Teen Explains Stuttering In Order to Educate

It is good to see that someone has guts and initiative. Especially when he is a teenage boy who stutters. Eric McSherry, a 14 year old student from Braintree High School has decided since it was National Stuttering Awareness day, he must let others know about what stuttering is and what it is like. How it feels to struggle valiantly for the next word, and what it is like to hope that his listeners will be patient. I'm sure every stutterer wishes that others understand them better.

Many people don't know about stuttering and this boy has decided to do something about it. Eric asked his teacher, Amanda Patrick if he could talk to each class in the South Shore Educational Collaborative program housed at Braintree High School about the challenge of stuttering. He got his approval.

Eric spoke about how he has stuttered pretty much all his life. He sometimes has these periods of fluency which I'm sure every stutterer has. He answered a confident 'yes' when asked if he gets frustrated when he couldn’t get his words out. This of course, is expected from someone who is intelligent and has a lot to say! “I’m just as smart as you are,” he tells his classmates. He even went over what the listener should do when someone gets stuck, “Don’t finish my sentence,” he said. “Be patient" Don’t say ‘slow down or ‘relax.’ It doesn’t help. " He discusses the common phone problem with some humor, “I have more trouble controlling my speech on the phone. If you pick up the phone and hear nothing, be sure it is not a person who stutters trying to speak before you hang up.” Eric seems to have done his research too. He mentions the fact that 3 million people in the US stutters and even names some famous people. All and all he wants to make sure people understand what stuttering is so that they will be more accepting and not believe in the common myths. He seems determined to become fluent.

I can relate to Eric because we both love to talk and talk!
This young man has done a great service to his fellow stutterers, the world need more people like him.

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