Presentations ??

[kghayesh]

Hi all,
I have a presentation next Thursday. I always had fear from every presentation I made before (3 till now). I just wanted to know what do you usually do to prepare for these ultimate speaking tests for stutterers??

An SLP told me before that I should write down all the words I will say and memorize them. So that when I am saying them I am like reciting them. I did that before and it helped me once that I was 100% fluent !! And nobody noticed any stutter !! But I think it is just ridiculous to memorize a presentation.

So.... any advices ??? Please say asap coz only 2 days are remaining !!!

[Standingtall]

The one thing that annoys me, is don't read your presentation word for word. It is good to have structure and you can have your points on paper. Good speakers speak to the crowd. That is my suggestions. Good luck.

[3FingerBrown]

What I used to do for presentations in school was learn the material inside and out so that I could speak as freely as possible.
I'd lay out an outline of what I wanted to say but I could never recite a structured speech.
As long as I was confident that I knew my stuff, I found it easier to speak on the fly. That way I could employ word and thought substitution.

Good luck and please let us know how it goes.

[kghayesh]

The one thing that annoys me, is don't read your presentation word for word. It is good to have structure and you can have your points on paper. Good speakers speak to the crowd. That is my suggestions. Good luck.

Thanks but that's for fluent people who doesn't have a burden of thinking of all the words they are gonna say. Speaking is a hard job for stutterers not something given for granted as all people, that's why I fear presentations.

BECAUSE I AM A S T U T T E R E R !!! :(

[Standingtall]

Thanks but that's for fluent people who doesn't have a burden of thinking of all the words they are gonna say. Speaking is a hard job for stutterers not something given for granted as all people, that's why I fear presentations.

BECAUSE I AM A S T U T T E R E R !!! :(
I'm not fluent and I do give presentations. 3fingerbrown say's what I had to say better. I know my topic, I have structure and I do look down to see where I am at many times, making sure I don't stray too far. I use the word and though substitution a lot. AGOFCR says it best, i try my best to pattern myself after a good speaker. There is a guy here, I respect a great deal and I try to pattern myself after him.

[kghayesh]

kghayesh,

For some good pointers or hints, see my post "Making it Through Life With a Stutter/Stammer". I'm sure you'll find something useful in it.

Peace,

Elliott

Thanks Elliot but I just needed quick exact hints about presentations itself. Your wonderful post is general guidelines about stuttering.

I hope you can give me some quick tips since I know you are quite experienced in presentations from all the briefings and stuff you do in the army.

[Requiem]

I have often always avoided doing presentations because that's when all eyes are on me and I feel the pressure. But over a year ago I decided to give it a go because you never know when you get another chance. The good thing about it though was that it could be based on anything I wanted, which was good because that means I could take an initiative in things like that. Anyway although I did stammer, I had positive feedback in facing my fears. My basic advoce to you is that when you do do your presentation, concentrate on your breathing, take in deep breaths before starting a new sentence, pause when you feel a struggle and just enjoy what you do.

Best of luck with your presentation, let us know how you got on.

[Printz]

Thanks Elliot but I just needed quick exact hints about presentations itself. Your wonderful post is general guidelines about stuttering.

I hope you can give me some quick tips since I know you are quite experienced in presentations from all the briefings and stuff you do in the army.

You have very little time, so trying to memorise it will be extremely risky at this stage.

Will it include visuals?

Can you not write the entire speech down?

If you typed it and used large text and more sheets you could read it by looking casually down.

Consider it as a performance. You could bold key phrases or words you want to emphasise and underline any scripted adlibs.

I always do this when I am learning my lines for plays.

Also practice in front of a mirror as much as you can and then if possible in front of family or a friend to check you are looking towards the audience as much as you can without losing your place and consider any comments.

Will there be a questions and answers session in your presentation?

[ferramis]

I had a presentation last week (I mentioned it in my introductory post). Normally one can't understand a thing when I am presenting due to my stuttering, but last week I took VALIUM pills to get me calm (I don't recommend that at all, but I am naturally a very nervous person, which is not necesserily connected to my stuttering, but of course there is a correlation) and I used a DAF software (trial version). Few days before the seminar I gave the seminar I think 3-4 times to my collegues and friends, first without VALIUM and DAF and then with the DAF only and then 2 times with DAF and Valium and IN MY CASE the latter one help me the most. Normally I use slides with as much as possible text and animations so that I dont have to say so much and the slides are self-explaining, but last week I tried ti use as little as possible text and explained most of the things by my self. I saw that I have to be very selfconfident and self-secure and use my hands and go up and down to avoid to stutter. In two weeks I have my next presentation and will try it again and without Valium and only the DAF and see how it works. What is important is that you should now your slides by heart (but don't remember your words, otherwise it will be a monotonic speach and ones you lose the plot it will be hard to get in again). I use Powerpoint and the SHOW function, where you can add some notes on your Slides which only you can see and where also the next slides is beeing showed, so that you can lead over to the next slide. I am not a professional speecg-giver ;) but for the first time in my life I really enjoyed staying 45 minutes infront of people and explaining stuff. Another thing is I dont like laser pointers, because they make me stay at the same position and point to the figures on the slide, rather I use the oldfashion stick, so that I can go up and down and stretch my self-->it helps me speaking more fluent. What else? I am not sure, I am my self in a phase of experience and at least in 2 weeks I might say the opposite ;)

[3FingerBrown]

First, I am very glad to be here. You guys all deserve only the best!!

Just wanted to clarify why I don't like to memorize a speech that I then feel compelled to stick to. I simply can't do it. I can't stop myself (at least I couldn't then) from swapping and substituting and a structured speech was too confining and restrictive for me.
Since starting up speech therapy again I've been very aware of my speech and have been trying my best to not swap things out but in presentation mode, anything that helps goes!

[Standingtall]

First, I am very glad to be here. You guys all deserve only the best!!

Just wanted to clarify why I don't like to memorize a speech that I then feel compelled to stick to. I simply can't do it. I can't stop myself (at least I couldn't then) from swapping and substituting and a structured speech was too confining and restrictive for me.
Since starting up speech therapy again I've been very aware of my speech and have been trying my best to not swap things out but in presentation mode, anything that helps goes!
I'm glad your here. For me Personally, most times you are giving an presentations to professionals, not reading to kids. I find that kind of insulting in a way. It is only advice, so I don't take offensense if nobody takes my advice, that is their choice to make.

[3FingerBrown]

I find that kind of insulting in a way.

What do you mean?
As for speaking to professionals, I work at a small company and I've never needed to do anything that formal. I never took that into account... Last formal presentation I ever gave was in grad school.

Avoidance no more.

[Standingtall]

What do you mean?


Avoidance no more.
I can read and I can read faster than someone reading it to me. I'm not in grade school anymore. Nothing personal to anyone, it is just the way I see it.

[3FingerBrown]

I can read and I can read faster than someone reading it to me. I'm not in grade school anymore. Nothing personal to anyone, it is just the way I see it.

AH!! very true!!
Thats goodadvice for anybody!! I remember once being told to never read the slide to the audience. let them read teh slide, you talk about the slide. :)

[kghayesh]

Now, I'll tell you how it went by

I wasn't satisfied with the presentation at all. I feel I could have done much better (based on my previous presentations!!). As I told you before, I used to memorize all the words that I will say and rehe it many times, without and with audience, before doing it. But this times, I decided to change this approach and try to act more normally. I wrote down what I will say, rehed it twice maybe at home, but then I didn't memorize the words that I will say. I just marked some keypoints in my mind for each slide and that's it !!!

I went to college at 8.30 AM in that day, and the presentation was at 3.30, so I waited all that time and I was mostly thinking about the presentation all the time !! So maybe it made me stressed at the moment I was to speak. The best presentation I made ever, I only made it 15 min. after I arrived. Also, I was the last one to speak, so I waited there till all my 3 team members spoke then my turn came

The presentation was in front of about 70 people. I have been in this situation before, so I know how it feels. I wasn't terrified at all of the scene, but inside myself I was trying to concentrate and speak as clearly as i could. I felt myself speaking in my natural way as I speak to all people (fast with numerous hesitations). I felt sympathy in the audience and I don't think all of them understood all what I said, but they didn't want to ask not to embaress me (does this happen to you ??). Maybe it was just because all people I am talking to know I stutter or maybe because I didn't prepare enough (although I don't think fluent people prepare as much as I do!!!).

Anyway, I was just happy that it was over no matter how I did. At first, I was depressed, but later I felt more relieved after all. I'll just take it as a learning step without looking back at it.

[3FingerBrown]

Whatever the grade congratulations!
You fought the dragon and lived to tell the tale.