed?
Thank you!! Lots of sports, scavenger hunts, water balloons fights, obstacle courses on lakes, and different kinds of team building activities which are your typical camp style activities.
We also did a lot of improv style activities, talent shows, and other activities designed to get people outside their comfort zones but when done in a psychologically safe way were something the campers stepped up to the plate to do
Hello Kunal,
Thank you for posting and for sharing your song. I can only imagine how impactful Camp Words Unspoken is on the lives of children and teens who stutter. I am a future SLP and in my fluency class, we talk a lot about the emotional aspect of stuttering and how important it is to address the “under the iceberg” characteristics. The song lyrics about deserving to be heard and contribute to the world especially stood out to me because no child/person should ever feel any shame about who they are or feel unable to live their life to the fullest in fear of judgment. Thank you so much for empowering PWS to live freely and proudly. You are heard and seen!
– Olivia
Camps for children, teens and young adults are so important and I’m so happy to myself been a camp leader for many years myself. I still remember that girl pulling her mother’s shirt saying “Mom, she stutters too!”. Also for parents these are important to meet adults who stutter, as we can show them that life isn’t over just because you happen to have a stutter. So thanks for your engagement and your camp song.
Keep them talking
Anita
Hi Kunal! I love this song. I can only imagine the emotions those children felt singing these lyrics loudly and proudly! I am currently a student, and it warmed my heart thinking about the impact in which you had on all of the campers. It is what happens behind the scenes and “under the iceberg” that matters most. Thank you for making these children become more comfortable in who they are as I think that is imperative in growing as a child and young teen.