My name is Aishwarya, I’m an electrical engineer, 33 years old, and I live in California, USA. I began stuttering at the age of 9, during the 4th grade. My parents first noticed the issue when I started blinking rapidly and forcing words out while answering their questions. The stuttering began after a teacher slapped me on the cheek for not completing my math homework on time. My parents believed that changing schools might help me overcome this problem, as they thought it stemmed from fear and embarrassment. Thankfully, my time in the new school from 5th to 10th grade was smooth, with kind and supportive teachers. However, high school (11th and 12th grade) was a nightmare —the third school I attended. There, teachers suggested that I should study in a special needs school, saying I didn’t belong with the other “normal kids.” My classmates would imitate me and make fun of my facial expressions, leaving me in tears almost every day. Despite consistently ranking in the top 5, these experiences took a toll on my mental health and caused my grades to drop. This period also worsened my stuttering to the point where it sometimes took me 2-3 minutes to say a single word.
I started speech therapy at 15, learning techniques like inhaling before each word, but despite years of effort, I saw no improvement. After graduating, I struggled to find a job for two years because I couldn’t pass group discussion rounds during interviews. Making friends was also difficult until I completed my bachelor’s degree. I had a hard time with the speaking sections of English language exams like IELTS and TOEFL, which prevented me from getting into good universities in the US for my master’s degree. During my master’s in the US, I took several speech therapy sessions between the ages of 24 and 27, where I learned techniques like easy-onset and light contact. I tried hard to incorporate them into my daily conversations, but I wasn’t successful.
I wanted to switch jobs but lacked the confidence to endure 5-8 hour interviews due to my speech difficulties. One particularly bad experience, where I couldn’t even say my name to HR and hiring managers during a phone interview, made me stop interviewing altogether for a while. Fortunately, I came across Coach Lee’s book in early 2024 when browsing through Amazon. Reading about how ex-stutterers, including Coach Lee himself, had overcome their speech difficulties gave me confidence and now I became part of WSSA family. I only wish I had found Coach Lee’s book sooner.
The 1:1 sessions with Prathusha and Coach Lee have truly transformed my life, giving me a new perspective on my speech. Their dedication to helping people like me is nothing short of incredible, and I can’t thank them enough for their unwavering support and encouragement.
The “1,2,3 punch” technique and the “12 crutches” and speech plan, combined with consistent effort, have been key in reducing my blocks/long pauses. I’ve eliminated jaw jerks, facial contortions, and hesitation, and I’m now able to communicate my thoughts with family and friends. While I’m still a work in progress (aren’t we all?), as I’m fluent talking to my husband, friends, families etc., however, I still have to work on expanding my comfort zone as my speech at the workplace is still a challenge, as my anxiety still battles my speech plan. However, with the
help of speech plan – short, link stop and crutch 9 the intensity of my stuttering at workplace has reduced and is almost eliminated. With consistent practice and effort, I hope to fully recover and achieve the next milestone of loving to speak in all situations in the near future.
Aishwarya, California, September 2024
