Waiting for stutterers to finish

Viewing 15 posts - 31 through 45 (of 49 total)
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  • #22782

    Jerry
    Participant
    When one meets one who stutters you should NEVER finish their sentences. Yes, you are frustrated, but then so is the person who stutters. It is just as rude for you to interupt them as it is for you to be interrupted. Have patience and courtesy.

    User Detail :  

    Name : Jerry, Gender : M, City : Cedar rapids, State : IA Country : United States, 
    #33051

    Rob28645
    Participant
    As someone who stuttered as a child (it still slips out here and there, very rarely) I can say that you have to be patient and wait for the person to finish on his or her own. To interrupt only makes things worse, as it instills a sense of inferiority, and makes them feel like they are wasting your time. Be calm and show the person that he or she can be comfortable around you, and you will see the stuttering decrease in time. Stutterers usually have somone they can talk to and stutter much less. For instance, I could talk to my mother much easier than my father for some reason.

    User Detail :  

    Name : Rob28645, Gender : M, City : New York, State : NY Country : United States, 
    #39203

    Kathy26658
    Participant
    I have a dear friend who has a bad stutter. I didn't know what he preferred I do so I just asked him! He said if he's really stuck on a word, to go ahead and finish it for him...it's a relief to him when he's struggling if the other person knows what he's trying to say, it's like he's struggling in vain...ya know? Although it may be best to ask each individual person, his rationale made perfect sense to me. Say I was trying to arrange a room and lifting really heavy stuff to try to please another person. I pick up something really heavy to move it and the other person lets me get it all the way over to the room before they say 'but I don't want it there!' It'd just be better if they didn't let me struggle in vain.

    User Detail :  

    Name : Kathy26658, Gender : F, City : Madison, State : WI Country : United States, 
    #25394

    Joan-B
    Participant
    Please wait until they are finished. I feel more respected when people wait for me to finish and they don't finish sentences for me. I'm going to say what I'm going to say, I just need a little more time. I also find stress makes stuttering worse. Sometimes I feel bad when people get impatient or if I feel they think I'm less intelligent. I would rather not have people finish sentences, even though people usually mean well when they do this.

    User Detail :  

    Name : Joan-B, Gender : F, City : Detroit, State : MI Country : United States, 
    #15156

    L. Mccall
    Member
    Show some patience and let them finish. Eventually you'll learn to ask short answered quetions.

    User Detail :  

    Name : L. Mccall, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 32, City : Memphis, State : TN Country : United States, Occupation : homemaker, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 
    #47165

    Lane-C
    Participant
    Stutterers expect no special treatment. If you need to interrupt and cut the conversation short, just do it as politely as possible. Just like you would anyone else who doesn't stutter. The worst thing that you can do to someone who stutters is to treat them as if what they have to say is not important. We know that our stuttering is annoying to other people, especially when time is short. But it is no more annoying than trying to communicate effectively when your own mouth will not cooperate.

    User Detail :  

    Name : Lane-C, Gender : M, Race : American Indian, Age : 34, City : Lexington, State : NC Country : United States, Occupation : Electronics Technician, Education level : 2 Years of College, 
    #33611

    Deb
    Participant
    People who stutter know they stutter. If it frustrates you to listen to it, imagine how it frustrates them to be unable to speak! NO, please don't ever finish a stutterer's sentences. It really is disrespectful. S/he knows s/he's 'taking up your time,' and hates it, but how is your time more valuable than theirs? Honestly, they don't like it any more than you do, and if they could stop, you know they would! So please be kind and respecful and let them finish. Besides, the more pressure you put on them to hurry up, the worse the stuttering usually gets. You really aren't helping by 'helping,' even if you mean well.

    User Detail :  

    Name : Deb, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Unitarian, Age : 45, City : Grand Junction, State : CO Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower class, 
    #19788

    Teresa24695
    Participant
    I always wait for people with a speech impediment to finish their statement, no matter if he or she takes a long time or if I already know the end of the sentence. I would want someone to do the same for me; when people finish my sentences or answer before I'm finished talking I get extremely annoyed and insulted.

    User Detail :  

    Name : Teresa24695, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 19, City : Macomb, State : IL Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Upper middle class, 
    #29263

    Shaina
    Participant
    Try this. Imagine that you are in a country where English is not spoken by many people. You have some special need, such as directions, order a meal, find a doctor, etc. Your halting (French, Spanish, Urdu...) when you try to communicate with other people results in your 'taking up their time' while they wait for you to get the words out. How would you feel if you were impatiently interrupted by somebody who guessed at your message? Would you feel frustrated? Offended? Hurt?

    User Detail :  

    Name : Shaina, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Secular Humanist, Age : 27, City : Minneapolis, State : MN Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 
    #14190

    Sarah
    Participant
    I work the phones and take orders in person at a pizza place, so I get to talk to a lot of different people, and the occasional stutterer. Most of the time, I'll just let them finish, but if they're obviously having a really hard time saying one thing and I know what it's going to be, I'll just say 'Okie dokie, no problem' and put it in to the order. No matter what, though, I always smile and am patient .

    User Detail :  

    Name : Sarah, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : na, Disability : na, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Pagan, Age : 21, City : Swannanoa, State : NC Country : United States, Occupation : Crew at a pizza place, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Lower middle class, 
    #35711

    David A.
    Participant
    As a long time stutterer (since I was 3 or 4), I prefer that people wait for me to finish. It's irritating and somewhat insulting for others to finish my thoughts for me. I know what I want to say; I just have difficulties saying it.

    User Detail :  

    Name : David A., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Disability : Stutterer, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 57, City : Denver, State : CO Country : United States, Occupation : Software Developer, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, 
    #44160

    Jeff31165
    Participant
    It's not like people get stuck on a word for 5 or 10 minutes at a time. Deal with it. Wait the few seconds for them to finish and then treat them like anybody else. If you know the person well, then occasionally filling in the blank can be helpful and ease the tension. Stuttering comes about through tension, among other things. If you have never stuttered, you can't imagine how frustrating it is not being able to express yourself verbally. I've had adults laugh and make fun of my speech from time to time thinking it was a funny slip. I punish them by continuing to speak and let them bury themselves when they realize I have a stutter. It's kind of fun.

    User Detail :  

    Name : Jeff31165, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 45, City : Victoria, State : NA Country : Canada, Occupation : Graphic Designer - Art director, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 
    #28830

    Lance
    Member
    It may be difficult to resist the urge, but resist you should. Stuttering is often a disability related to poor self-esteem. Think about how you would feel if when you were trying to say something the person you were talking to cut you off, assumed they knew what you were trying to communicate, and provided a response. You might feel like that person thought you were stupid or slow. Stutterers are not stupid or slow, and neither are you. Be polite. Be patient. Let the person complete their own thought in their own time. You will help them immensely. In fact, if they get frustrated with themselves be reassuring and encourage them to continue. Your kindness and patience will help them.

    User Detail :  

    Name : Lance, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Presbyterian, Age : 52, City : Seattle, State : WA Country : United States, Occupation : Software Engineer, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 
    #34466

    Amy31566
    Participant
    I stutter when I am nervous and would say to be patient. When people finish my sentences or seem impatient i get mad. And that makes me stutter worse. Interrupting us makes us feel inferior and that is not a good feeling.

    User Detail :  

    Name : Amy31566, Gender : F, City : spartanburg, State : SC Country : United States, 
    #47272

    Bedo
    Participant
    As a stutterer as a child, now mostly outgrown, and also having a father, now 70, who still is a chronic stutterer, you should, give the stutterer respect enough to finish what he or she is trying to say. If you interrupt them, you may get hit, smacked or kicked.

    User Detail :  

    Name : Bedo, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Disability : severe carpal tunnel, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Methodist, Age : 48, City : Straw Plains, State : TN Country : United States, Occupation : disabled, Education level : Technical School, Social class : Middle class, 
Viewing 15 posts - 31 through 45 (of 49 total)
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