Handsfree, discrimination for 71% minors with speech disorders

(ANSA) – MILAN, OCTOBER 22 – Seven out of ten children who suffer from stuttering or some form of language disorder are victims of discrimination and derision because of their way of speaking. This is what emerges from the second annual report of the Voice Shaming Observatory that the Vivavoce association presented today, in the context of International Stuttering Awareness Day. The study examined a sample of 110 children and young people who stutter and 114 parents. As many as 71% of children and young people with language disorders reported having suffered derision, discrimination and social isolation. 61% of these phenomena occur at school and in 34% of cases in leisure or sport-related contexts. Many children expressed feelings of sadness (31%), shame (26%), and anger (25%). Psychological distress also affects social life, leading some to avoid situations in which they fear being judged because of the way they speak, impacting their general well-being and ability to make friends. “The voice is a trait that identifies us and those who are mocked precisely on this primary aspect of communication are deeply affected – explains Giovanni Muscarà, president of the Vivavoce association. – Over 70% of the children and young people who have suffered acts of Voice Shaming confessed that they would have liked to receive help, but often did not know who to turn to. Often those who struggle to communicate encounter invisible barriers, the expectation that there is only one right way of speaking not only limits their freedom of expression but also can suffocate the very desire to communicate”. (HANDLE).