Breaking the Stigma of Stuttering with Puppets

Actor James Earl Jones. Actress Emily Blunt. NBA all-star Bill Walton. Singer Ed Sheeran. Former vice president Joe Biden. What do all of these individuals have in common?

They have a stutter. 

Stuttering impacts 5% of all children in the United States, and the condition stays through adulthood for 1% of the population. Often misunderstood by the public, stuttering is a disability that affects communication pathways in the brain. More significantly are the social impacts that those who stutter face everyday.

Today we spoke with Dr. Mary Weidner, from Edinboro University's Communications Sciences and Disorders program on "Tartan Talks." She explained how she uses puppetry and theater to not only comfort those who stutter, but also to inform the public – and children – about the impacts of stuttering.

Music and lyrics by Seana and James Hollingsworth.