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From: Ellen-Marie Silverman
Date: 09 Oct 2007
Time: 13:21:46 -0500
Remote Name: 205.188.117.20
[[ . . . "I'm a teacher, getting my bachelorette/masters in Speech Pathology. If I have a student who stutters but they and their parents have no problems with the child stuttering, how much effort do I put in to get this student evaluated and seeing a Speech Language Pathologist?"]] >>> Well, Wendy, in the circumstance where parents and their child who stutters have no problems with the child stuttering I still would suggest the parent contact a speech-language pathologist comfortable and successful working with children and their families. I'll tell you why: The parents may not know that the help of a specialist is available, so your suggestion could be a real service because they may be quite anxious but in denial --- thinking/hoping "It'll pass" because they don't know what else to do. Since those mental states can only cause temporary and even long-lasting problems, I as the child's teacher would without anxiety or judgment advocate for both the child and the parents themselves by encouraging the parents to consult with a qualified speech-language pathologist. Together they can determine: 1) What would be the most beneficial action to take in the present and 2) What would be the possible steps to take in the future if the child continued to stutter. >>> It's hard to meaningfully respond to hypothetical's, but, perhaps, this attempt provides some useful direction for you. I guess, as an teacher/advocate for children, I would tend to put the child's welfare first, and, regardless of what anyone says about the child and his or her circumstance, I would combine all that I knew about the child together with my intuitive understanding of the child's circumstances to make the most responsible decision I could make to help assure the child's welfare in the present and in the long run. >>> Good Luck, Ellen-Marie Silverman