How does stuttering affect you in the work you do? As a public speaker and working in the entertainment industry, I’ve found that my stutter doesn’t hinder me from doing what I love to do. A lot of that comes from positive environments and amazing “co-workers.”
How is your stuttering today? What do you do to control or manage it, if anything?
Currently I just go about my life with the knowledge that I may need to take extra time to get my words out. I find that feelings of excitement, nervousness, or anxiety can trigger my stutter, so I try to manage those feelings as much as I can. I also take into account which words/sounds may trigger my stutter and substitute if needed.
What are the biggest challenges of stuttering?
As actor James Earl Jones said, “One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you can’t utter.” I feel this challenge is the hardest that I’ve had to deal with through having a stutter. I have words that I want to say, but I know that it’s going to be difficult to say them, so sometimes I choose not to.
What is your greatest accomplishment with regard to stuttering?
In 2021, I was looking for groups in Hawaii for teens like me who have a speech challenge. But, there weren’t any, so at the age of 14, I decided to start my own. Through dedication and hard work I was able to create a nonprofit organization called CHATS: Caring for Hawaii Teens with Speech Challenges. I’ve spoken to over 5,000 students, teachers, parents, and medical professionals about inclusion, acceptance and ways they can best help those with speech differences.
Based upon your experiences, what would you like to tell children who stutter?
Through being teased and mocked myself I found that it is important to educate others rather than show hatred or anger towards others. While having this mindset I’ve come to the realization that in order for others to accept you, you first have to accept yourself along with your unique challenges. I would encourage children with a stutter to face their challenges and speak often, while educating those who tease or mock you. In realizing that this is easier said than done, I encourage children to let their parents know if they are ever bullied or hurt physically or mentally because of what others are doing to them.
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Based upon your experiences, what would you tell parents of children who stutter? Parents play a vital role in helping their child navigate in a fluid world. Parents act as the first advocates for their kids by working together with their pediatrician and school, to find ways to help their child to feel comfortable and supported. It is important for parents to have a positive view about their child’s stutter, therefore the child will have a positive view of themselves. Parents should also know the do’s and don’ts when helping someone who has a stutter. This can be learned from speaking to speech pathologists or just by talking to other stutterers including their own child. Parents should never force their child to hide their stutter or to speak if they aren’t comfortable, instead they should be encouraging their child to talk and to teach others to listen.
What else should we know? I recently partnered with a nonprofit in Africa to help kids in Kenya with speech challenges. My “Bridge of Aloha” initiative is connecting Hawaii-based speech and language resources with kids 10,000 miles away in Kenya.
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