IFA Statement on Social Anxiety Disorder and Stuttering
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- Category: News
The International Fluency Association and the community it represents lost a friend and an advocate when Joe Fulcher passed away on 6th October 2017.
Joe served the Stuttering Foundation of America over many years and in many ways. Married to Jane Fraser, President of the SFA, Joe employed his extensive financial and legal knowledge and skills to further the work of the organisation, ensuring the highest standards of governance throughout.
Joe was an engaging and gracious gentleman who cared deeply about the community of children and adults who stutter and he worked tirelessly alongside Jane for thirty years to improve the lives of those who stutter.
The Stuttering Foundation has always been an active supporter of the IFA, sponsoring a post conference workshop at the last World Congress in Lisbon. We value our partnership as we strive for the same goals.
Joe will be deeply missed by so many and we feel privileged to have known and worked alongside him.
by Dieudonne Nsabimana. Coordinator of the African Stuttering Centre
The purpose of this article is to give you insight into the work we were doing to create positive change in our community . We have been translating education materials on stuttering into the local language with the support of the International Fluency Association (IFA).
11year-old Bruce is a kid who stutters who lives in a rural area of northern Rwanda, where stuttering is defined by folk myths.
Read more: A kid who stutters and his dream: "I want to become a police officer"
by Dieudonne Nsabimana. Coordinator of the African Stuttering Centre
There are only 2 Speech-language Pathologists (SLPs) in Rwanda for a population of over 11 million people. Using the universally accepted incidence rates of stuttering (1 percent of the population), there are 110.000 people who stutter in Rwanda, resulting in an estimate of 1 SLP for 55.000 people who stutter. Clearly access to treatment for stuttering is not available to all who need it.
The application of telehealth technologies offers effective solutions to this challenge. Distance Stuttering Therapy Program Africa (DSTPA) has been developed in Rwanda to deal with this shortfall.
Read more: Lesson from Rwanda: Using Technology to Provide Access to Therapy
The Organising Team are pleased to announce the theme for the 2018 Inaugural Joint World Congress of the International Stuttering Association, International Fluency Association and International Cluttering Association to be held in Hiroshima, Japan, alongside local host organisation the Japanese Society of Stuttering and other Fluency Disorders.
Read more: One World, Many Voices: Science and Community: Hiroshima 2018