Michael Niven, a practicing lawyer and recovering stutterer, presented a moving and informative story. The speech disorder known as stuttering is a speech disorder in which the flow of speech is disrupted, leaving those afflicted with the inability to effectively communicate. It affects one per cent of Canadians, or potentially 10,000 Calgarians!Despite decades of research, the cause of stuttering is not clear, but evidence indicates a physiological disposition which may be triggered by physical or emotional trauma. The condition limits a person’s ability to realize their potential. Michael cited the case of a friend who was bilingual in Russian and English and fluent in French. A highly intelligent, kind and funny man, he was stuck working in the mail room of a law firm.
The result is a cost to the individual, the family and society as a victim’s potential cannot be realized. The good news is that if you are going to stutter, then Alberta is a great place to do it. A proven treatment is provided by ISTAR, the Institute for Stuttering Treatment and Research, based at University of Alberta.
Founded by Dr. Einar Boberg, himself a severe stutterer and Dr. Deborah Kully, both Professors of Speech Pathology at U of A. in 1972, it provides cost effective treatment for people who stutter. In 2004 ISTAR was established as a University Institute in the Faculty of Rehabilitation medicine at U. of A.Bill Avery and Terry McMahon thank to our speaker Michael Niven.