Pakistan Stammering Association

5th Support Group Meeting in Islamabad

The Pakistan Stammering Association held its 5th support group meeting in Islamabad on 13th April 2008, at Serena Hotel Islamabad. It was a great gathering of stammerers and fluent speakers who were their to support their loved ones. There were a total of 5 PWS (Person Who Stammer) and 2 observers. We also had a cheif guest - the Founding Member of the PSA and the organizer of the PSA Support Groups in Karachi.

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. Then there was a brief explanation of the theme of the meeting: Full Breath and Perfect Timing, by the organizer. 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. This time many of the participants seemed to understand the purpose of it, and the session went much better than last time. Then we explained our speech difficulties since the last support group meeting and also how we followed daily challenges.

Each participant gave his/her feedback about other stammerers and their speeches. In the end we discussed challenges and decided that we would be following the theme of the meeting until next meeting. 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. What is a full breath and perfect timing?
5. Information for adults who stammer (Source: British Stammering Association website)
6. Message to a stutterer, by Joseph Sheehan
7. Using the telephone
8. What is a Harrison's Workshop?
9. 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