TISA on Cognizant Magazine

Mr. Manimaran was recently interviewed and featured in the weekly online magazine of Cognizant Technology Solutions (CTS), a renowned IT company in India. With this online magazine feature, TISA has reached out to about 1 lakh employees of the company. Read the interview below:  Aristotle, Winston Churchill, Marilyn Monroe, Kishore Kumar, Hrithik Roshan, despite being some of the greatest public figures, also had a sever speech problem. Known for being great orators, singers and performers, they had a harrowing time trying to get over their stammering. That didn't stop them though, from achieving greatness.

Decades later, therapies for those who stutter have improved; thanks to technological strides. Unlike earlier, speech problems are diagnosed on time, and take far lesser period to be controlled.

Mr Mani Maran, spokesperson for The Indian Stammering Association (TISA) talks to Cpecial on the strides they have been making.

Cpecial: Welcome to Cognizant, Mr.Mani Maran. We are happy to have you here.

Mr. Mani Maran: Thank you. It is my pleasure!

Cpecial: What is stuttering or stammering? It causes, and how common is it in India?

Mr. Mani Maran: Stammering and stuttering are the same thing - a speech disorder where a person repeats or prolongs words, syllables or phrases. It affects 1 per cent of the population worldwide and over 11 million Indians share the problem. For them, everyday activities like talking with the neighbor, ordering food or asking directions seem a herculean task.

What was once considered a physical problem, linked to the mouth or tongue, or emotional trauma, now has been proved to occur mainly because of faulty genes. Studies have shown that it affects boys twice as much as it does the girls and is usual among children of 0- 5 years.

Cpecial: How does TISA fit into the equation?

Mr. Mani Maran: We help people get over the problem. The Indian Stammering Association (TISA) was launched in Mumbai in 2008. It is a self-help movement that supports people who stammer (PWS). We work to collect and disseminate relevant, correct and unbiased information for PWS and their families, friends and society. Our motto lies in the ancient Indian spirit: "This Self is to be achieved through self-effort."

Cpecial: Do you have a chapter only in Mumbai?

Mr. Mani Maran: No. There are currently over 20 chapters across India. In fact, the center at Chennai was recently moved to a more permanent location, where we work between 5:00pm and 8:00pm, Mondaythrough Thursday with weekly meetings on Sunday.

Cpecial: How do you work with the members?

Mr. Mani Maran: We have specific training sessions focusing on power point lessons, mock interviews and personalized speech therapy sessions. We also videotape all these exercises for the members to watch later, reflect and make course corrections. The facilities are designed in such a way that the user can practice slow reading and slow speech practicing in front of mirrors in private.

Cpecial: So tell us, Mr.Mani Maran, what's your story? How did you become part of TISA?

Mr. Mani Maran: was a stammerer myself. I faced several depressing and awkward situations in life. But it became past story after joining TISA in 2009. I have improved my speech a great deal. Though I am stammering here and there, it doesn't hinder my progress in life.

Cpecial: How do people enroll themselves in TISA?

Mr. Mani Maran: It's fairly simple. They can enroll with one-time registration fee of Rs 100. We ensure total anonymity to motivate people shed their inhibitions and join TISA. Those interested can contact me directly at+91 98842 89989 and manimaran1957@yahoo.com ormstammer.chennai@yahoo.com

Cpecial: it is heartening to know that a lot of effort is taken to encourage people overcome their difficulty. Do you have any message for people who stammer?

Mr. Mani Maran: Do not stop trying. Talk your way; practice makes it perfect.

Cpecial would like to thank Mr.Mani Maran for his time. To know more about TISA, please visit www.stammer.in and www.t-tisa.blogspot.in