To: Prof. M. Jayaram Director AIISH
Copy: Dr. S. R. Savithri Professor & Head Speech Language Sciences AIISH
Mark Irwin Chair ISA
Stefan Hoffmann Chair Outreach ISA
From: Keith Boss Group member Outreach ISA
Subject: ISA project to raise Stuttering Awareness throughout India
Date: 9th May 2006
Introduction
I am Keith Boss a UK citizen. I have stuttered for 60 plus years. In February 2006 I decided to make changes in my life. I am now a recovering person who stutters working for Stefan Hoffmann, Chair of the outreach group of ISA (International Stuttering Association).
ISA can be found at http://www.stutterisa.org
What is ISA? The answer is at http://www.stutterisa.org/isa002.html#whatisisa.
Associated members, see http://www.stutterisa.org/isa004.html#memberassociation.
ISA’s mission and guiding principles can be found at http://www.stutterisa.org/isa002b.html#constitution.
Board members are listed at http://www.stutterisa.org/isa002a.html#boardmembers.
As you can see we are multinational and we work worldwide. We help Nations to help themselves. This leads into the specific ISA project to “raise Stuttering Awareness throughout India”.
Why this project?
Up to March/April 2006, several Indian people who stutter had contacted other National Associations asking for help. These requests filtered to the ISA. I had joined various Internet groups of people who stutter who are looking for ideas, debate and to exchange information amongst themselves and SLPs/SLTs (the professionals who try to help us). I was also aware of Indian people who stutter requesting help, requesting information, asking about different treatments and complaining their therapies did not usually give good long-term results. The ISA asked me to take the lead on this project because the help available to people who stutter in India appeared to be sparse, and uncoordinated. My Internet searches led me to think there were several treatment sites, limited up to date general information but nothing of any national stature. In my searches, I had reached Mysore and Aiish, but not your site. I like many others failed to reach you.
I started this project this month. I have built a small, but expanding team of Indian people who stutter (living in India / UK / USA). One of them, Prakhar Sachan, saw an advertisement of yours in a local paper. He told me of your website www.aiishmysore.com. I have looked at your excellent site and see that in your work at Mysore, sponsored by the government, you undertake training of new pathologists, research and clinical therapies as well as preschool work. The work covers a wide range of speech / hearing disorders. It is very good, to see this website and the work you do. However having seen what you are about, I feel I must rethink my embryonic plans. Your input to this revision will be more than welcome.
My embryonic plans.
I wanted to start a new website, www.indianstuttering.com. The purpose of the website is to promote the initiation of TISA (The Indian Stuttering Association) and to be a prelude to TISA’s website. It will request help from the Indian government / SLPs / Universities / a wide range of press and magazines / TV and radio and Indians who stutter. It should begin to provide some of the worldwide basic information on stuttering, possible origins, research and treatments. I had thought of having a discussion forum, but as there is one http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/IndianPWS/ that requires more thought.
TISA should be a fund raising, non-profit Association, run by a few paid Indians, as well as many volunteer Indians. The Indians should be PWSs with a few SLPs. Its objectives will be to provide information and carry out research on all aspects of stuttering and be completely unbiased in all its work. The vision and mission statements of the BSA (http://www.stammering.org/about_bsa.html ) seem good guiding principles. However, TISA, once formed should have its own vision and mission objectives. TISA, like many others may wish to become an associate member of the ISA.
Another early part of the project is to encourage local people who stutter to start self-help groups in as many towns as possible. Isa’s support in this will be to provide ideas / plans, if requested, on how to run such groups to the benefit of all participants. Meeting places in Universities / Hospitals / Schools / Libraries would be ideal, as would voluntary help by local SLPs. Equally important is self-help on Indirect Therapy for parents with preschool children with speech learning issues as well as self-help groups, in schools, for children who stutter.
A lot of publicity and dissemination of information is required to begin to implement the ideas above. This publicity would also lead to an Indian (/Asian) Stuttering Conference with workshops / talks from worldwide participants. This in turn should lead to a long series of four conferences a year at different University / Hospital sites spread around India.
Where now with the project?
I am hoping to have a website of sorts working within a week or so. May we include a link to your site, and would you include a link to our site?
I would like to introduce ISA and the project to the appropriate government department. Could you give me a suitable contact as well as their email address?
Have you any India wide University / Hospital contacts who might be interested in this project?
Do you know of any other good centers of speech / hearing disorders in India?
Do you want to be a part of this project? If so, have you any thoughts on how we can work together?
I know there are more than 1600 languages and in India, vast rural areas and that a proportion of the population can only be reached through radio and TV. Have you any suggestions to help us in our project to combat these issues?
Would one or more of your staff participate as a member of the team working on this project?
Have you questions for me?
Summary
I hope I have given you some food for thought. ISA’s main objective is to help Nationals to help themselves to raise Stammering Awareness. You are in place, locally, doing some of what we want to do around India. ISA wants to help, not cause problems. We are already taking advice from and working with some of your countrymen. I would be very pleased if we could work in partnership with you as well.
Thank you for your time,
Keith
Keith Boss
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