The 3rd Turkey Conference of Stutterers Association, which is the first association founded by stuttering individuals in Turkey, was held at Üsküdar University. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Konrot, Head of the Department of Speech and Language Therapy at Üsküdar University Faculty of Health Sciences, said that stuttering is a problem known for 4 thousand years. Stating that it is not difficult to achieve fluent speech, Prof. Dr. Konrot emphasized the importance of transferring fluent speech into daily life.
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Every year, October 22 is commemorated as World Stuttering Day. In the 3rd Turkey conference organized by the Stutterers Association, the difficulties experienced by stutterers were discussed.
Making the opening speech of the conference held at Üsküdar University Çarşı Campus Emir Nebi Conference Hall, F. Özüm Kipel, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Stutterers Association, talked about the purpose of the association, its establishment phase and its activities. The first speakers of the program were Azad Bedirhan, Board Member of Stutterers Association and Anıl Akkaya, President of Üsküdar University Speech and Language Therapy Club. After the speeches, the panel was moderated by Prof. Dr. Ahmet Konrot, Head of Speech and Language Therapy Department at Üsküdar University Faculty of Health Sciences.
Prof. Dr. Ahmet Konrot: "A problem we have known for 4 thousand years"
Pointing to the importance of stuttering awareness, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Konrot noted that they are making efforts to solve the problem scientifically.
"Since 1988, October 22 has been celebrated as International Stuttering Awareness Day. Isn't it interesting? The fact that the awareness of a problem that we have known to exist for about 4 thousand years started in 1988," Prof. Dr. Ahmet Konrot said, "In order to be aware of a problem, you do not necessarily have to experience that problem. We are also striving to solve the problem in a scientific dimension. Since 2017, the Stutterers Association has been trying to guide us by initiating this event in Turkey, within the framework of World Stuttering Day awareness activities. Today, I would like to examine the issue not in terms of the demands of stutterers and their capacities, but in terms of the demands expected from speech-language pathologists and their capacities."
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"Desensitization is not something that can be won very easily"
Stating that desensitization studies have very important dimensions in the therapies of individuals who stutter, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Konrot said, "I have experienced a similar thing. For years, I avoided wearing a hearing aid. When I accepted that I had a hearing problem, I put on my hearing aid and entered the classroom, that's when I came to a different position. But desensitization is not something that can be gained so easily. If you think that the speech and language therapist alone can give you this, you are a little bit wrong there. For this reason, it is very important that the owners of the problem and the people and institutions that find a well-intentioned solution to this situation come together."
"Speech and language therapists should approach the problem individually"
"Speaking fluently is not that difficult. In 10 - 15 minutes, you can get it done using a technique, but the important thing is the effort you will make to transfer it into daily life. This is the magic point. This is the hard part," said Prof. Dr. Ahmet Konrot and continued his words as follows: "Speech and language therapists need to approach the problem individually. We gave our first graduates in 1986, and it is the same in Special Education. We hope that the profession of speech and language therapists will come somewhere one day. But let us never forget that this problem, which has not disappeared for 4 thousand years, will not disappear as if cut with a knife. I must say that it is never possible for one person alone to solve a problem. If I cannot cope with something on my own; I want the support of a psychologist, psychiatrist friend, I have to ask for it, and if I don't do this, I think I will leave something incomplete."
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It is aimed to organize an International Stuttering Symposium
Prof. Dr. Ahmet Konrot said that "One of the goals of Üsküdar University is to organize an 'Stuttering Symposium' with international participation".
Panelists Ozan Altıntaş, Güneş Işık and Cüneyt İldam addressed the problems experienced by stutterers and expressed their expectations. Emphasizing that speech and language therapists should reconcile stutterers with their current situation before speech therapy, the panelists emphasized the importance of desensitization by saying, "The most important thing in the therapy phase is to take the therapy together with desensitization".
In the sessions held after the panel, stuttering was discussed from different perspectives. Gökhan Teker, Self-Help Member of the Stuttering Association, Dr. Faculty Member Evrim Gerçek and Anıl Çelik, Self-Help Member of the Stuttering Association, made a speech. After Çelik, Lecturer. Lecturer Özlem Oğuz made a presentation titled "Stuttering - Public Awareness", while Pınar Karabulut, Self-Help Member of the Association of Stutterers, also participated in the program as a speaker. The conference was held in the office of Assist. Assist. İlkem Kara's presentation titled "Recognizing the Emotions and Thoughts that Govern Our Behaviors" and ended with a poetry recital and short film screening.
