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From: Leys Geddes
Date: 21 Oct 2008
Time: 02:47:45 -0500
Remote Name: 86.163.200.31
Thanks, Anonymous Grad Student, for the kind things you say. I'm not professionally qualified and have no direct experience of dealing with very young children in school, so I think you should ask this question of an SLP who specialises in children. Generally, I would say that being open about stuttering is a good thing; and I say that because most adult PWS know they stutter and are understandably trying to hide, or at least to minimse, their stuttering. Young children, though, are completely different, because they don't necessarily know that they stutter - or even know what a stutter is. You may know that Lidcombe, for example, recommends the use of words such as 'bumpy' to describe the speech, as a part of a strategy which is designed not to frighten the child or make him feel that he has a particular condition, or is different from other children. Often that 'difference' becomes apparent for the first time when the child first goes to school and there can be a very negative reaction as a result. So I cannot see that it would be good for the teacher to force a child to 'come out' but, on the other hand, I can see - and I know - that excusing a child from introducing himself will put him apart from the others. So, I think I should stop my response at this point, and ask you to ask someone who has dealt with the siutaion you describe. And please let me know what the experts recommend!