Page 6 - MidWeek - March 29, 2023

6 MIDWEEK MARCH 29, 2023
tongue-tied? Now, imagine being a teenager who is al- ways tongue-tied due to a stutter or other speech chal- lenge. Imagine how diffi- cult it would be to navigate through school, friends and family with this unique chal- lenge.”
for youth with speech chal- lenges,” says Raphael.
with speech pathologists and representatives from CHATS’ partners Mental Health America of Hawai‘i and Spill the Tea Café.
These were the words spo- ken by 16-year-old Raphael Stark, a homeschooler who stutters. He is the founder of a nonprofit called CHATS: Caring for Hawai‘i Teens with Speech Challenges, a support group for youth ages 13-18.
One such student who is looking to benefit from CHATS is Kylie. When asked about her particular speech challenge, she re- plied, “I would say mine is pronunciation correction. Sometimes I will mumble words. When someone is speaking, I will have diffi- culty speaking afterward.”
Raphael speaks in schools and within the community in hopes of educating and spreading the message of inclusivity to teens.
Inspiring Teen Helps Others With Speech Challenges
“D By Georgine Stark, secretary for CHATS: Caring for Hawai‘i Teens with Speech Challenges
id you know “Our mission is to break meet in a fun and safe envi- that everyone the walls of misconception ronment. Members gather to has experi- through education while pro- participate in fun activities
In building its member- ship, CHATS is sponsoring a free pizza meet-and-greet at Spill the Tea Café from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 15. If you are inter- ested in attending, would like to become a member or would be interested in making a donation, visit chatshawaii.org or email raphael@chatshawaii.org. Also, be sure to follow the organization on Instagram (@chatshawaii).
enced the feeling of being viding support and resources and engaging discussions
CHATS is the first sup- port group in Hawai‘i to offer a space where teens with speech challenges can
“I found it interesting that every adult I spoke with, who had a stutter, had the same comment: They wished there was a group like CHATS when they were a teenager,” says Raphael.
The nonprofit CHATS: Caring for Hawai‘i Teens with Speech Challenges held
a meet-and-greet at Ala Moana Beach Park. Pictured at the event are (from left) Pepi Mottl, Tehannie Chang, Sophia Stark and CHATS founder Raphael Stark. PHOTO COURTESY GEORGINE STARK
Feeling tongue-tied shouldn’t prevent teenagers from being heard. CHATS is not only here to help teens find their voice, but to also teach the community to listen.
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