
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, June 1, 1990                   TAG: 9006010083
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: E-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BARBARA SOMERVILLE COX NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

PATIENCE IS THE KEY VIRTUE IN TALKING TO STUTTERERS

Can you guess what Marilyn Monroe had in common with King George VI, Winston Churchill and James Earl Jones?

They all stuttered - and it didn't prevent them from becoming successful or famous.

While stuttering affects four times as many males as females, about a fourth of all children go through a stuttering stage or two as they develop. They usually outgrow their stuttering if parents don't focus too much attention on it.

Communicating with a stutterer makes many people self-conscious because they are not sure what to do. These tips from the Speech Foundation of America will make it easier:

Ignore the temptation to finish sentences or fill in words for a stutterer. Don't say, "Slow down. Take a breath. Relax." Such advice is not helpful.

Maintain eye contact and wait patiently until the person is finished.

Talk in a relaxed, but slower than normal, manner.

For more information about stuttering and how to help your child or yourself, call the Speech Foundation of America at (800) 992-9392.

by CNB