Florida State University School of Communication Sciences and Disorders (SCSD) Assistant Professor Christopher Constantino was a featured guest on the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (ASHA) podcast titled ASHA Voices. The podcast begins with a conversation with Constantino to introduce a panel of experts who expand upon the episode’s topic of stigmas around stuttering.

Podcast producer J.D. Gray interviews Constantino about the representation of people who stutter in media and popular culture. Using President Biden’s inauguration as a springboard for the conversation, the pair discuss how the President’s speeches provide the general public exposure to stuttering and creates a dialogue around the subject.

“I think any time a stigmatized characteristic is brought out into the fresh air, at times people’s initial reactions are going to be negative,” said Constantino. “But people have to voice those negative reactions before they can be challenged.”

Constantino, who has a stutter himself, has conducted extensive research on the topic. Earning his degree at the University of Memphis, Constantino worked with experts in clinically oriented stuttering research. In 2019, he received the Advancing Academic-Research Careers (AARC) grant from the ASHA for his research on stuttering. He also received an award from the National Stuttering Foundation (NSA) for his research on the effects of stuttering on identity, quality of life, and well-being. With this background on the topic, Constantino believes that public knowledge of the President’s stutter creates the possibility of a future where people are more accepting.

“I think one of the hardest things is that it’s not something that’s often talked about in public,” said Constantino. “And I think that the more people talk about it, the easier it is for people to be open about it.”

To listen to the full podcast, click here.