Supporting Kids Who Stutter with Jason Heffler | Ep. 135

In this episode, Samantha and Lauren welcome Jason Heffler, author of 'Tongue Tied'. Jason shares his personal journey of growing up with a stutter and the challenges he faced, including bullying. His book is designed to help children with speech disorders gain confidence and understand that their speech does not define them.

Jason discusses the importance of representation in literature and offers valuable tips for parents to support their children, like praising the effort rather than fluency and teaching empathy and resilience.

The discussion touches on the power of acknowledgment, as Jason highlights how owning his stutter changed his life and career prospects.

He elaborates on cognitive reframing strategies and the use of music as a therapeutic tool, sharing his own experiences as a DJ and writer in the music industry.

00:00 Intro

00:41 Meet Jason Heffler: Author and Advocate

01:27 Jason's Journey with Stuttering

02:48 The Inspiration Behind 'Tongue Tied'

04:00 Supporting Children with Speech Impediments

09:58 The Power of Music in Overcoming Stuttering

12:53 Advice for Parents on Bullying and Empathy

15:18 Acknowledging and Embracing Neurodiversity

19:35 Resources and Final Thoughts

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Get the Book: https://amzn.to/478a2H8

Connect with Jason: https://rebrand.ly/tonguetied

Connect with Samantha Foote!

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