Greetings!

May the festive spirit at this time and round the year, inspire you to look at the light just behind the next hill, the opportunity behind every difficulty, the Friend behind all friends, lasting fulfillment behind all setbacks, creativity in everything you do..
TISA

Chennai Self Help Group meet

Dear Friends,
North East monsoon set in over Tamil Nadu and will rain upto last week of
Nov'2008. Hence regarding coming Sunday meet, pl confirm with me. If there is
rain, no need to come for the meeting.We will have it on next Sunday if no rain.

Regards,

V. Manimaran
Superinteding Engineer
CMWSSB
Mobile: 94450 61999

Online Volunteers needed

TISA needs online volunteers, who can take out couple of hours off over a weekend and translate some documents from English to any of the Indian languages and email it to us as a PDF or graphic file. For example following article is quite relevant and should be translated into as many languages as possible:
http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/isad11/papers/healey11.html
TISA plans to develop a resource section in various Indian languages. A small photo and acknowledgement will be made. Any help will be much appreciated.

Congratulations: Vishal, Chennai

TISA family joins us in congratulating Vishal Dadha (Chennai Chapter) and his family on receiving the latest member.. May the child be a blessing to everyone; may the child be blessed with all the happiness and health!
Akash and Sachin.

Balbulus, stammering, Quacks and a Mistress..

This very interesting write up from Stein Fibiger captures stammering from ancient times to present era and critiques various approaches to stammering therapy - from quacks to Wendel Johnson, Van Riper, Mistress Leigh to Bryngelson...A good read for everyone.
http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/isad11/papers/fibiger11.html

Transformation!!

Uncommon changes among common men are always fascinating and fit subject for deeper inquiry. How does a person do a U-turn? at the attitude level? is it just a 'ripe time' factor? We will have only theories but there is something which defies all attempts at analysis and categorization of such changes. Here is one such story of Guy Cedric Mbouopda, from Cameroon, in this year's online conference on stammering:
http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/isad11/papers/mbouopda11.html
Check it out!

Attitude and Self help

"..People who stutter report greater success with speech treatment that focuses on attitudes than on speech modification। And active participation in self-help activities appears to reduce the negative life impacts of stuttering. These were among the findings in a survey conducted last year by the National Stuttering Association (NSA).."
Please note - role of Attitude and self help activities.. Here is the complete ASHA article..
http://www.asha.org/about/publications/leader-online/archives/2003/q2/030513e.htm

A teacher who understands..

TISA wishes to sincerely thank Smruti Bulsari, and teachers like her, who believe in walking that extra mile, and a little more, to help children with special needs. Many PWS know very well, how a glance, full of understanding, could lighten their inner burden, while struggling in an environment, where oral communication was sine qua non- highly emphasised and valued. Here is an excerpt from her email to Dr Akash Acharya:

"Akash, it is nice that you have forwarded this issue to TISA. If you want some more information, I will be happy to share with you and TISA. I personally think that, it is first the parents' role and then teachers' role to see that such people get fair treatment in the society. I have read the blogs of TISA and I am aware what kind of difficulty and humiliation they face in the society.

I will surely ask the students to meet you personally, but many a times I have observed that because of this speech problems, they are hesistant to meet unknown people. However, I will try to see that they meet you. I will guide them to the TISA blog as well..."

Smruti, thank you very much for your undersatnding. Keep in touch.

Chennai Charges ahead!

The following attended this fortnightly meeting on 5th Oct.
1. Manimaran
2. Vishal
3. Sabarish
4. Hassanand (New member)
5. Conan Durand (New member) &
6. Arunachalam (New member).

TISA thanks Vishal who very kindly gave a small Ad in " The Times of India"
which read as follows:
"People Who Stammer (PWS):
Next meet of the Chennai group of PWS at Marine beach at 6 PM on Sunday,
October 5. The group meet on alternate Sundays to discuss about the problems
faced by PWSs and how to over come them. Call 9445061999 / 9791157911".

Many people called Manimaran and Vishal after seeing the above Ad. Some promised to come for the next meet. The booklet "Twelve questions on Stammering" were given to the new members. The meeting lasted for an hour. Now, Manimaran plans to go ahead and send a letter to Head of the Dept of Speech and hearing, Sri Ramachandra Medical College at Chennai to depute a SLP to their Chennai meet for guidance.

We hope to conduct Chennai TISA meet in the last week of Dec'2008 along with
formal inauguration of speech therapy for PWS.

TISA welcomes ALL the new members and thanks Manimaran and Vishal for taking this wonderful initiative. Now, if the Sri Ramachandra Medical college, responds, the 'supply and demand' cycle will be complete and everyone will be a winner.

Mumbai and Chennai Self Help group meetings

Mumbai
The Indian Stammering Association(TISA)is conducting its 2nd meeting
on 5 October 11:00 a.m. at Grantroad(E), Lamington Road,Near Imperial
Cinema. For more information call at 9967594962.
Chennai
The next Chennai meet is schedule to be held on 5.10.08 near Gandhi statue at
marina beach between 6.00 PM and 7.30 PM. Please attend and share your knowledge. For more info, contact - Mobile: 94450 61999

Arise, awake and stop not till..

Below is the link to the article Mr Mani Maran was trying to share with everyone in the IPWS chat group. It is a must read if you are "Indian".
http://www.uttishthata.org/2007/07/06/a-letter-to-every-indian-apj/