For many people living with a speech impediment - or stutter - is a lifelong challenge causing anxiety, bullying and embarrassment.
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The condition usually starts in childhood, between the ages of 2 to 5, and while some children will recover without any treatment there is a large proportion of people who live with the impediment for the rest of their life.
At 69, Corlette's Bruce Rowe, who began stuttering at the age of seven, has devoted most of his adult life to advocating for all those who stutter and strongly supports the lobby for funds to assist with treatment and research.
He was foundation member (in 1980) and remains a member of the Australian Speak Easy Association (ASEA) - the peak national body offering support and hope to stutterers and their families.
Tuesday, October 22, is International Stuttering Awareness Day and Mr Rowe said he was motivated to tell his story in order to help families where stuttering is a challenge.
"Unfortunately, there is no 'cure' for stuttering but there are techniques to assist in having fluent speech. I went through a treatment program 30 years ago which enables me to manage my speech," he said.
"Thankfully I have no bad memories from my childhood, but that changed when I was in Year 9 and my school headmaster advised my parents that due to my stuttering I would account for nothing and suggested I leave school."
Forced to join the workforce at age 15, Bruce was employed as a junior clerk where he encountered bullying and harassment for the first time. "It was challenging but I learned to cope."
Mr Rowe said that while a stutter can have huge ramifications on a person's personal, work, social and family situations, the advances in treatment made it possible for newly diagnosed children to learn coping mechanisms.
"Australia is a world leader in the treatment of stuttering in children and the Lidcombe Treatment Program, initiated in Lidcombe (Sydney), is now practiced right around the world. This treatment program for children should be the preferred program used," he said.
"But because the condition is not covered under the NDIS, the cost for speech therapy treatment can be out of reach for some families. It is for this reason we need to continually to lobby governments, hospitals and universities for treatment funding."
Mr Rowe, a member of a Port Stephens choir, said there were still many unanswered questions relating to the causes, treatment and hereditary of stuttering.
"One of the great mysteries of the condition is that stuttering does not affect my singing."
Contact the ASEA at PO Box 3154, St Pauls NSW 2031, telephone (02) 9836 2728 or go to speakeasy.oprg.au.
