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 Intro00:41 Meet Jason Heffler: Author and Advocate01:27 Jason's Journey with Stuttering02:48 The Inspiration Behind 'Tongue Tied'04:00 Supporting Children with Speech Impediments09:58 The Power of Music in Overcoming Stuttering12:53 Advice for Parents on Bullying and Empathy15:18 Acknowledging and Embracing Neurodiversity19:35 Resources and Final Thoughts Connect with Samantha: https://www.everybrainisdifferent.comGet the Book: https://amzn.to/478a2H8Connect with Jason: https://rebrand.ly/tonguetied  Connect with Samantha Foote!Website: https://everybrainisdifferent.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everybrainisdifferentYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@everybrainisdifferent