Knowing about therapy for stuttering

Knowing what to expect from speech therapy, what the therapist does, and why your child does not use what he is learning makes it easier for parents to understand the process of controlling stuttering.  This page gives information that is helpful so parents know what questions to ask the therapist.  It also helps the parents be more understanding with the child and be able to help more at home. 

http://www.stutteringhelp.org/what-happens-therapy

Choosing a speech therapist

This page talks about if a child should have speech therapy, how to choose a therapist, and what to expect:

http://www.stutteringhelp.org/does-my-child-need-therapy-stuttering

television, radio, internet, and blogs

I find it very interesting to read other blogs, and this is one I have been reading lately http://www.stutteringhelp.org/blog

It is interesting to read about things that happen in therapy and that Harrison Craig and Lazaro Arbos have been helpful to young people who stutter who had never met anyone else who spoke like them.  They don't feel so alone in the world when they see people on television who stutter.

My uncles who stuttered didn't have a television when they were young.  I don't know how old they were before they had one or if some of them ever did.  Since nobody but their family where they lived spoke with a stutter, I bet they thought there was something wrong with only them until one left home and was sent to a speech therapist. What a different life they would have had with television, radio, and the internet to be able to get support from others who stutter.

Thankfully, the one who was sent for speech therapy learned about The Stuttering Foundation of America and their self therapy book that his therapist used.  Those who stutter and grow up in this age of technology will have it so much easier than those who grew up years ago. 

Tips for those who stutter

This was a great show about stuttering.  The interesting thing to me was hearing how to slide into words, talk like Winston Churchill and use pauses to break a sentence up and lessen stuttering.  These are just some things that a well-trained speech therapist can help those who stutter learn to do to make their speech smoother.  One of my uncles was so lucky to find out about the Stuttering Foundation when he was an adult.  Parents who have children who start stuttering should seek help so they can be referred to a speech therapist who can help the child so they hopefully don't have a lifelong problem.  Just like a health problem, the earlier you seek help, the better.

http://wpr.org/webcasting/m3u/listen78.m3u

New Device to help with stuttering

This reminds me of watching a video where a speech therapist tells a teen to feel his throat while he is speaking.  I hope this device is available and affordable to all who need it.  This should be able to work whether in a crowded restaurant, on a noisy street, or while giving a presentation.  The auditory feedback devices are only useful for individual speaking situations with no other noises in the background.

http://news.olemiss.edu/um-researchers-create-device-to-help-stutterers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=um-researchers-create-device-to-help-stutterers#.UH_6TkJN6Ac

Speech Easy

For those who have asked about the devices that are supposed to "cure" stuttering, this segment shows that they do sometimes create immediate fluency, but it is not lasting.  Thanks to StutterTalk for making this available!  http://stuttertalk.com/following-up-on-the-speecheasy-and-stuttering-with-mark-babcock-episode-192/

One week of therapy!

"A week-long, intense course of speech therapy may help reduce stuttering, a new study shows. What's more, improvements in speech corresponded with actual brain changes documented on MRI scans."  Read the rest of the article at http://www.webmd.com/brain/news/20120808/week-long-speech-therapy-may-improve-stuttering

The Stuttering Foundation responds to this article with "It is our experience that a competent therapist can help a person who stutters become fluent in one week. That is not the challenge; the goal in stuttering therapy is staying fluent - taking what you learn in the therapy setting and transferring it into the real world and maintaining that level of fluency over time."  Read the rest here
http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/prnewswire/press_releases/Tennessee/2012/08/08/DC54596

The Foundation has referrals to speech therapists who are trained to work with stuttering.  They have lists of intensive clinics and summer workshops, too.

Therapy

If you resist having therapy and think it is useless, it will be. This goes for any kind of therapy whether for a speech problem or a physical problem. Those who have a qualified speech therapist and who learn the techniques and practice them will obtain better speech. Those who have had joint replacement and go to physical therapy and follow the instructions while at home will have mobility again. Those who don't will continue on as they were or be immobilized and bed ridden. It is a choice!

Find a speech therapist for stuttering

Whether looking for a speech therapist for yourself or your child, do your research and find one that is comfortable working with the age group you need as well as one who is qualified to help with stuttering. See my links section for some places to check. There may be more. Spend the time to find the therapist best suited for your situation; you are more likely to get results you are looking for. Also, do not expect a cure or to see a great difference overnight. Give the therapy a chance to work.

Stuttering and speech therapy

See the difference in this video posted a year ago http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfLHojgVYtk and this one posted 3 months ago http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdUXYPBQG-M. I understand that Philip Garber has been taking speech therapy, and it sure has helped him. It also shows that his stuttering is not near as "disruptive" in a classroom as it would have been a year ago.

A few people who stutter say that speech therapy did not help them or even made them worse. I expect they did not have a therapist who was trained to work with stuttering. If you or your child stutters and you are seeking a therapist, make sure they have been trained to work with someone who stutters. If there is not one near you, there are summer camps and intensive clinics run by good therapists. You can find the lists under "referrals" at www.stutteringhelp.org

Stuttering specialists

Click on the title of this post to read an article about the difference it made for a child to go to a stuttering specialist. This is why going to a speech therapist who is trained to work with people who stutter is better than going to just any speech therapist. Asking the right questions to find the right therapist for the age of the child is important, too. The Stuttering Foundation of America gives a parent all the tools needed to find the right match for their child. They help with tips for getting insurance coverage, referrals to qualified therapists, how the parent can help at home, what to expect from therapy, etc.

Helping a child who stutters

Dr. Ramig and Dr. Murphy give some helpful ways to help a child who stutters at http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/isad11/papers/therapy11/murphy11.html

Children need to learn some coping techniques while they are young so they "change some of the learned avoidant reactions that often develop as a result of the unpleasantness of stuttering." I wonder if many of the adult stutterers would not stutter as badly if they had gotten professional help when they were young, if their parents and teachers had learned how to help them, and if they had not acquired some of the habits of avoidance and secondary behaviors that most people who stutter seem to get.

From posts that I have read online, I feel that many young people who go to a speech therapist don't get much out of it because they don't really want to be there. They don't want to have to leave their regular class in school to go to therapy. If you aren't really wanting to be in therapy at the time, how can you get anything out of it?

Being able to verbalize the fact that you stutter, being able to talk about it to your family, and being able to express your feelings about stuttering is one of the big first steps to improving your speech. Anyone who stutters or who has lived with someone who stutters will tell you that stuttering is worse if you are trying NOT to stutter. If a child knows that a parent is embarrassed by their stuttering, he/she will try not to stutter or will just stop talking. The Stuttering Foundation (www.stutteringhelp.org) has a brochure to help parents who have a child who stutters. They have books, online help, DVDs, and other material to help all ages. Dr. Ramig is coauthor of some of the materials.

"Putting a stop to stuttering"

WCSC in Charleston SC has a segment on that they have labeled "Putting a Stop to Stuttering." See it here http://www.live5news.com/global/story.asp?s=9609394. From what I read, there is no cure for stuttering and this title is the last thing that they should have used. It gives young people the impression that stuttering should and can be stopped. It is great that some children outgrow stuttering as many do when going through a language-learning phase, but what about those many children who will continue to stutter into adulthood? They can learn how to manage it with various techniques taught by speech pathologists trained to work with stuttering or by learning what to do by reading "Self Therapy for the Stutterer" by Malcolm Fraser (published by The Stuttering Foundation www.stutteringhelp.org), but nothing will totally stop or "cure" the stuttering. They will have to practice and use the techniques constantly. Children should also be informed that stuttering is just part of a person and doesn't mean that they are "dumb" or any different than anyone else. If everyone were accepting of differences in people whether they stutter, lisp, wear glasses, have red hair, or any other number of things, the world would be a much better place.

Speech Therapy for young children

This letter was in the Chicago Daily Herald and points out the need for speech therapy provisions especially for young children. It should have also included the web site for the Stuttering Foundation of America where a list of speech therapists who are trained to work with stuttering can be found http://www.stutteringhelp.org/Default.aspx?tabid=109.
"Your article "Most children will eventually outgrow stuttering" was very informative and I am sure it will help the parents of children who are struggling with stuttering.
One percent of the adult population stutters, while about 4 percent of children experience some form of stuttering . Seventy-five percent of these children do outgrow the problem.
While the treatment of childhood stuttering has spawned many different and opposing theories, one constant is that speech therapists agree early intervention with a child through speech therapy is a must.
My wife and I have been very pleased with the Stuttering Foundation of America as it has a national listing of speech therapists that specialize in stuttering.
Also, we have found this organization's resources most helpful as they offer many books and DVDs for children, parents and teachers.
It would be nice if speech therapy in general was given more attention. Every presidential election cycle there is talk of "health care reform," but none of the health care initiatives floated in Washington over the last 15 years have made any provisions for speech therapy.
More attention has to be given to speech therapy for all kinds of speech disorders, especially those of children.
Carlo J. Peluso
Arlington Heights"

Can't depend on those devices

Everyone who stutters wants a quick fix. One uncle said that he wished he could just bang his head on the wall and make the stuttering go away. Unfortunately, there has been no quick fix found. Some people have found that they get some relief from medications or devices, but they don't work for all stutterers. Studies that I have read about have shown that people have spent lots of money on a device that worked at first but after awhile it didn't work for them. I would think that you would want something to work for you all of the time and to know that it would not stop working for you if you spent a bunch of money on it.

People who have gone to therapy say that it didn't help them. I would wonder if they went to a speech therapist who specialized in treating stuttering. I would also wonder if the stutterer practiced the techniques they were taught. My uncles and cousins who stuttered worked through "Self Therapy for the Stutterer" with one uncle going to speech therapy at the same time. His therapist used that book in her sessions. All of them said that it was not a book to just read, but one that they had to study and work slowly through each section while practicing what they learned. None of them tried any medication nor device and all of them became much more fluent.

It seems that you can't depend on those devices, and it would be better to spend the time and effort on learning what to do to become more fluent and practice, practice, practice! If a PWS has money to spend, it is well worth putting it into paying for speech therapy from a professional who specializes in treating stuttering.

Speech Therapy for teens and adults

Stuttering therapy for teens and adults usually means changing long-standing speech behaviors, emotions, and attitudes about talking and communication in general. As a result, length and type of therapy can vary greatly depending on your goals. A list of sample therapy goals for teens and adults includes:
Reducing the frequency of stuttering;
Decreasing the tension and struggle of stuttering moments;
Working to decrease word or situation avoidances;
Learning more about stuttering;
Using effective communication skills such as eye contact or phrasing; and,
Determining whether goals relate to long-term change or to meet a specific short-term need, such as a job interview.
Working together with a speech pathologist who is knowledgeable about stuttering will help you identify your personal goals.

source: The Stuttering Foundation of America

Self therapy for stuttering

Many adults who stutter say that they have attended therapy sessions several times during their lifetime with no results. This doesn't mean that they can't be helped. It could be that they went to a school speech therapist who was not trained in helping those who stutter. It could be that they did not think they could be helped and therefore did not practice the techniques they were taught and really give it all they could. For whatever reason therapy didn't help in the past is no reason to not give it a try again. If a speech therapist who is trained in working with stuttering is not affordable or not close by, get the book "Self Therapy for the Stutterer" and work diligently through the steps on your own.

"There is a rich tradition of self-therapy for stuttering. That such therapy can be effective is shown by the success of many people using their own techniques to improve their fluency. In a very real sense, the PWS is never really helped in therapy without healing him/herself. Some self-therapy approaches, disciplined and enriched by study, research, and many years of clinical practice, have become successful in treating other stutterers. This is the case with Charles Van Riper's therapy and others.
Another useful approach is that taken in the book Self Therapy for the Stutterer, published by the Stuttering Foundation of America. This book provides contributions from therapists who give general and specific guidance for PWS who want usable near-term techniques to help increase their fluency or who are happy enough to live with managed stuttering." Darrell M. Dodge

Valerie Brun obtained both "Self Therapy for the Stutterer" and "Advice to Those Who Stutter" and made these comments: "What I liked about these two books is how down-to-earth they are. They make no secret of the fact that there are no short cuts, no easy remedies, it is down to very hard work mostly carried out by oneself. We need the guidance and directions as to how to do it but no-one can do the work for us. I worked very hard, especially at reading aloud, listening to myself on tape (urgh!) and reading again. I did not try to tackle everything at once; I worked on the easier goals first and then on to the more difficult ones, but at the same time trying to remember four basics. Not too fast, remember to pause, soft contacts, remember to breathe regularly. (Just think, most people just talk without thinking about how they do it!)."

Both books are published by The Stuttering Foundation of America and are good for the adult or teen to work through either on their own or with a therapist.

Aquatic Speech Therapy

I just ran across this article and thought that it is a wonderful way to get people to relax, play, and practice speech at the same time! The pools will be filled with speech therapists and people who stutter, lisp, or some other disfluency if this indeed does work. Maybe, students would be more apt to attend speech therapy if they got to play in the pool at the same time. Since practice helps speech and the more often disfluent people go over the techniques learned in therapy, the more fluent they get; getting to swim and play in the water will make therapy fun and something to look forward to.


NEW AQUATIC SPEECH THERAPY
Thursday, February 08, 2007
There`s a new program at the North Texas Rehab Center that`s really making a splash with some young clients. It`s called Aquatic Speech Therapy and it uses pool exercises to develop language. Kids who stutter, suffer from cerebral palsy or have fluency problems tend to open up in the water, and therapists say it`s amazing how verbal kids can be when they`re relaxed. The best part is, most of the children don`t realize how much they`re getting done. Jennifer Auldridge, speech language pathologist said, "and they don`t think they`re working, that`s the great part about it, they don`t think they`re working, they think they`re playing but we`re getting a lot of work done."

Going to speech therapy

The referrals on the Foundation's web site are all trained to work with those who stutter and their families, and some stuttered themselves. One of my uncles found his therapist through the Foundation. He was the one who became the most fluent, the most educated, and the one who became and engineer with a good company. His brothers used a self therapy book, probably didn't try as hard, never strived for higher education, and all worked in manual labor jobs but did learn to speak more fluently. I wonder if the encouragement from the therapist along with regular, scheduled practice helped the one uncle move toward his goal or if he would have done it anyway because of his personality. He was the go-getter of the group while the others were the "whatever" type.

Going to speech therapy is good especially if you find a therapist who specialized in treating those who stutter. If they aren't listed on the Foundation's web site under "referrals," I would ask questions to make sure the money is well spent or find a speech therapist who has been trained to work with stuttering.