Canadian Stuttering Association Celebrates the Unique Voices of 410,000 Canadians

Today marks International Stuttering Awareness Day and the Canadian Stuttering Association (CSA), in partnership with renowned Canadian advertising agency john st., announces the launch of an important initiative, Stutter.ca. This project spotlights the diverse experiences of individuals who stutter and aims to challenge common misconceptions surrounding stuttering.

“Being a person who stutters, it is a privilege to be able to help spread national awareness of stuttering to family and youth being on the board of directors of the CSA. My Mom and I greatly benefitted from other stuttering association's conferences, and my purpose on the board of directors is to pay it forward and help other families and youth have the life changing experience that I did.”, said Alexandra, the CSA Board’s family and youth programming coordinator.

To highlight these distinct voices, CSA’s initiative features 410,000 unique URLs, each reflecting a different way someone who stutters might say "stutter.ca." The URLs showcase the different ways people can stutter, by repetition (s-s-s-stutter.stutter.ca), prolongation (sssstutter.stutter.ca) and blocks (st---tu---tu---tter.stutter.ca). All these URLs direct users to the CSA website (https://stutter.ca/), creating a powerful digital mosaic that emphasises both the uniqueness of these voices and the support provided by CSA.

Chief creative officer, john st., Krystle Mullin shared, “john st.‘s mission is to make our clients’ brand unignorable. As an agency, we’re also dedicated to creating space for people and causes that should not be ignored. The Canadian Stuttering Association provides community and connection for Canadians who stutter. With the launch of Stutter.ca on Oct 22nd (International Stuttering Day), our hope is to create an open dialogue about Stuttering; starting with a simple fact: not all who stutter, stutter the same way”.

What is Stuttering: 

Stuttering, a neurodevelopmental condition that interferes with the ability to physically say words, affects individuals regardless of gender or age. There are many theories about the causes of stuttering, but there is no known single cause. Approximately 80 percent of young children recover from early stuttering, while the remaining 20 percent continue to stutter beyond the age of 6 years. Notably, singing has been found to be a powerful tool that temporarily eliminates stuttering. As we commemorate International Stuttering Awareness Day, let us remember that no one person stutters exactly the same. By embracing diversity and encouraging understanding, we can create a world where individuals who stutter are heard and valued for what they have to say, not how they say it.

CSA’s Alexandra’s Story:

Leading the charge in this campaign are mother-daughter duo Eeva and Alexandra, both CSA members and passionate advocates for stuttering awareness. Alexandra D'Agostino is a registered nurse and understands stuttering firsthand. At eight years old, Alexandra's experience with stuttering during a school science project sparked a lifelong journey of self-discovery and advocacy. With her mother's unwavering support, and a speech therapist's guidance, she was able to discover her passion for singing. This not only dramatically reduced her disfluency but empowered her to embrace her stutter, win the science fair, and ultimately, find her voice again.

Alexandra later found invaluable support and community through the CSA. She became the Family and Youth Programming Coordinator and her mother, Eeva, serves as Chair. Her story highlights key learnings for those who stutter: "Just because you stutter, doesn't mean you can't get your words out." Stuttering doesn't diminish one's ability to communicate; instead, individuals are encouraged to find their support system, rise above the judgement, and speak with confidence. Those encountering someone with a stutter should practise patience, respect, and create an inclusive environment of empowerment.