Calgary child embraces stuttering, changes conversation about speech disorder

A Calgary family is aiming to change the conversation around stuttering ahead of International Stuttering Awareness Day.

Nine-year-old Oliver Netsko speaks with a stutter, but he's gone from being nervous to talk to embracing public speaking -- thanks in a large part to a program based in the United States.

"The last two and a half years, it's been life changing," said Melissa Netsko, Oliver's mom.

The big change was receiving help though the Arthur M. Blank Center for Stuttering Education and Research at the University of Texas at Austin.

Prior to connecting with the team, Oliver struggled with the therapy and techniques he was receiving locally, his mom said.

"We always wanted to fix Oliver and we always wanted to try to change the way he spoke," she added.

But their perspective changed to instead embrace Oliver's speech disorder and focus on building communication skills and confidence.

"Effective communication is not defined by fluency. It is shown by confidence in how you speak, how you stand up, how you present yourself, eye contact. And it also is reflecting on the listener," Melissa said.

Oliver and Melissa Netsko in Calgary, Oct. 17, 2024

Performing in plays

Since his treatment, Oliver has performed in plays and presented to classrooms about stuttering.

"It was scary at first, but once I got used to it, it felt fine," Oliver said.

He even had an instructor offer him fewer lines in a play because of his stutter, but Oliver refused and insisted on having the same amount of speaking parts as everyone else.

It's changed how the young Calgarian sees himself -- and the disorder.

"My message for them is that it's okay to stutter," he said.

The Blank Center helps people from all over the world, free of charge. The program, its website says, encourages people "to stutter openly, speak confidently, communicate effectively, and advocate meaningfully."

"We really want to end the global stigmatization of stuttering," said Courtney Byrd, the founding and executive director of the Blank Center.

"We want... any one child, teen or adult, wherever they live, if they stutter, we don't want that to be something that people misperceive as being because they're nervous, they're anxious, they're shy," she added.

The Blank Center has plans to hold a free camp for people who stutter next year in Calgary.