McGill group tackles speech and communication challenges

What do Olympic medalist Michael Phelps, actress Emily Blunt and golf legend Tiger Woods have in common? All have speech impediments yet overcame these challenges to have illustrious careers. 

In 2017, a group of students at McGill University interested in helping those with speech and communication challenges, launched the McGill Undergraduates for Communication Disorders Awareness (MUCDA) student club, the first such group at the university. 

A hub for those considering a career in speech therapy, MUCDA regularly promotes internship opportunities and coordinates career panels. In addition to fundraising for the Montreal Children’s Hospital Speech-Language Pathology Department, last year, they co-hosted an interactive workshop with the McGill American Sign Language Club, “offering a unique perspective on language and inclusion.” 

One of their main initiatives is the “Buddy Program,” which matches individuals struggling with communication disorders with volunteers for conversation-based activities, with the aim of breaking social isolation and building community. 

The term “communication disorders” covers both speech and language challenges. As noted on the MUCDA site, while speech disorders relate to sound and fluency articulation and may take the form of stuttering, language disorders refer to the execution and comprehension of words and grammar. It is possible to have either or both. 

This summer, MUCDA co-president Ava McKenzie gained first-hand experience job-shadowing a speech pathologist at CanSpeak Therapy in her hometown of New Jersey. 

“Individuals with communication disorders are often very smart; they just can’t communicate ideas as easily as others can,” shared McKenzie, a psychology major minoring in linguistics and Hispanic studies. 

“Trying to finish the sentence for someone or talk over them does not help and is just plain rude,” she said, adding that the more someone gets interrupted or rushed, the less fluent they become. 

Montrealer Bassel Atallah has never let his speech impediment stop him. Working as a lecturer in English Literature and Communications at Dawson College, McGill and Concordia and now as the associate dean of Creative and Applied Arts at Dawson, he shares his journey with students, making discussions regarding fears of public speaking all the more relatable. 

In 2017, Atallah presented “Breaking the Self-Imposed Silence in Our Personal and Professional Lives” at the Canadian Stuttering Association’s annual conference, sharing strategies for confidence building, contesting negative self-talk and improving public speaking. 

“Remember that these are people with the same capabilities [as anyone else],” said McKenzie. “Don’t immediately underestimate or judge them because they are different.”