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Today I will be offering you information about a culture that is made up of

those with speech disorders.

According to research done by R.J. Ruben in Redefining the survival of the

fittest, the prevalence of communication disorders in the US is 10%. Thatmeans roughly two people in a small classroom would suffer from speech

disorders.

I have immersed myself into parts of this culture for 5 years. In high school,

I was the president of Best Buddies, a club which brings together students

with and without mental disabilities in lasting friendships. I have also

participated in Special Olympics, and last summer, I worked at a camp for

children with special needs. In all of these instances, I spent hundreds of

hours with kids who suffer from Downs Syndrome, Autism, and otherdisorders that affect speech. Now, here at UCF, I am studying

communication Sciences and Disorders, and aim to graduate as a speech

pathologist, helping patients develop clear speech.

Like many Americans who share a common race, sexual preference, or

religion, people with speech disorders form a large social group with whom

its members identify. This culture is based on a shared history, common

perceptions, and common associations and clubs.

Those with speech disorders have a shared history dating back to

references in early Egyptian, Greek, and Roman writings. Even Moses from

the Bible is believed to have had a speech disorder, saying I am slow of

speech and slow of tongue in Exodus 4:10. Unfortunately this history is a

brutal one. According to Van Riper and Erickson, the Spartans threw the

disabled from cliffs, the Aztecs sacrificed them to the gods, and the

Melanesians buried them alive. The middle Ages werent much brighterat a

time when those with speech disorders were thought to be possessed, and

could be stoned for walking to the marketplace.

Modern advances in science, education, and medicine have brought about

more ethical treatment of those with speech disorders, but there are still

many hurdles to living normal lives. Today, members of this culture are

considered inferior to the rest of the population, with their communication

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deemed as wrong, rather than different. Even those who overcome the

inability to produce speech are made fun of for sounding different or

ignorant. This causes them to suffer from social and vocational

discrimination, earning lower pay and being treated as second, even third,

class citizens. This is the effect of the power of speech in determiningintelligence and social status in our society. Some of these perceptions are

developed from personal contact with those with speech disorders, but

many are based on the portrayals seen on television. Sitcoms use stutters

and lisps to add humor, but this is easily leaked out into the real world,

where people with these disorders are treated as a constant joke.

While there are many hardships for those with speech disorders,

there are just as many resources that make life a little easier. I am a

member of one of these, known as NSSHLA, or the national student

speech language hearing association. This is specifically for

Communication Sciences and Disorders students, and through this

association, we are given volunteer opportunities in the community to help

those with speech disorders. An association specifically for those with

speech disorders is ASHA, or the American Speech-Language Hearing

Association, which is a resource for everyone affected by speech or

hearing disorders. This includes parents, professionals, teachers, friends,

and the patients themselves. ASHA promotes advocacy for the bettermentof those with speech disorders, and offers information about different

disorders.

In conclusion, people with speech disorders have created a large and

united culture. Because of their history, similar stereotypes, and

associations, people with speech disorders have bonded together with

advocates to try to create a better world for everyone who is a part of this

culture, and I encourage you to learn more about this culture, and to help

others become more educated on the matter.