International Stuttering Awareness Day 22 October 2024 - Importance, Theme & History

International Stuttering Awareness Day is a global healthcare event celebrated on the 22nd of October every year to spread awareness about the speech disorder characterised by disruptions in fluency known as stuttering or stammering. Stuttering occurs through involuntary word repetition and temporary challenges in producing sounds or words, among other symptoms.

On this day, various local, national, and international organisations come together and conduct several events, media campaigns, educational activities and online resources to raise awareness about the difficulties faced by lakhs of individuals dealing with stuttering.

Importance of International Stuttering Awareness Day

Stuttering is a difference in speech patterning caused by loss of speech control, which results in interruptions or “disfluencies”. The word “stuttering” can be referred either to the specific speech disfluencies commonly produced by people who stutter or to the overall communication condition that people who stutter may experience.

In addition to creating disfluencies, people who stutter often experience physical strain and challenges in their speech muscles, as well as awkwardness, anxiety, and fear about speaking. Together, these characteristics can make it very difficult for people who stutter to talk, hindering their ability to communicate effectively with others. There are as many different types of stuttering as there are people who stutter, and many different levels of stuttering.

It’s estimated about 1% of the world’s population stutters, where about 5% of children go through a period of stuttering. Approximately 80% of children who begin to stutter ultimately stop stuttering and children who continue to stutter into the school-age years are likely to continue stuttering throughout their lives. Males stutter more frequently than females. The male-to-female ratio is roughly 4 to 1 in adults but closer to 2 to 1 in children.

Over seven crore individuals worldwide are struggling with stuttering where a single approach is not suitable for everyone as different people have different needs and circumstances. International Stuttering Awareness Day is celebrated to educate people about this complex condition, their needs and work towards preventing stuttering in children.

International Stuttering Awareness Day 2024 Theme

This year, 2024, the International Stuttering Awareness Day Theme is “The Power of Listening”. The theme highlights the opportunity people who stutter must teach others to listen, which can help build trust and understanding.

Year by year, the themes for International Stuttering Awareness Days are:

• International Stuttering Awareness Day 2023 Theme: One Size Does NOT Fit All
• International Stuttering Awareness Day 2022 Theme: Being seen, being heard: Representation and normalisation of stuttering in the mainstream
• International Stuttering Awareness Day 2021 Theme: Speak the change you wish to see
• International Stuttering Awareness Day 2020 Theme: Journey of Words – Resilience and Bouncing Back
• International Stuttering Awareness Day 2019 Theme: Growth Through Speaking
• International Stuttering Awareness Day 2018 Theme: Speak Your Mind
  

History of International Stuttering Awareness Day

International Stuttering Awareness Day was established by the International Stuttering Association (ISA) as a proactive response to this problem. The International Stuttering Association (ISA) created a wish list in 1995 while attending a conference in Linkoping, Sweden, which supported the creation of such a day. 

When Michael Sugarman, co-founder of the National Stuttering Project, championed the cause for a worldwide day of stuttering awareness in 1997 at the International Fluency Association (IFA) conference, the call for such a day gathered traction. The International Fluency Association, the European League of Stuttering Associations, and the ISA jointly proclaimed October 22nd as Stuttering Awareness Day in 1998, realizing Sugarman's dream.

Myths about Stuttering

Stuttering is a misunderstood difference in speech pattern. Stuttering is a neurological disorder that interferes with the production of speech. However, false believes and negative stereotypes about stuttering still persist. Here are few myths about stuttering:

• People stutter because they are nervous
• People who stutter are shy and self-conscious
• Stuttering is psychological
• People who stutter are less intelligent or capable
• Stuttering is caused by emotional trauma
• Children who stutter are imitating a stuttering parent or relative

Know more about health awareness days