The Tower Pulse

The Tower Pulse

The Tower Pulse

Polls

What is your favorite spring sport

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

Everyday struggle with speech impediment brings senior strength

By Lindsey Mestdagh ’13| Staff Writer

Since his stutter was first detected as a three-year-old in nursery school, Max Warren ’13 has learned to find strength and motivation through his daily speaking challenges, his mother Christy Warren said.

“Max’s stutter was very mild and came and went,” said Christy Warren. “It is still mild today and some people don’t even notice, but over the years he has had professional speech therapy where he has learned ways to control it and techniques for when he gets stuck.”

The stutter is difficult to explain without seeing or hearing it, Max Warren said. When attempting a word he freezes up and his vocal cords stop moving so that he’s stuck trying to get the word out.

The exact cause of a stutter is unknown, speech and language pathologist Dorisann Martinuzzi said. Recent studies suggest that genetics play a role and it is thought that many individuals who stutter inherit traits that put them at risk to develop stuttering.

One of triggers for developmental stuttering may be the development of grammar skills, Martinuzzi said. When the child starts trying to produce longer, more complex sentences stuttering may occur.

“Sometimes family history plays a role,” said Martinuzzi. “It is more common among males (they are three to four times more likely to stutter) and usually appears between age two and a half and four although it may occur during elementary school.”

Normal speech requires the brain to control movement of the mouth and vocal chords using the sound of the person’s voice as a guide, Martinuzzi said. This integration of movement and hearing typically happens in the left hemisphere (premotor cortex). In people who stutter, the process occurs in the right hemisphere.

There are certain sounds and letters that are more of challenge to say, especially words with the letters S or B, Max Warren said.

Photo courtesy of Max Warren '13. Max Warren poses for his senior picture.

“I used to be very embarrassed of it because I was made fun of for it when I was younger,” said Max Warren. “Now I am OK with it, except in speech class, because it’s almost impossible for me to read off of a script or notes, which makes the class a lot harder.”

Stuttering tends to happen more when he is put in an uncomfortable situation, Max Warren said. If he is giving a speech in front of the class his stutter is a lot worse than when he is just hanging out and casually talking with his friends.

“I wasn’t aware of Max’s stutter because he doesn’t do it in casual conversation,” said speech teacher Meaghan Dunham. “His mom and Mr. Roby informed me within the first week or two he was in my class.”

Max handles his stutter with grace, Dunham said. Even in his first impromptu exercises and informative speech, it was barely noticeable.

It is more noticeable when he isn’t entirely prepared, Dunham said. He stutters mainly when his nerves exacerbate and when he gets intimidated by certain words. Max works through them and realizes that what he does in casual conversation he can easily translate into formal speaking that will come with preparation and confidence.

“I give him three or four years with his stutter and I think it will be gone,” said Dunham. “I just think he will get more confident, he will have been in more speaking situations, and he’s realized the importance of preparation.”

Max complete a speech on Syphus training that he was very engaged in, and the speech was really informative, Dunham said. It was well prepared and he got held up by a couple of words, but it was negligible compared to how it affects him when he is not as prepared.

“He got up there and rocked that speech,” said Dunham

The stutter has not affected his grade in speech, Dunham said. Because Max is working, trying, and constantly improving, there is no way she would let the stutter interfere with his grade.

Most of his peers know that his stutter is just a part of who he is and nobody gives it a second thought, Dunham said. His classmates are very supportive and they are all so comfortable that they even give him positive feedback about his stutter.

“The fact that he took the class in the first place, puts himself up there every day and takes that risk knowing he may potentially stutter sets an excellent example,” said Dunham. “He shows that no matter what you’re struggling with you can always improve and without risk, taking a chance, and getting out there, there’s no way you can improve.”

There were times when stuttering was very bad and it was a struggle to get through just about every sentence, Max Warren said.

“Seventh grade was a struggle in particular when a lot of my teachers noticed the stutter and reported it,” said Max Warren. “I then took a speech class once a week at Brownell Middle School, which really made a difference now that I look back.”

Stress is a factor in Max’s stutter, Christy Warren said. Certain situations bring it on such as answering the phone, ordering at a restaurant or public speaking.

An incident his sophomore year took place when a couple older boys thought his stutter was a joke while speaking in class and began imitating him, Christy Warren said. Thinking they were making fun of him, Max had a tough time, but the boys later realized the stuttering was real and apologized.

“Max, for the most part, has had a positive experience with peer groups,” said Christy Warren. “He is accepting of his disorder and is very upfront in telling people who may wonder when they first meet him.”

Some people understand it and respect it, some people laugh at it, and some people just don’t understand it, Max Warren said. Either way, he does not let the reactions of others bother him anymore.

“I would like people to just understand and respect the fact that I have a speech impediment,” said Max Warren. “I would appreciate if people would pretend it’s not there and not make a comment or anything when I do stutter.”

There is no particular way to cure a stutter, but there are many ways to help a stutter, Max Warren said. Using a silent H in front of certain words or replacing a specific word with one that is easier to say are a couple of the techniques used.

“We are very proud of Max as he got involved last year in a Mock Trial club before school that ended with him playing a role in a mock trial as a witness and defense attorney where he had to speak,” said Christy Warren. “This was a big challenge and he did very well.”

Max has had a very supportive group of friends, teachers and administrators, Christy Warren said. He has met his challenge head on and will continue to.

“Doug Roby, the school social worker, has been a constant source of amazing support for Max in many ways and we are so grateful,” said Christy Warren.

With all of the support, Max’s acceptance of his stutter has greatly improved through high school, Christy Warren said.

“We are very proud of how Max deals with his stutter,” said Christy Warren. “It is a lifelong issue he is going to have to deal with, but he has a very good attitude”

Living with a stutter has many challenges, but knowing that he can fight through it makes him feel a lot better with himself, Max Warren said.

“It has really helped me deal with other things in my life because stuttering is very hard to overcome,” said Max Warren. “I know that I can get through a five minute speech now even though I stutter because it is only making me stronger. I think back to stuttering when I am doing other things that I have to push through to reach success.”

Leave a Comment
More to Discover

Comments (0)

All The Tower Pulse Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *