MANILA, Philippines — QUESTION: Thanks for the article about stuttering. I appreciate it very much. I am Donovan R. Batac, 34, a person who stutters since elementary years. Is there an organization in the Philippines about stuttering which will allow people who stutter to join and share their thoughts and experiences about the disability? I believe such group can build self-confidence to stutterers.

TEACHER GENEVIEVE SAYS: admire you, Donovan, for speaking up about your disability and seeking for an opportunity to share your journey with others.

Very few are courageous enough to open up about their exceptionality for fear of being rejected or misunderstood. Those who choose to do so find it liberating to actually be able to speak about their experiences and in the process, find comfort in knowing that what matters first and foremost is being able to accept their imperfections. Anyway, nobody is perfect! We all have our own particular “disabilities,” whether we accept them or not.

Is there a support group for stutterers in the Philippines?

I asked several practicing speech pathologists if there such a group exists. These are their answers For further inquiries and suggestions, you can e-mail the Philippine Association of Speech Pathologists at pasp_secretariat@yahoo.com.

“Sorry, there’s no existing support group for stutters in the country. Hopefully, we could help form one once this article comes out. Thanks for advocating!” — Ferdie Garcia, MD, CSP-PASP

“I haven’t heard of any association or support group for stutterers here in the Philippines, but as far as I know, the Clinic for Therapy Services - Adolescent & Adult, caters to patients who stutter and provide training in handling this condition.” — Paulo Cortez, SLP

“Here in the country, there is no known association to date but in the US meron. Sa atin, they don’t actually say their problems during inquiry and would even ask other family members to inquire for them (usually nahihiya with their problem.)” — Carla Cuadro, MRS-SP, SLP-PASP

“Childhood stuttering is not common because sometimes, it’s resolved when environmental factors are addressed. Patients who stutter can contact PASP to inquire about speech pathologists who can work with them.” — Suselyn Pascual, MRS-SP, SLP-PASP & Bambi Munar, MRS-SP, CSP-PASP “At present, there is no known support group for stutterers, but there are existing interventions, either hospital-, clinic-, or home-based which could provide the necessary therapeutic intervention for stuttering.” — Sonny Militante, SLP

Looking beyond My Disability

Acceptance is the first step in helping ourselves. Once we have accepted our “disability” then we can seek for help and find ways to overcome our weaknesses and make the most out of our strengths. Studies have proven that the acceptance of stuttering can actually lead to less stuttering and more effective communication.

About 68 million people worldwide, approximately one percent of the population, stutter (www.stutteringhelp.org). There are many famous people who have overcome stuttering by not letting their condition get in the way of achieving their life goals.

They are successful because they have believed in themselves in spite of their unpleasant experiences growing up with this communication disorder. Like you, they have found a new purpose, a calling to help others who are going through a similar journey.

By speaking up, you have ignited a flame of interest in establishing a support group for people who suffer from stuttering. This might have been overlooked in the past because no one dared to ask if such a group exists.

As a self-advocate, you can empower many individuals who have long hidden behind this “disability” and have failed to live up to their potential.

This is a wake-up call for professionals, family members of those who stutter, and stutterers themselves to come together to support one another.

Thank you for speaking up!