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From: Alan Badmington
Date: 05 Oct 2007
Time: 04:08:29 -0500
Remote Name: 195.194.75.225
Hi Lindsey, You wrote: "I was wondering what you think an SLP can do to help a client deal with avoidance issues since it becomes a habit that can be hard to break?" I didn't learn about the implications of avoidance until 2000. I practised word substitution for so many years without realising that I was, in fact, increasing my fear of the word that I was avoiding. I only wish that someone had explained this when I was younger. A client would certainly benefit from gaining an understanding of the consequences of avoidance. I see this as a role that the SLP should undertake. We respond more readily when we understand why we are being asked to do something. Like many PWS, I frequently experienced difficulty when saying my surname. I overcame the problem by becoming pro-active. I didn't wait until it was imperative for me to say the word - I began uttering it at every opportunity, even when it may have appeared inappropriate. By regularly introducing it into everyday conversation (when the pressure was greatrly reduced), I found that the word presented fewer problems. Each time I said my surname, a message was sent to my subconscious saying, "Hey Alan, you've just said Badmington". Throughout my life, a little voice had constantly reminded me that I could not say it - thus contributing to future anticipatory fear. On those occasions that I had struggled to use my name, the same critical voice reinforced that fact, further fuelling my negative self-limiting belief. By reversing the adverse dialogue that I had been having with my inner critic, I eventually convinced myself that I could say the word that had been such a bane for so many years. I also adopted a similar course of action in respect of the many other words that held an emotional charge. On 4 May 2000, I commenced a policy of total non-avoidance (zero-tolerance) and have not avoided any word, letter, sound or situation since that date. I found it tough on ocasions, but the results were so rewarding. You may wish to read the poem that I wrote (for the 2004 ISAD Online Conference) about this very subject. It's entitled, "Changing the words around". Simply click on the following link: http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/isad7/papers/badmington7/badmington17.html Thank you for participating in the online discussion. Kindest regards Alan