Stuttering Without Apology

The Inclusion Bites Podcast

Turning Stuttering Into Strength: Empowering Voices and Challenging Stigma

James Burden explores the journey from stuttering to self-acceptance, challenging stigma and shedding light on how creating safe spaces empowers professionals to transform difference into strength and foster genuine inclusion.

In this episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, Joanne Lockwood is joined by James Burden to unravel the stigma around stuttering and challenge the status quo on fluent speech. The conversation explores how perceptions of speech difference can affect inclusion and professional aspirations, especially when societal expectations drive shame and self-censorship. Joanne and James reflect on their own experiences with public speaking anxiety, emphasising that the pressure to be word-perfect is often self-imposed and rarely noticed by audiences. Through warm anecdotes and honest discussion, listeners are encouraged to reframe stuttering not as a flaw or disorder but as a natural speech variation that need not be hidden or apologised for.

James Burden is a speech language pathologist hailing from Vancouver, currently residing in Mexico while travelling the world to deepen his understanding of human communication. As the founder of Stuttering Blueprint, James empowers professionals who stutter to embrace their authentic voice and speak with confidence. Drawing on years of clinical experience and the latest research into stuttering as neurodivergence, he advocates for support that goes far beyond techniques for fluency—focusing instead on dismantling internalised shame and fostering genuine self-acceptance. His approach combines evidence-based methods such as the Camperdown programme with acceptance commitment therapy, helping individuals re-order their values and melt away the "stuttering iceberg" of negative self-judgement.

Joanne and James probe into the myths surrounding stuttering, illuminate the harmful effects of secrecy and silence, and discuss practical approaches for listeners—whether they stutter or not—to engage empathetically in conversations. The episode highlights how small changes in mindset and environment can transform personal and professional lives for those who stutter, and underscores the importance of not sidelining voices that break with convention.

A key takeaway from this episode is the call to release the pressure for perfection and embrace authenticity in speech. Listeners will discover actionable insights into supporting colleagues and loved ones with speech differences and, above all, will be reminded that inclusion truly means celebrating the full richness of human communication. Tune in to be inspired to listen more deeply, dismantle stigma, and make space for every voice at the table.

Published: 17.10.2025 Recorded: 08.04.2025 Duration: 0:57:23

Shownotes:

• AI Extracts and Interpretations
• The Inclusion Bites Podcast - #179 Stuttering Without Apology — app.castmagic.io
• Other Links
• SEE Change Happen: The Inclusive Culture Experts — seechangehappen.co.uk
• Inclusion Bites Podcast on YouTube

Clips and Timestamps

The Power of Belonging: “Remember, everyone not only belongs, but thrives.”
— James Burden [00:00:26 → 00:00:29]

Travel Mishaps: “it took like 30 seconds to get into Mexico and it took about three hours to get back out again through border control.”
— James Burden [00:03:09 → 00:03:14]

Stigma and Speech Impairment: “what we have is this stigma and is there an opposite of normalisation, denormalization, where you’re in society and society treats you less fairly because of that speech impairment difference and you’re hyper aware that you don’t want to feel foolish, come across foolish.”
— James Burden [00:25:34 → 00:25:55]

Viral Topic: The Prevalence of Speech Artefacts
Quote: “I know I speak and I often repeat a word as thinking time. So I would go I, I, I or and, and, and, and I would have those kind of artefacts in the way I speak. And I often when I’m reviewing the transcript I see the words stacked up and I think well that was me revving up for the next sentence if you like.”
— James Burden [00:35:23 → 00:35:43]

Struggling with Certain Words: “One of them is championing. I just, I really struggle with that word and I sometimes I find myself heading down this one way street and that word’s definitely on the horizon. I’m thinking, blimey, I’m going to crash into that in a minute.”
— James Burden [00:37:51 → 00:38:03]

Overcoming Perfectionism in Public Speaking: “And I think once I stopped being hung up about being word perfect on every sentence, I realised that nobody cares or nobody notices.”
— James Burden [00:38:58 → 00:39:08]

Viral Topic: The Hidden Struggles of Public Reading: “I used to be really paranoid about standing up, reading out loud, knowing I would lose track of where I was in the sentence or not be able to come up the next word properly.”
— James Burden [00:44:56 → 00:45:05]

Overcoming Stage Fright: “And then I realised that it was Just false statements going on in my head. I learned that all these, all this negative down talk was made up and I think it just became. I overcame that self fulfilling prophecy with a new story and became a new self fulfilling prophecy that it was okay.”
— James Burden [00:46:39 → 00:46:58]

Trusting Your Instincts on Stage: “I knew that whatever came out my mouth first was gonna make sense, the audience were gonna be drawn in and it would work.”
— James Burden [00:47:46 → 00:48:31]

Viral Topic: Why We Always Search For Ourselves In Group Photos: “the first reaction everyone’s going to do with that photograph is find themselves and worry about them.”
— James Burden [00:51:54 → 00:51:58]

Definition of Terms Used

What is Prolonged Speech?

• Definition: Prolonged speech is a fluency shaping technique that involves speaking in a slow, continuous, and connected manner to facilitate smoother speech and reduce the frequency of stuttering events.
• Relevance: This approach is foundational to modern stuttering therapy, enabling individuals to develop a new pattern of speech that is less prone to disfluency, especially under pressure.
• Examples: Practising extremely slow, flowy speech as an exercise, then gradually increasing speed whilst maintaining fluency; programmes like Camperdown employ this method.
• Related Terms: Fluency Shaping, Camperdown Programme, Speech Motor Control
• Common Misconceptions: Prolonged speech is sometimes mistaken for robotic or unnatural speech, but with practice, it can become natural-sounding and effective for reducing stuttering in everyday contexts.

What is the Stuttering Iceberg?

• Definition: The stuttering iceberg is a conceptual model highlighting how the observable aspects of stuttering (speech blocks, repetitions, and physical signs) are just the ‘tip of the iceberg,’ while the more significant, hidden components (anxiety, shame, self-judgement, and avoidance) lie beneath the surface.
• Relevance: Recognising the iceberg model broadens the therapeutic focus from mere speech mechanics to emotional and psychological dimensions, making interventions far more holistic and impactful for lasting change.
• Examples: A person may appear to stutter only occasionally, but privately experience deep anxiety, shame, or avoidance of speaking situations, all fuelled by internalised stigma.
• Related Terms: Internalised Stigma, Avoidance Behaviours, Self-Esteem, Joseph Sheehan (developer of the iceberg model)
• Common Misconceptions: Many believe stuttering is only what is heard, failing to appreciate the profound emotional impact and mental effort involved for the speaker.

What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in Speech Therapy?

• Definition: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a psychological intervention that uses mindfulness, acceptance, and values-based strategies to improve psychological flexibility, applied within speech therapy to support people who stutter.
• Relevance: ACT enables individuals to accept their experience of stuttering without excessive self-judgement, helping reduce avoidance and encouraging movement toward personal and professional goals, even if stuttering occurs.
• Examples: A client may learn to notice shame around stuttering without letting it dictate their actions, choosing to attend a job interview despite the risk of disfluency, guided by core values rather than avoidance of stuttering.
• Related Terms: Mindfulness, Psychological Flexibility, Values-Based Goals, Shame Resilience
• Common Misconceptions: ACT is not about resigning oneself to stuttering, but rather about shifting the focus from eliminating disfluency to living a vibrant, meaningful life irrespective of speech fluency.

What is Palin Parent Child Interaction (Palin PCI) Therapy?

• Definition: Palin Parent Child Interaction (Palin PCI) therapy is an evidence-based intervention developed in the UK for pre-school and young school-age children who stammer, focusing on training parents and caregivers in supportive communication styles, rather than directly targeting the child’s fluency.
• Relevance: Palin PCI empowers families to create communicative environments that lessen pressure and facilitate more confident, relaxed speech, often reducing the impact and severity of stammering over time.
• Examples: Parents learning to comment instead of question during conversations with their child, spending dedicated play time being attentive and responsive without correcting or rushing speech.
• Related Terms: Michael Palin Centre, Lidcombe Method, Indirect Stuttering Therapy
• Common Misconceptions: Some assume interventions must focus solely on the child’s speech mechanics, but evidence supports that changing parental communication patterns can have significant effects.

What is Neurodivergence in the Context of Stuttering?

• Definition: Neurodivergence refers to the idea that variations in human neurology—including stuttering—are natural differences rather than disorders, with stuttering increasingly recognised as a form of neurodiversity on a par with autism, ADHD, or left-handedness.
• Relevance: Positioning stuttering as neurodivergence reframes it as a legitimate, inherent aspect of human diversity, challenging deficit models, and reducing shame and stigma for those who stammer.
• Examples: Recent stuttering research forums, such as the 2023 multi-expert panel cited in the episode, promote this perspective; stuttering is described as a difference not inherently linked to trauma or pathology.
• Related Terms: Neurodiversity, Neurotypical, Stammering, Diversity and Inclusion
• Common Misconceptions: It is often believed stuttering must have a specific ‘root cause’ such as psychological trauma or poor parenting, when in fact it appears as a natural brain-based difference consistent across cultures and languages.

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Frequently Asked Questions

• What is Prolonged Speech? – A fluency-shaping technique involving slow, continuous, and connected speech patterns to promote fluent communication and counteract stammering.
• What is the Stuttering Iceberg? – A model describing how the visible aspects of stammering are only a small fraction of the lived experience, with much more occurring beneath the surface, including shame, avoidance, and negative self-concept.
• What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in Speech Therapy? – A counselling approach that helps those who stammer accept their experiences and pursue meaningful life goals, even if stammering occurs, focusing on psychological flexibility rather than simply fluency per se.
• What is Palin Parent Child Interaction (Palin PCI) Therapy? – An interactional therapy model empowering parents to create more supportive communicative environments for children who stammer, based upon techniques developed at the Michael Palin Centre in the UK.
• What is Neurodivergence in the Context of Stuttering? – The understanding that stammering is a natural difference in neural functioning—part of a spectrum of neurological diversity—rather than a deficit or disorder, and should be approached as such within inclusion work.

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Brought to you by your host

Joanne Lockwood SEE Change Happen

A huge thank you to our wonderful guest

James Burden Stuttering Blueprint

The post Stuttering Without Apology appeared first on SEE Change Happen: The Inclusive Culture Experts.

Kapitler

1. Travelling with Spiritual Purpose (00:00:00)

2. Journey into Speech Pathology (00:04:10)

3. Overcoming Stuttering Myths (00:09:17)

4. Stuttering: A Neurodivergence Debate (00:10:43)

5. Understanding and Supporting Stuttering (00:15:20)

6. Discuss Stuttering Openly (00:18:51)

7. Melt the Stuttering Iceberg (00:22:20)

8. Stigma and Struggles of Stuttering (00:25:03)

9. Flow Training for Speech (00:29:22)

10. Speech Confidence Through Gradual Practice (00:32:04)

11. Speech Fluency and Filler Words (00:35:00)

12. Stuttering and Lingering Trauma (00:39:46)

13. Speech Perfectionists Exist? (00:41:15)

14. Overcoming Self-Doubt for Growth (00:46:18)

15. Trusting Spontaneity on Stage (00:47:46)

16. Finding Yourself in Photos (00:51:09)

17. Inclusion Bites: Join Us (00:56:20)