We, the PWS have tried so many things to attain fluency. I, as a child have always hoped for something miraculous or magical thing that will happen one find day that will rescue us from the shackles of this impediment. I’ve always looked for that encounter with someone who will reveal to me the secret mantra towards fluency. I always searched and read a lot about stammering cure on internet. And it’s on this wonderful media that I came across – Steve Hill.

I somehow stumbled on his articles on stammering and his struggles about stammering on the site: www.ezinearticles.com. He described a lot of situations that he faced during his stammering life like – difficulty in ordering to a waiter, difficulty in dating a girl, mockery by friends. His articles were something that I could easily relate to, as most of the PWS have a similar story to tell. Soon, I began to read all his articles on this site, and he became a role-model. His articles often ended about him telling how he feels now after curing his stammering. He regarded it as “The Missing Jigsaw Piece” in his life - a feeling of freedom, a feeling of coming out of a life-long imprisonment, for a crime you haven’t done! How true!

I soon got his email from one of his articles. I wrote to him, about being a regular reader of his articles, and how he inspires me. I said I cannot share my stammering experiences with my friends as they can’t relate to it. I sought his help and guidance on how he overcame his stammer, so that it helped me too.

This is how he replied to my first mail:

Hi Harish,

Thank you for your comments, I am happy you enjoy reading my articles.

I have managed to overcome a stutter and now help people to achieve fluency.

I have a number of websites with more information on how I managed to do it and on the ways in which I now help people:

www.stammering-stuttering.co.uk

www.stutter-stuttering.com

http://blog.stammering-stuttering.co.uk/blog

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.

Many thanks,

Steve

Overjoyed over this helping hand, I wrote to him again, this time describing in detail my problems and the nature of my stammering. This is how he replied to my second mail:

Hi Harish,

Thank you for your e-mail.

As you may know I have produced a seventy minute dvd and an ebook which I feel will be of great benefit to you. These are proving to be very popular and I have had a lot of positive feedback from the people who have purchased them.

There is more information at www.stammering-stuttering.co.uk.

Many thanks,

Steve

This email really did disappoint me. I could certainly not afford the DVD and e-book that cost 55 (fifty five) euros. But the thought of buying the DVD someday was at the back of my mind. Till I joined TISA, and then came to know about BSA and ISA, and through their sites I learned a lot about stammering, its origins and management. I realized that there are lot many quacks like these, which claim a cure for stammer, but are indeed looking to loot the PWS off their money.

The stammering associations of India and around the world stand rock solid against these quacks. By sharing my experience, I would like to caution other PWS not be fall prey to such looters. The feeling of achieving fluency is priceless… But these people don’t offer it!

(Ed: 55 Euro equals INR 3400. That is the wage for four weeks for many Indians. This is the downside of globalisation: anyone can sell anything to anybody, thanks to e-commerce and internet!)