Pakistan Stammering Association

4th Support Group Meeting in Islamabad

The Pakistan Stammering Association held its 4th support group meeting in Islamabad on 30th March 2008, at Serena Hotel Islamabad. It was a great gathering of stammerers and it had the highest number of participants so far in Islamabad. There were a total of 6 PWS (Person Who Stammer) and 1 observer.

We started with the welcome address and purpose of a stammering support group, with each member explaining their understanding of a stammering support group. Then we had a breathing session for 10 minutes. After that there we introductions, then each member expressed their views about stammering, their feared situations and words, and also their experiences as being stammerers. We also discussed our difficulties while using the telephone. The we had the fun part as before - the Harrison's workshop. As this was the first time for many of the participants, they didn't seem to really understand the purpose of Harrison's workshop. But still we had fun with the topics, and the session went really good.

In the end we discussed challenges and some members suggested some more challenges, which would be added to the list. I would really appreciate the fact that all members participated in the meeting very well, and seemed to develop an understanding that what is a stammering support group and how it differs from the speech therapy sessions.

I have upload the file for contact list of members in Islamabad on the yahoo group of Pakistan Stammering Association Islamabad. Please join the group and download the contact list, so that we can stay in touch with each other on a daily basis and support each other along the way!

Please do try to follow the challenges and expand your comfort zone, as it is believed to be the only way to overcome your fear of speaking.

As always, some documents were distributed among the participants. They were

1. Meeting Plan
2. What happens at a self-help group meeting? (Courtesy: Keith Boss, International Stuttering Association, UK)
3. Why the breathing?
4. Information for adults who stammer (Source: British Stammering Association website)
5. Message to a stutterer, by Joseph Sheehan
6. Using the telephone
7. Challenges until next support group meeting

I would like to thank everyone who participated in the meeting, and also the Serena Hotel Management, for providing us with a magnificant conference room and refreshments, all free of cost.

See you all again after two weeks. Until then, stay strong and follow the challenges!

Hammad