I Am More Than My Stutter – Julian Stambouli

Julian Stambouli

About the Author:

My name is Julian Stambouli, I am 9 years old and I attend Oak Grove Elementary School in California.

My speech teacher Mr. Panzarino has helped me understand that my stutter does not define me, if anything it makes me even more complex and someone who can no longer be confined into a box which requires a check mark. I require different things from school than my peers and I have learned that it’s okay to be different, because one size does NOT fit all.

S ilent words that no one ever gets the chance to hear 
T here is more to me than meets the ear, there is really someone special here
U nderneath my speech is happiness and joy  
T each others to be kind and understand differences, some disabilities are invisible 
T alking can be scary for people who stutter 
E ager to keep on learning no matter if others think im different 
R eally, its OK to stutter 

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Comments

I Am More Than My Stutter – Julian Stambouli — 75 Comments

  1. This is the coolest paper of the whole conference! What a great way to explain stuttering. And what a great teacher you have. It’s ok to be different, as what we say is worth repeating. 🙂

    Happy ISAD and keep talking
    Anita

  2. I loved your quote “I have learned that it is ok to be different, because one size does not fit all”.

    So much of our lives we strive to be the same as everyone else and fit in with the norm but this is such a great reminder that there is a lot of beauty in being different and diversity. I forget myself how there is someone really special here and I have to reflect to remember just how many unique talents I have and how much good I have done and can continue to do for this world.

    Thank you for sharing such a simple but deep poem and I am proud of how mature and wise you are at such a young age already!

    Kunal

    • Thank you 🙂 it’s okay to stand out and have something that makes us different and special!

  3. Julian,

    Thank you so much for sharing this with us. You have more courage at your young age than many adults who stutter do. You are lucky – acknowledging your stutter now, while young, and being able to advocate for yourself, will set you up for confident communication as your move through all of the journeys of your life.

    What made you decide to contribute to this conference? I am so glad you did.

    Pam

    • Hi Miss Pam, thank you! My speech teacher has submitted work before and we worked on this idea together! I wanted to be a part of the stuttering community to meet some more kids like me 🙂

  4. Hi Julian
    I loved your poem.I write poetry about stammering too. You sound like a smart young man and may already know that your poem is an example of an acrostic poem. This is a poem where the first letter of each line reads down vertically to mean something.
    Here is one of mine- it is called a reverse poem – because it can be read up or down, with a different meaning:

    When I stammer
    I feel good
    I will never say
    I feel bad
    When I stammer.

    I am 63 years older than you are and wish I had as much wisdom as you have at your age.
    Well done to everyone who helped you.

    This is my favourite post and the first one I responded to.
    Best of luck in the future.
    Tim

  5. Wow, thank you for sharing Julian! The poem is so beautiful, it made me feel very accepted and happy. I hope to read more poems or see other works of art from you in the future.

    -Willemijn

  6. What a great poem! My favourite line is “ T here is more to me than meets the ear, there is really someone special here”.

  7. “There is really someone special here” ❤️ Indeed there is! Thank you so much for sharing your voice and writing with us, I hope to read so much more from you! 🙂

    —Mackenzie, Mom of a child who stutters and SLP

  8. Julian, I have shared your amazing acrostic in a small group for kids who stutter today because I really wanted them to see your cool perspective and thinking around your stuttering. I thought it was so beautifully written, had deep meaning and touched upon some very important ideas that others could relate to. I loved the line ‘there is more to me than meets the ear, there really is someone special here’ And I absolutely agree. You really are special! Thank you so much for sharing your work.

    Here is what the kids in my group had to say….. (they are aged 10-12 years)…..
    ‘We really think it is ok to stutter and we don’t care if others who don’t stutter think differently’
    ‘This is a strong and good thing’
    ‘It’s a really good way of expressing your feelings’
    ‘Underneath my speech is happiness and confidence’
    ‘I can relate to the line ‘silent words….’

    • Thank you for sharing 🙂 I think it’s okay if others call me weird or different! I am trying to speak more to people in public like ordering my own food and that is helping me a lot!

  9. Julian,

    Your poem is making waves across the global stuttering community. It is deeply inspiring. Thank you for writing it, and keep being you.

    – Mr. P

    • Thank you Mr.P! Thank you for being my teacher and friend! I always enjoy our lessons together and playing games! 😊

  10. Julian,
    You are one cool kid! To have so much knowledge at your age and help to inspire the world is amazing. What are some ways that you could help others who stutter to also feel comfortable with their stutter and be as positive as you are? It is inspiring to hear from such a young person! Good job!
    Thanks,
    Rebecca

    • Thank you! I get most nervous with school presentations so I practice a lot at home. And try to keep going if my stutter makes me take longer, sometimes I need more time than others. I try and let people know that i need a little longer to speak!

  11. Julian, What a wonderful testimony you gave about your speech! Your analogy with a text box that requires a check mark is really “to the point”. No such thing! The ideas that you express with the word “STUTTERER” are so well thought out.
    Someone said that you have a great teacher. That is indeed the case, and I know that first-hand, because Mr. Panzarino was my bachelor and master’s student. We have done research together, for which he received awards; we have presented on his research internationally and have published together.
    To both you and Mr. Panzarino: congratulations for this wonderful addition to the International Stuttering Awareness Day. Do you realize you are now internationally published as well?
    I wish you a great future!
    Martine Vanryckeghem

    • Thank you very much! I liked hearing your stories of Mr.P, he is a great teacher and as helped me be comfortable with my stutter a lot!

  12. Julian, Thank you for sharing that amazing piece, I am always so pleased when I see children your age showing so much knowledge and acceptance of their speech. You will help so many others, well done proud of you. From Phyllis.

  13. Hi Julian,
    This was very lovely to read. Thank you for this poem. It would be a gift for so many kids, teenagers and adults who stutter, including therapists, parents, and so on!
    Please keep writing and keep smiling! 🙂
    – Cynthia (Peruvian therapist)

  14. Julian,
    Thank you so much for sharing your poem and your story! I am in school to be a speech-language pathologist, and it sounds like you are working with a great one. I am excited to be able to help my students become more comfortable with their stutter because, like you said, it’s okay to be different. You make a lot of great points in your writing that I know are an inspiration to others!

  15. Julian,
    You are wise beyond your years and love that you already realize that it’s ok to be different (especially considering that many adults haven’t even figured this out yet). What a boring place it would be if we were all the same. You really are someone special and I appreciate you sharing your poem. Well done!
    -Brooke

  16. Hey Julian!

    Thank you for sharing your positive outlook and thoughts on stuttering. I love your understanding of what it is to be a person who stutters and your determination and mindset that will not allow stuttering to hold you back. I myself am also an up and coming speech language pathologist and applaud your speech therapist for instilling this confidence and assurance in you. You are awesome!

  17. Julian,

    Thank you for sharing this with us. I love your positive outlook on stuttering. I am currently in graduate school to become a speech language pathologist. It sounds like you have an amazing SLP that is instilling confidence in you. I hope to do the same for my future patients. You are an inspiration to us all!
    -Amber McKenzie

  18. Hi Julian,
    I love that your speech teacher taught you that your stutter does not define you! I am going to school to become a speech therapist too. This is the best post I have read so far! You did a great job expressing your feelings and it has helped me learn a little bit about what it is like to stutter from a kid’s perspective. You have more confidence and courage than most adults do. Keep up the good work because you are making a difference in the stuttering community!
    -Jordan

  19. Hi Julian – You have such a great outlook on stuttering. I am glad that you have found an SLP who has helped you realize that you are more than your stutter. I really enjoyed your poem. I think this will help other children who stutter, but also could be very useful in explaining stuttering to peers/classmates. Thank you for your post!
    -Andrea

    • Thank you, i showed this in my school to help others know i stutter! Hopefully i will meet some stuttering friends one day

  20. Julian,
    Your post is the first post I read and I love how positive you are. You are absolutely right, you’re stuttering does not define you and one size does not fit all. I am currently in school to be a speech-language pathologists so I love reading about your feelings and outlook regarding your stuttering. Keep up the good work buddy!
    Jenna

  21. Hi Julian,

    I hope you know how inspiring and incredible you are. This is a great perspective to have on stuttering, especially at such a young age. Everyone is different and NO ONE fits into a box. My favorite line is “Teach others to be kind and understand differences, some disabilities are invisible.” I am going to school to become a speech-language pathologist like Mr. Panzarino- I hope I can be as wise as you both are one day. Thank you for your poem!

  22. Hi Julian, I loved reading your delightful and insightful poem. I think your perspective on stuttering can be used to encourage other people who stutter and educate people on what it is like to be someone who stutters. Your poem can help other young people who stutter and teach them that it is ok to stutter and to be exactly who you are because who you are is uniquely special. Thank you for sharing!

  23. Hi Julian, I love this and appreciate the insight you provided about your stutter! The line “Silent words that no one ever gets the chance to hear”, is so powerful. I love that you have created such a good relationship with your SLP and that together you have worked to create this piece of writing that will have a positive effect on so many others! Thank you for sharing!
    – Katrina

  24. Hello Julian,
    I loved this so much! I loved the line that said “teach each others to be kind and understand differences, some disabilities are invisible”. I think that this is such an important thing, that many people often forget. I think bringing awareness to this is so helpful an important for this community and give others information on this topic as well.
    Thank you so much for this creative poem,
    Madalyn

  25. Hi Julian!

    I’m in my last year of school to become a speech therapist and currently work in an elementary school. You seem like an awesome kid with a wonderful support system. Your perspective on stuttering is refreshing and I plan on sharing your poem with my own students who stutter! My favorite line is “Eager to keep on learning no matter if others think I’m different”. That mindset will take you far in life and something I need to remind myself of too! Thank you for sharing and inspiring many!

  26. Hu Julian! I loved your poem and am so glad that you were able to find such a positive attitude and be so confident in yourself at such a young age. I know it can be hard to be seen as different at a young age, I know it was hard for me at least. I was wondering if you had any advice to give to those who have a hard time accepting that they are different than others, even though it’s not a bad thing?

    • Hi, thank you for reading my poem. I would tell them they are doing a great job and they can do what ever goals they have!

  27. Dear Julian,
    Thank you so much for sharing your experience here. I am so grateful you have a speech teacher like Mr. Panzarino in your life. I am an SLP student currently and hope that I can learn to be as good of a speech teacher as Mr. Panzarino is. Keep standing tall and believing in yourself. I hope you continue sharing your experience with other kids who stutter! I truly believe you can make a difference.

  28. Hi Julian!

    Thank you for sharing your paper with us! What a unique voice that we get to hear from as you represent a student population. I love that Mr. Panzarino has made such a big impact on you! As a soon to be SLP that is so encouraging. I would love to know what work you do with Mr. Panzarino that you feel serves you best!

    • Hi, i think that my breathing excercizes help me before i talk. Also my teacher makes me talk to the staff which can be scary but sometimes helps.

  29. Hi Julian! Thank you so much for sharing this with us! Your line: “silent words no one ever gets the chance to hear” was so impactful! I am so glad you have Mr. Panzarino to help you be more confident and learn that what you have to say is so important! I am currently learning to be a speech therapist and I hope that one day I can help students like you!

  30. Hi Julian!
    I loved reading your poem! I love the part of it that said, “Underneath my speech is happiness and joy.” I think there can be several negative emotions that go with stuttering, so I am very happy to hear that you are still filled with so much joy. I love your resilience to continue learning, even if you are different. I hope that speaking becomes less scary to you and that your passion to spread awareness stays with you!

  31. Hi, Julian! Thank you for sharing your piece with us. I love the creativity, honesty, and pride in stuttering you have portrayed with your writing. It is so awesome to hear about the personal experience of a student. I’m so glad Mr. Panzarina has encouraged you to learn more about your stutter and own it. Keep up the awesome work!

  32. Hello Julian!

    Thank you for your positivity and spreading of joy to others. It is beautiful to see how you have taken something that others may use as an excuse and work even harder with a smile on your face! You are so right it is okay to be different and it is more than okay to stutter. Keep on keeping on and never stop being a light to the world. Who in your life other than your speech teacher have been your biggest supporters/encouragers?

    -Isabel

    • Hello, my friends and my mom. Some of my teachers and staff at my school who know me always make me feel good. Thank you for reading 🙂

  33. Hey Julian! Great job on this! I see so much potential in you. You have so much wisdom for someone of such a young age. You are learning not to try and “hide” your stutter, but to embrace it!
    You are right..it is “OK to stutter”! I think you spoke volumes with this acronym for “STUTTER”. You should be proud of yourself. Make sure to always maintain the joy and positive attitude that you currently have!

  34. Hi Julian! Great job on speaking your truth at such a young age. It can be difficult to put your feelings into words, but you did it with such ease. As a future speech pathologist, I hope to make a sliver of impact on my future students, as Mr. Panzarino has done with you!

  35. Hi Julian! I loved your poem and reading in the comments the impact it has had on others as well! At just 9 years old, you have already been a positive influence to so many by sharing your story. I tried to pick a favorite line, but found that difficult as each line is unique and important in their own way. Overall, the message you left was beautiful and I loved that you started out saying “my stutter does not define me, if anything it make me even more complex.” Thank you for sharing!!

  36. Hi Julian,
    Thank you so much for sharing your story. I enjoyed reading your post! I loved that you said your stutter does not require a check mark and does not confine you to a box. You are absolutely right; you are more than your stutter and being different is completely okay. I loved your view on the word stutter and how you can a definition for each letter. Specifically, I liked the letter “T”, never forgot that there is more to you than meets the ear because you are definitely special!
    Thanks for sharing and best of luck to you!

  37. Hi Julian! I loved reading your outlook on being a person who stutters, thank you for sharing your story and for encouraging others who stutter through your words and awesome poem! I am studying to be a speech language pathologist and I hope to help give confidence to people who stutter by reminding them that their words are worth hearing and one size does not fit all!

  38. Hi Julian!

    Thank you for sharing your story and your poem. You are very strong and extremely smart! I hope that your poem reaches lots of people. You wrote some beautiful words. It is very special, just like you!

  39. Hi, Julian! You are absolutely right, your stutter makes you SO much more complex and therefore UNIQUE! If you ask me, being “normal” isn’t much fun. Embrace your differences and be proud of them, because they make you who you are. Thanks for sharing this!

  40. Hi Julian! I wanted to express how beautiful your story and inspiring poem were. Your outlook on life is truly remarkable and serves as a source of motivation for me! As I pursue my studies to become a speech-language pathologist, your positivity is uplifting!

    The line from your poem, “Underneath my speech is happiness and joy,” brightened my day!! Thank you once again for sharing your work and know that you should take great pride in your accomplishments! Keep up the exceptional work!

    ~Alyson