Stuttering to be Focus of Panel Discussion, Film Screening at Evergreen

The Evergreen Speech and Hearing Clinic will screen the Oscar-winning movie The King's Speech and conduct a panel discussion Wednesday on the issue of stuttering as part of Better Hearing and Speech Month.

“An Evening with the King” will be at from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., May 18, in collaboration with the National Stuttering Association. The acclaimed movie sheds light on a speech disorder that affects 68 million people around the world.

The free screening of the movie will be followed by a question-and-answer session with Maryam Sadrzadeh, M.S., the program director of Evergreen Speech and Hearing Clinic; Ludo Max, Ph.D., a stuttering researcher at the University of Washington; and Joe Mirly, coordinator of the Northwest Chapter of the National Stuttering Association.

Stuttering is a communication disorder that is heard as disruptions or blockage in speech and currently has no known cause or cure.

“It’s our hope to break down the social stigma and misunderstanding that surround stuttering and help further give a voice to those who stutter,” explains Sadrzadeh, a speech-language pathologist. “We look forward to sharing this free movie screening with the Eastside community and encourage stutterers and non-stutterers alike to join in on this evening of entertainment and education.”

To reserve a seat, register from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday at 425-899-3000 or online at www.evergreenhealthcare.org/classes (healthy living section).

Regular Stuttering Support Group meetings are held every third Wednesday of the month in the Evergreen Surgery and Physicians Center, Room TAN 134 from 7-9 p.m.