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From: Lee
Date: 22 Oct 2007
Time: 18:14:15 -0500
Remote Name: 71.96.169.41
Hello Rick, Yes, I had speech therapy... a lot of therapy. I began therapy in the first grade and continued throughout my school years. However, it was not until my junior year that I met my first "teacher". While was not successful in releiving my stuttering she did provide tremendous support and encouragement for me to never give up on my dreams. She also introduced me to a support group for adults who stutter. Those two things, along with the support I recieved from Dr. Malnati set the stage for my being "ready" to seek and find the therapist/ teacher who taught me the skills to change the way I spoke..stuttered. My therapy was basic stuttering modification with heavy emphasis on counseling and risk taking. Ultimately, I found that learning the skills to modify my stuttering and make it easier to communicate were not as hard as overcoming the fear of using those skills. It took hard work, practice practice practice and taking lots of risks on my own behalf. I had a terrific support system to pick me up when I fell down and to kick me in the rear when I wanted to give up. I am grateful to the many individuals who have influenced my life and believed that I could be more than I ever thought. In the end, stuttering became a gift to me. Best of luck to you my friend on all of your life journeys.