Our youngest child had somewhat of a speech delay, and then a stutter. He didn't want to have to struggle to speak and would seek out his sister, grab her hand and take her to wherever it was that he wanted, and point to it. She was always willing to help him. My mother felt for him; she said when he wanted to speak when he was at her house, he would use his fingers to try to move his mouth into a position so he could talk. We were ready to enroll him in Colleen's Pre-school , and I had informed her of his problem, and she was willing to accept him as he was. I had brought the matter to the attention of his pediatrician , and he suggested speech therapy. I was reluctant, aware of the recently released movie, Ordinary People, and guilt was in the offing.
Then a miracle happened in the persona of singer Mel Tillis, a gifted vocalist who stuttered. He was a guest on a late night talk show, and Tillis confided that the only time he did not stutter was when he sang. The host asked him why that was and Tillis said that when he sang he didn't hear his voice, as he did when he talked. Listening to that explanation, I had an epiphany. Why not have my stuttering child whisper? Then he wouldn't hear his own voice either. Not a scientific conclusion perhaps, but worth a try. AND IT WORKED.
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