yeah i've had people think i'm SMARTER because i stutter, and i've learned that people listen harder and more actively to me than to anyone else. i think a lot of this is just the way you interpret signals. if they slow down when talking to you you could either interpret it as 1. they think you're stupid 2. they're slowing down to create an atmosphere where you also slow down (because many ppl think stuttering is ameliorated by slowing down) if you already have low self esteem and think people think you're stupid, you'll default to 1. even if it seems 2 is almost always more common.